Ohio State Buckeyes Position-by-Position Assessments

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Ohio State’s bye week comes at a perfect time following the dramatic, last-second, come-from-behind victory over Notre Dame in South Bend last weekend. It’s a luxury to have an off week following a game that’s physically and emotionally draining, instead of having to quickly regain focus. There are many examples of a team coming out flat the week after a big victory and performing poorly against an inferior opponent. Ohio State doesn’t have to worry about that scenario unfolding.

The bye week gives the team an opportunity to get rested and “recharge the batteries.” The first month of the season is in the books and Ohio State is 4-0. There are two months remaining – eight games, all Big Ten matchups as conference play kicks into gear. The bye week also provides an opportunity to practice fundamentals such as blocking, tackling, and body positioning. During a typical game week, game preparation is all there’s time for.

Might the coaches find time during the bye week to prepare for Michigan?

Everyone knows the Buckeyes need to beat Michigan this year after losing to the Wolverines twice in a row, and the game is in Ann Arbor which makes things exceedingly more difficult. “The Game” isn’t until played after Thanksgiving, but it isn’t too early to start preparing. The legendary Woody Hayes dedicated a part of every practice to preparing for “the team up north,” all season long.

Ohio State Buckeyes Position-by-Position Assessment

This is a great time for mid-season assessments. How does the team look one month into the season at each position? Let’s dive in!

Quarterback

Kyle McCord just led Ohio State on a dramatic game-winning drive culminating in a touchdown with one second remaining to beat Notre Dame. Notre Dame! The kid is a legend in his fourth start. Through the first three games and 3+ quarters of the fourth, McCord seemed like a mediocre quarterback, perhaps a step down from the parade of quarterbacks donning the scarlet and grey in recent years such as Stroud, Fields, and Haskins. C.J. Stroud never led a game-winning drive. What we learned is Kyle McCord has moxie and he’s only scratching the surface of his potential.

Running Back

Chip Trayanum carried the ball for the game-winning touchdown against Notre Dame and had a productive game, but TreVeyon Henderson is the bell cow in the backfield. Henderson has great speed and vision. TreVeyon was slowed last year with a hairline fracture in his foot, but he has regained form and speed as evidenced by his 61-yard touchdown run in the third quarter where he outran the Notre Dame defensive backs. Ohio State is in great shape at the running back position.

Wide Receiver

Marvin Harrison, Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, need I say more? Ohio State has a plethora of riches at the wide receiver position.

Offensive Line

This is a young group that’s still learning to work together. The extra week of fundamentals is especially helpful as they strive to gel as a unit. The next big matchup for the offensive line is October 21^st when Ohio State hosts Penn State, a team that recruits well and always has a very strong defensive front.

Defensive Line

Defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau had the huge tackle-for-loss that resulted in Ohio State getting the ball back for one last chance. JTT is a great player and a game-changer that elevates the entire defense. Notre Dame had moderate success running the ball, but nothing worrisome if you’re a Buckeyes fan. The D-line is stout, even with the departure of Javontae Jean-Baptiste who transferred to Notre Dame, as we saw Saturday night.

Linebacker

Steele Chambers and Tommy Eichenberg are in their third year starting together and the experience shows. They make a better tag team than the Hart Brothers. Eichenberg has developed a “nose for the football” in two years of development. Ohio State is solid at the linebacker position.

Defensive Back

Safety Lathan Ransom and cornerback Denzel Burke are future NFL players who are NFL-ready now. Ohio State was effective in shutting down Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman, but the challenge will be tougher next week taking on Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa.

Coaching

Head Coach Ryan Day dodged a bullet in some respects. Ohio State has more talent on both sides of the ball and barely won the game. Notre Dame played a great game, probably about as good as they could have played. Ohio State, on the other hand, missed opportunities to execute plays which may have put the game on ice earlier. Instead, the game went down to the wire. I’m glad the coach didn’t try to run sideways on that last play.