Cleveland, OH
No winners in Ryan Day’s QB comp after Ohio State’s pass offense looks unrecognizable at Indiana
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Ohio State fans have waited six months for coach Ryan Day to declare his starting quarterback. After Ohio State’s 23-3 win over Indiana, they’ll be waiting at least one more week.
The Buckeyes’ new passing attack fell flat during its introduction to OSU fans. Starter Kyle McCord was 20 of 33 (61%) for 233 yards and no touchdowns, which has only happened three times under Day. Brown threw three passes in garbage time that gained minus-2 yards and took six snaps total. Those numbers – and the snap management — call into question Day’s position that he couldn’t decide on a starter because both were so capable of leading a top-flight offense.
Armed with the best skill talent in the country, McCord fell short of that standard in Bloomington while Brown stood by and watched. Don’t blame a road environment that even the CBS broadcast described as “friendly” to the visitors. And don’t credit an Indiana pass defense that ranked 120th nationally last season. Tom Allen may have hired a Georgia assistant as his defensive coordinator this offseason, but Charlton Warren didn’t get to take the Bulldogs with him.
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The Hoosiers registered zero sacks or quarterback hits while dropping several defenders into coverage most of the afternoon. It’s a simple strategy, but Ohio State couldn’t solve it often enough. McCord showcased his arm strength on a few impressive throws, but he also threw an ugly pick across his body in the first half. And the offense converted just two of 11 third downs on his watch.
The good news is that the Buckeyes’ defense held Indiana to three points and eight first downs. The run game, which produced two touchdowns and 143 yards on 18 carries (4.6 per carry), added balance that was missing at times last season. Combine those compliments with the usual excellence from the passing game, and the Buckeyes can win a national title.
But against the team picked seventh (out of seven) in the Big Ten East, Ohio State’s most reliable ingredient was missing. Of course – and readers may be yelling this – it’s only one game. But one game is the only sample we have, and it may be the best one fans see for a while.
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What will we learn about this pass offense next week against Youngstown State, which finished 7-4 in FCS play last season? Or the week after, when Western Kentucky visits Columbus with a pass defense that ranked 84th in 2022 before losing seven defensive starters during the offseason (including top defensive back Khalef Hailassie)? No matter how well OSU throws the ball against either team, the pass offense will have something to prove one week later at Notre Dame.
The Irish return 72% of their production from a defense that held C.J. Stroud, the eventual No. 2 pick in the NFL draft, to 224 yards and two touchdowns last season. And this time around, they’ve landed a capable quarterback to guide their offense.
Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman has thrown one fewer touchdown (six) than incompletions in two games during which the Irish have averaged 49 points per game. He hasn’t played a defense like Ohio State’s but OSU won’t have played one like his, either. And on the off chance that South Bend hosts a shootout that week, the Buckeyes must be prepared.
One bad performance doesn’t mean they won’t be; it just means they weren’t Saturday. But that’s not the logic teams use after a strong performance. And with two cupcake opponents between now and Notre Dame, OSU’s quarterback question may linger longer than Day anticipated — and certainly longer than fans would like.
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