2024 tOSU Offense Discussion

[Captain Buckeye]

The Full List of Teams that Have Scored 50+ in the last 30 years

1995 Nebraska
2005 Texas
2008 Oklahoma
2012 Louisiana Tech
2013 Florida State
2013 Baylor

That's the whole list. Not one of those teams played in the Big Ten or the SEC (leagues with any reputation for defense).

It is a rare feat; rare to the point that one could argue it hasn't been done in the B1G in modern football history. While I would not be surprised if the 2024 silver bullets were historically good, the 2024 offense has a few too many WHAT IFs standing between them and "historic", however you define that word.

QB would have to be CJ Stroud and even then I doubt we are scoring 50. However maybe the defense is so good we wear opposing defenses out because they’re on the field so much?

 

[MGMT]

that rule change is going to make it insanely hard, I’d rather just lead the country in points per possession and highest rate of first downs per possession and that’ll basically ensure we are going to be in the top 5 in scoring which will always be enough.

 

[Buckeneye]

The Full List of Teams that Have Scored 50+ in the last 30 years

1995 Nebraska
2005 Texas
2008 Oklahoma
2012 Louisiana Tech
2013 Florida State
2013 Baylor

That's the whole list. Not one of those teams played in the Big Ten or the SEC (leagues with any reputation for defense).

It is a rare feat; rare to the point that one could argue it hasn't been done in the B1G in modern football history. While I would not be surprised if the 2024 silver bullets were historically good, the 2024 offense has a few too many WHAT IFs standing between them and "historic", however you define that word.

Could have sworn 05' SC was also on that list...?

edit: They checked in at 49.08pgg.

Less than a point off. Still, that was an absurd year.

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

You youngsters
I remember Oklahoma and Nebraska used to average what seemed like 75 a game 100 yrs ago...
When they played each other, they must have agreed to never let their defenses go onto the field
Scoreboards looked like pinball machine action

 

[BB73]

It will also be harder to average 50 over the entire season since top teams will end up playing 4 or 5 postseason games with the CCGs and the expanded playoffs. Playoff opponents are more difficult to run up the score on.

 

[ScriptOhio]

 

[ScriptOhio]

Assessing the current state of the Ohio State football program's tight end room

One of the last remaining question marks for Ohio State's roster is how the tight end room is going to look this fall.

scarletandgame.com

Assessing the current state of the Ohio State football program's tight end room​

One of the last remaining question marks for Ohio State's roster is how the tight end room is going to look this fall.

The Ohio State football team has one of the best rosters in the entire country heading into the 2024-25 season. Most experts consider the Buckeyes to be among the National Championship favorites with a roster that has very few holes and question marks left to be answered. One of those few remaining questions marks is who the starting tight end will be and how the depth chart will fill in afterward.

The departure of Cade Stover to the NFL means Ohio State is going to have a new starter at tight end for the first time in two years. Now that spring football is over it appears that the main candidates to take over for Stover will be Gee Scott Jr., Will Kacmarek and Jelani Thurman.

Gee Scott Jr.'s career at Ohio State has been somewhat of a roller coaster. He was a four-star recruit out of high school as a wide receiver before transitioning to tight end after his freshman year. His playing time has been inconsistent behind Stover as he has only totaled 20 catches for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns to this point in his career.

That being said, it appears he has taken on more of a leadership role heading into his final year. Taking on that role, coupled with an improvement in blocking and a lack of other viable options, should at the very least lead to major playing time for the fifth year senior.

A lack of depth at the tight end position heading into the offseason led Ohio State to look to the transfer portal to get some help. That came by way of Will Kacmarek, who didn't have to travel far from Ohio University to find his new home.

Kacmarek is a 6-6, 260-pound senior who has two years of eligibility left after spending three years at Ohio University. For his career, Will has hauled in 42 passes for 507 yards and two touchdowns. Statistically speaking, Kacmarek seems to have the edge over Scott Jr. in the passing game. He will certainly be sharing time with Scott Jr. and might even become the main option once he becomes more comfortable with the offense over the summer.

A player that most Ohio State fans have been hoping to find his way to reach his perceived potential is a sophomore Jelani Thurman. Thurman, 6-6 and 258 pounds came to Ohio State with high hopes after being one of the top tight-end recruits in the 2023 recruiting class.
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continued

 

[Bestbuck36]

If we can't run the ball this year with the RB talent big WRs and Kacmarek and Thurman on the ends then Frye needs fired. The talent in these other groups is ridiculous

 

[ScriptOhio]

Biggest Concern: Does Ohio State have enough (or any) offensive line depth?

Will the Buckeyes’ lack of OL depth be the one thing that holds them back in 2024?

www.landgrantholyland.com

Biggest Concern: Does Ohio State have enough (or any) offensive line depth?​

Will the Buckeyes’ lack of OL depth be the one thing that holds them back in 2024?

Ohio State’s offensive line play has been an issue for the past few seasons. I think few would argue with that opening statement. Even those wishing to make an argument were likely silenced by the team/OL’s Cotton Bowl performance. What is up for debate is how and why the Buckeyes’ OL play fell off in the manner that it did. Is subpar recruiting to blame? Poor coaching? Are players simply not developing?

The answer is likely (obviously?) all of the above. Former OSU OL coach Greg Studrawa was not known for his recruiting prowess, and Justin Frye has not been an upgrade over his predecessor, at least in the recruiting department. As for coaching and development, well, someone smarter than myself could and would do a much better job of breaking that down and/or identifying where things have gone sideways. However, I would at least bring up the four-tackle lineup of 2021 and suggest that maybe that experiment was the jumping-off point for some of the Buckeyes’ recent issues. If nothing else, it is both comical and painful to look back on.

Now, it hasn’t been all bad. Paris Johnson Jr., Dawand Jones, and Luke Wypler carried Ohio State’s 2022 OL unit and became coveted NFL prospects. That was two years ago, and only one football season has been played since then. But even in ’22, OSU’s rushing attack lacked efficiency and explosiveness. Things got worse in 2023, as OL communication and execution was severely lacking at times.



**I’m not glossing over or dismissing the influence of Ryan Day and/or his playcalling on the Buckeyes’ lackluster running game but we’ve already been there and done that, right? Ok, moving on.

Now, as Day’s team prepares for the 2024 season, they are left with no shortage of OL questions... At least in my opinion, which is why the big men up front are of great interest and/or concern.

What stands out or concerns me the most about Ohio State’s OL is not its presumed starting talent – although I do have questions – but rather the group’s very real (and thus very concerning) lack of proven depth. While OSU was surprisingly able to retain most of its 2023 roster, including 4/5 starting offensive linemen, the team did not add much in the way of OL help. Seth McLaughlin transferred in from Alabama with tons of great experience, but if he wins the Buckeyes’ starting center job, he will have supplanted Carson Hinzman in doing so. Since the latter is/was a returning starter, his potential relegation to the bench would drop the number of returning starters from four to three..

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continued

 

[Bestbuck36]

I dont think even a bad OL this year is going to stop this team. That Defense is a dream in my opinion and the skill players on Offense will overcome. Let's get it started already

 

[ScriptOhio]

OHIO STATE’S QUARTERBACK DEPTH STANDS OUT AMONG COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S TOP TEAMS FOR 2024​

No other team in college football has a quarterback depth chart with as much depth of talent as Ohio State does for the 2024 season.

Among the teams in ESPN’s preseason top 25 for the 2024 season, the only other one that currently has five scholarship quarterbacks on its roster happens to be Ohio State’s archrival, Michigan. The Wolverines’ scholarship quarterback count, however, includes a quarterback who was promoted from walk-on status in Davis Warren. The only quarterback on its roster who has ever started a collegiate game is seventh-year senior Jack Tuttle, and their highest-rated quarterback as a recruit (true freshman Jadyn Davis) finished below both Sayin and Noland in the 247Sports composite for his class.

Ohio State is one of just three teams in the country (Alabama, Florida State) whose quarterback roster includes a composite five-star prospect (Sayin) as well as a trio of four-stars (Brown, Kienholz and Noland), and that doesn’t even include the Buckeyes’ most likely starter in Howard, who started his college career at Kansas State as a three-star recruit but started 27 games at KSU over the past four seasons, leading the Wildcats to a Big 12 championship in 2022 and earning second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2023.

 

[ScriptOhio]

Skull Session: Greg Frey Weighs In On Ohio State’s QB Competition, Club Football Star Zach Hayes Gets a Promotion and The 1870 Society Announces a New Exclusive Event

Greg Frey weighs in on Ohio State's QB competition, OSU club football star Zach Hayes gets a promotion and The 1870 Society announces a new exclusive event.

www.elevenwarriors.com

SKULL SESSION: GREG FREY WEIGHS IN ON OHIO STATE’S QB COMPETITION​

HE’S THE GUY. This week, former Ohio State quarterback Greg Frey appeared on “The Buckeye Show” on 97.1 The Fan. In a 10-minute interview, former Ohio State defensive back Tyvis Powell and Ryan Baker asked Frey to share his takes on the Buckeyes’ quarterback room, Will Howard, Devin Brown, Julian Sayin and more.

ON WHETHER IT’S AN “ISSUE” THAT OHIO STATE HASN’T NAMED ITS QB1​

“No. I’m looking from the outside in like anyone else, but my gut instinct on it is that with NIL it’s a different deal. If you look back to last fall, they waited to announce the starter, and then the day after that, you see both of these guys promoting their NIL products. I think behind the scenes you got that going on, too, which adds another layer that didn’t exist a couple of years ago. I could be wrong about that — maybe Ryan likes to wait, I don’t know — but that’s my guess as to why they’re waiting.”

ON WHAT HE LOOKS FOR IN A QUARTERBACK​

“For me, you have to have a guy who’s a great decision-maker. That might be first and foremost. I’m looking for mental and physical toughness, especially mentally tough — you have to be mentally tough to play the quarterback position at Ohio State with everything you have to deal with there. You have to understand what the coaches want to accomplish in the offensive scheme. You have to understand where the football needs to go. You have to be able to anticipate defenses and read defenses. Those are obvious. But ultimately, to me, it’s the intangibles of being a good decision-maker, having mental toughness and having leadership capabilities on top of all of that. There are a lot of qualities that go into being a big-time, successful quarterback. Clearly, that’s what they’re looking for now.”

ON WILL HOWARD​

“I was lucky to get to meet him after the spring game. I asked him a couple of questions — and I was blown away — I asked him about how he’s being coached. He said, ‘I asked Ryan (Day) and Chip (Kelly) to coach me hard, and they are. Frankly, I didn’t really get coached that much in detail at Kansas State.’ I said, ‘Well, what do you mean?’ He said, ‘There wasn’t a lot of detail to the coaching with reads and progressions.’ It just blew me away. But what I gathered from that is that this is a kid who has a lot of experience. He was second-team All-Big 12 last year. He’s got game experience. That’s a significant leg up on anybody else. He wants to be coached. He’s a bright young man. I think they have a guy that’s got tremendous upside and knows how to win. I’d be shocked if he’s not the guy — I really would be, knowing those things. I haven’t watched the film, to be honest. I want to. I’m really curious to see what I see. But knowing all of that, I think he’s the guy.”

ON WHETHER THE QBS NEED TO BE “GOOD” WITH OHIO STATE’S WR TALENT​

“Well, I think if you look back to last year, you could have said the same thing. I would say that the quarterback room was subpar, which is why that room has changed radically. It was not up to what I think it should have been. I’m quite sure that if Ryan Day was on this call — he may say it more diplomatically than I would — but it was subpar given the amount of skill that was around. But, yes, I would have loved to play with a receiver corps like that. You become a distributor of the football. You’re a point guard. Get rid of the ball to where it needs to go on time. Be accurate with it. Let the players make plays. That’s as simple as you can put it. That’s a strong receiver room right there, so I’m a little jealous.”

ON DEVIN BROWN​

“I love it. I’m a little bit old school. When you stick around and you stay, although the parameters now are a lot different, I think it’s a good thing that he stayed. I like that he’s showing his toughness and showing that he’s not afraid to compete. That doesn’t mean he’s gonna get the job. You don’t get a reward for that, either. They don’t give you a sticker for that. But I think, in the big picture, that bodes well for a lot of other guys staying, too. There’s a lot of positive things happening in the program. Guys are sticking around because they want to be a part of that, and I think that’s great.”

ON JULIAN SAYIN​

“The kid that impressed me in that quarterback room is Julian Sayin. That kid is gonna play. I don’t know when it’s gonna be, but that kid understands where the ball needs to go. He gets it out of his hand, and he’s accurate. He thoroughly impressed me in the little bit that I saw. Mark that down. Mark my words. I think he’s gonna jump a few spots. It may not happen right away, but that kid really impressed me.”

While all of what Frey said was great, I believe the part that stood out the most was his description of Howard. He called the 6-foot-5, 242-pound quarterback “the guy” and said he would be “shocked” if Howard didn’t start for the Buckeyes this season.

NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS. Another note on Howard: Sportsbooks across the United States recently updated their Heisman Trophy odds when spring football ended, and according to consensus lines from The Action Network, Howard’s odds of +1500 rank fifth behind Georgia’s Carson Beck (+900), Texas’ Quinn Ewers (+900), Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel (+1000) and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (+1400).

Sure seems like Vegas thinks Howard is the guy, too.

 

[RB07OSU]

Skull Session: Greg Frey Weighs In On Ohio State’s QB Competition, Club Football Star Zach Hayes Gets a Promotion and The 1870 Society Announces a New Exclusive Event

Greg Frey weighs in on Ohio State's QB competition, OSU club football star Zach Hayes gets a promotion and The 1870 Society announces a new exclusive event.

www.elevenwarriors.com

SKULL SESSION: GREG FREY WEIGHS IN ON OHIO STATE’S QB COMPETITION​

HE’S THE GUY. This week, former Ohio State quarterback Greg Frey appeared on “The Buckeye Show” on 97.1 The Fan. In a 10-minute interview, former Ohio State defensive back Tyvis Powell and Ryan Baker asked Frey to share his takes on the Buckeyes’ quarterback room, Will Howard, Devin Brown, Julian Sayin and more.

ON WHETHER IT’S AN “ISSUE” THAT OHIO STATE HASN’T NAMED ITS QB1​

ON WHAT HE LOOKS FOR IN A QUARTERBACK​

ON WILL HOWARD​

ON WHETHER THE QBS NEED TO BE “GOOD” WITH OHIO STATE’S WR TALENT​

ON DEVIN BROWN​

ON JULIAN SAYIN​

While all of what Frey said was great, I believe the part that stood out the most was his description of Howard. He called the 6-foot-5, 242-pound quarterback “the guy” and said he would be “shocked” if Howard didn’t start for the Buckeyes this season.

NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS. Another note on Howard: Sportsbooks across the United States recently updated their Heisman Trophy odds when spring football ended, and according to consensus lines from The Action Network, Howard’s odds of +1500 rank fifth behind Georgia’s Carson Beck (+900), Texas’ Quinn Ewers (+900), Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel (+1000) and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (+1400).

Sure seems like Vegas thinks Howard is the guy, too.

I am definitely from the outside looking in compared to Frey, but everything he said checks with what I have seen and heard on the QB situation. I would be shocked as well if Howard didn't start...not only due to experience and talent, but also his very transparent desire to improve under proper tutelage. Plus I really think with Tre and Judkins and getting Chip at OC, adding a really good blocking TE (amongst many other things), there is a perfect storm brewing I believe with Howard. We already know the WR talent is ridiculous, so no need to discuss that.

But on Sayin and Brown, I definitely agree with his take there. I am really glad Brown stayed even though he likely will not be the starter...but he seems to be a good leader and he knows the program by now, so you never know when we might need him. No stars handed out for staying though, he has to improve. I could see Sayin leapfrogging him and LK in a situation where we really need to win a competitive game just because he is so clearly talented and understands the position so well. I think Sayin can also create and improv if a situation breaks down. I have to be honest that I wanted Noland to win the job eventually since he stuck to his commitment and helped recruit...he very well might do that, he has a ton of promise as well and brings a different skillset to the table (southpaw, taller, better scrambler), plus I think he has a great understanding of the position overall. But best man wins, that is the reality here.

Just fun to talk about in the offseason, Day and Chip will figure it out.

 

[pnuts34]

 

[RB07OSU]

View attachment 40421

I saw this and I don't think it is hyperbolic to make that comparison. Funny thing is that if I'm Tre, I would be thrilled to have Judkins in the backfield with me. It's his last season and he will get to show out plenty, while also keeping the miles down looking towards the draft. But from a fan's perspective, I am just amped to see this combo on the field.