Jake Cook Brings Violent Mentality to Bison Package That Ohio State Will “Continue to Build On”
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Lyle Alenstein on September 24, 2026 at 12:09 am
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When Jake Cook trotted onto the field wearing No. 81 with no nameplate against Kent State as the sixth offensive lineman in Ohio State’s “Bison” package, Ian Moore got excited.
"I love it. I love seeing Jake Cook next to me," Ohio State’s starting left tackle said Wednesday after practice. "I mean, his mentality, I hate to swear, but it's just 'fuck it, I'm running.' And I love it. I love it."
Saturday was the first time Cook played a significant role with the first-team offense in his Ohio State career. He played only 17 snaps as a freshman last year, with 16 of those coming against Grambling State. But Cook has shown his coaches that he can be an asset in the Bison role, even though Ryan Day said there are still things the entire offensive line and tight ends need to clean up in that package.
"I thought there was some good things that he did. Not to get too technical about how that all played out, but they need to work together better in that situation. But that's why we tried to get into those situations to work through a game rep of it and figure out where we're at," Day said. "I think it's something that we're not going to major in, but I do think that there was enough on film to lead us to believe that we should continue to build on it and be an option for us personnel-wise."
Ohio State has struggled in short-yardage situations this year, so getting an extra offensive lineman in Cook on the field could be a way to combat that. Moore believes it’s a role that suits Cook’s game well because of the simplicity of what the Buckeyes are asking him to do in the Bison package.
"A lot of the plays he's in, they're pretty simple for him to understand. It's not like a bunch. He's not gonna start motioning into a slot set and going out for a route," Moore said. "He knows his job. He knows what he's doing. And it's,'fuck it, I'm gonna run.'"
Time will tell how much the role grows for the 6-foot-4, 310-pound sophomore, but if there's one person who's certainly excited about what Cook brings to the table, it's Moore.
"Jake just brings physicality, man," Moore said. "If he messes up, I know he's running hard, and I know he's gonna knock somebody out. It might not be the right person, but I know he's knocking somebody out. So I mean, just that juice, that energy, it's always amazing."......