2026 tOSU Offense Discussion

[AuTX Buckeye]

this can't happen in 2026

 

[cmstophe]

Slow play when dealing with a bunch of 18 - 20 year-olds still makes sense. It's a fifteen game season and the NFL is only one game more.

Then be happy not maximizing your talent and ability to score points. Gotta pick one.
Or if it’s possible, pick and choose where you do so. Sure, starting the season that way makes sense. Does not make sense in high leverage do or die games vs equal teams like Indiana and Miami.

Nobody will ever convince me having 3 second half possessions in a playoff game where you’re losing the entire time is tenable.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Nobody will ever convince me having 3 second half possessions in a playoff game where you’re losing the entire time is tenable.

No one is trying to.

Ask yourself which scenario requires the fewest assumptions here
1) Ryan Day was unaware that he was trailing and too stupid to know that if he just sped up he would score more points

2) Ryan Day knew he was trailing, also knew his QB and OL were not able to execute any better no matter the number of plays and was forced to deal with that reality as frustrating as it was.

Ryan Day was managing a constraint. People on a message board conflate all kinds of logical fallacies and cognitive biases to try to arrive at some theory by which they fixed the problem/optimized the situation (at least in their own heads).

Managing constraints does not equal managing for optimization.

 

[cmstophe]

No one is trying to.

Ask yourself which scenario requires the fewest assumptions here
1) Ryan Day was unaware that he was trailing and too stupid to know that if he just sped up he would score more points

2) Ryan Day knew he was trailing, also knew his QB and OL were not able to execute any better no matter the number of plays and was forced to deal with that reality as frustrating as it was.

Ryan Day was managing a constraint. People on a message board conflate all kinds of logical fallacies and cognitive biases to try to arrive at some theory by which they fixed the problem/optimized the situation (at least in their own heads).

Managing constraints does not equal managing for optimization.

Yeah. That’s kind of the end point being made. If you find yourself unable to maximize your skill talent and play faster whenever you face a team with a pulse, you better find out why and that is the area that needs addressed most critically. Because it was the same vs Indiana.

 

[Mike80]

Yeah. That’s kind of the end point being made. If you find yourself unable to maximize your skill talent and play faster whenever you face a team with a pulse, you better find out why and that is the area that needs addressed most critically. Because it was the same vs Indiana.

Just say you want Ryan Day fired (in Cliff's Notes format please) and skip to the end. This constant whataboutism is boring.

 

[billmac91]

No one is trying to.

Ask yourself which scenario requires the fewest assumptions here
1) Ryan Day was unaware that he was trailing and too stupid to know that if he just sped up he would score more points

2) Ryan Day knew he was trailing, also knew his QB and OL were not able to execute any better no matter the number of plays and was forced to deal with that reality as frustrating as it was.

Ryan Day was managing a constraint. People on a message board conflate all kinds of logical fallacies and cognitive biases to try to arrive at some theory by which they fixed the problem/optimized the situation (at least in their own heads).

Managing constraints does not equal managing for optimization.

I think the variable at play here though, is protecting a weakness (in this case the offensive line) by going uptempo to slow down a pass rush.

There’s definitely a “balance” IMO. We didn’t find it in time this year…

I’d also state, of the teams remaining, all mix in variations of tempo throughout the course of a game…..obviously much more so than OSU who was the slowest in the country.

As smart as we think Ryan Day is, all the other coaches still remaining aren’t idiots…..not saying you’re calling them that either. But to think Day has the “best” formula for winning, is probably not accurate. IMO, he did get too conservative this year….and that comes off of years where he was way too aggressive (especially going for it on 4th down). I think he’ll find a better balance next year.

 

[cmstophe]

Just say you want Ryan Day fired (in Cliff's Notes format please) and skip to the end. This constant whataboutism is boring.

So emotional.

 

[Jaxbuck]

I 100% get the efficiency argument and how effective it can be. I’d argue, especially with Sayin missing wide open throws (probably bc he’s a freshman?) that playing for nearly perfect execution is likely a mistake against a team with a very good, if not elite, defensive line.

This at least gets to the real issue people are giving all kinds of different labels to.

Execution.

Doesn't matter how fast/slow you go, if you don't execute, you don't get the maximum points per possession you could have. When the other team can punch back more and more this is going to get you into tighter games or beat.

It isn't because of tempo. It isn't because of the number of possessions. It's because you failed to execute and extract enough points in the possessions you did have. If you go faster on purpose (not in scenarios where you have no choice) when you have an execution problem, you are just going to give the ball back to the other team faster.

The constraint of the game of football is 1) the clock and 2) the rules that require an exchange of possessions. If you speed up, you can absolutely get more possessions per game but you are at the same time going to give your opponent more possessions and when you do that you are giving them more opportunities for random variance to express itself.

Ask yourself what is the ideal outcome of every possession? If you could make it happen what would it be?

For me it's score a TD after the longest possible time of possession possible which is theoretically 60 game minutes. Even though that is fantasy, it's true north of how the game actually works. Anything you do that gets away from that, you are going in the wrong direction.

Give me points (ideally a TD) after every possession and each possession take 8-9 minutes and I will end up with 2-3 more possessions than the other guy. THEN, he will be playing from behind in the fewer possessions he has so the last few will be severely constrained (in my favor) and I am going to win every time. When you are the more skilled team, this is the only sensible strategy.

It breaks down when execution breaks down, like anything else.

 

[Captain Buckeye]

I’m not ever sure about this anymore….at least in regards to reps for backups.

Our local reporters are even commenting on the potential negative recruiting aspects of it.

Kids want to play….if OSU wants to minimize STARTER reps to keep them fresh, I get it. But when we’re up 30 on Ohio University, and we’re milking the clock down…..it’s an opportunity for the backups to develop but also have fun and an opportunity to shine.

I feel like Day has seen some major pendulum swings in his career here at OSU….I feel like he swung too far conservative this year, where he felt like we could just be a machine and mathematically dismantle each opponent. Unfortunately, while we do have a significant talent advantage over most teams, it’s not large enough to withstand terrible FG kicking, and freshman mistake at QB.

On top of that….and this probably isn’t that important in context of winning a championship, but the style of play just isn’t “fun”. I’m not sure when it starts showing up in recruiting, but if we truly want to consistently have like 50 offensive snaps a game, it will begin impacting the recruits we bring in. I’ve said it many times about Kirby Smart…..I love that when he goes to his backups in blow-outs, he coaches even harder. He puts the onus on the defense to stop his young kids, and he’s playing the game out like they’re playing for a championship. It’s huge for player development, depth, and confidence later in year should you have significant injury.

We’ll see, but I think the pendulum will swing back some next year (in a more aggressive direction).

I again completely agree. Bill Landis said it as much too on that video and I guess I never thought of it but he (and you) are right. This is not a fun offense.

There is nothing fun about 35-3 in the second half, the starters are still in, and we are running the clock out.

Obviously you do what you have to in order to win. But I found myself very calm during games this year. Maybe I’m finally growing up and not being a child but maybe the slow pace is boring?

Not sure what it is or what but I think there’s a balance to strike with this. I think the balance is that in big games you come out with your hair on fire ready for an early kill. Miami did that and almost succeeded in making that game a blow out.

The fact it wasn’t is a tip of the cap to our talent because up front that was about as bad as it gets

 

[Jaxbuck]

Yeah. That’s kind of the end point being made. If you find yourself unable to maximize your skill talent and play faster whenever you face a team with a pulse, you better find out why and that is the area that needs addressed most critically. Because it was the same vs Indiana.

Agreed but the answer to find out what's wrong isn't "go faster".

Anyone can, hopefully, see that. It was talent/skill/development of the OL and QB.

That doesn't get fixed in game or in season. We only saw it late because we only played two teams good enough to expose it.

 

[Mike80]

I think the variable at play here though, is protecting a weakness (in this case the offensive line) by going uptempo to slow down a pass rush.

There’s definitely a “balance” IMO. We didn’t find it in time this year…

I’d also state, of the teams remaining, all mix in variations of tempo throughout the course of a game…..obviously much more so than OSU who was the slowest in the country.

As smart as we think Ryan Day is, all the other coaches still remaining aren’t idiots…..not saying you’re calling them that either. But to think Day has the “best” formula for winning, is probably not accurate. IMO, he did get too conservative this year….and that comes off of years where he was way too aggressive (especially going for it on 4th down). I think he’ll find a better balance next year.

Which introduces another variable - if your QB is so sped up that he's not making the same efficient passes, if you speed up the tempo and speed him up even more, you're disguising a weakness by introducing another one - a potentially fatal one.

There WAS A balance...and it was taken away by the defense. This is where player development has to take the next step for Sayin. This is where figuring out the personnel on the offensive line has to be the 1B priority this offseason (after finding a true OC as 1A)....

 

[cmstophe]

This at least gets to the real issue people are giving all kinds of different labels to.

Execution.

Doesn't matter how fast/slow you go, if you don't execute, you don't get the maximum points per possession you could have. When the other team can punch back more and more this is going to get you into tighter games or beat.

It isn't because of tempo. It isn't because of the number of possessions. It's because you failed to execute and extract enough points in the possessions you did have. If you go faster on purpose (not in scenarios where you have no choice) when you have an execution problem, you are just going to give the ball back to the other team faster.

The constraint of the game of football is 1) the clock and 2) the rules that require an exchange of possessions. If you speed up, you can absolutely get more possessions per game but you are at the same time going to give your opponent more possessions and when you do that you are giving them more opportunities for random variance to express itself.

Ask yourself what is the ideal outcome of every possession? If you could make it happen what would it be?

For me it's score a TD after the longest possible time of possession possible which is theoretically 60 game minutes. Even though that is fantasy, it's true north of how the game actually works. Anything you do that gets away from that, you are going in the wrong direction.

Give me points (ideally a TD) after every possession and each possession take 8-9 minutes and I will end up with 2-3 more possessions than the other guy. THEN, he will be playing from behind in the fewer possessions he has so the last few will be severely constrained (in my favor) and I am going to win every time. When you are the more skilled team, this is the only sensible strategy.

It breaks down when execution breaks down, like anything else.

Correct me if I’m wrong but seemed the offense lacked explosion all year. Not what we’re used to. Scoring after 8-9 minute drives is great. It also takes 8-9 minutes of great execution to do so when you can’t hit big plays - that decreases chances of success.

I think by faster people arent just meaning go tempo all game.

 

[Captain Buckeye]

This at least gets to the real issue people are giving all kinds of different labels to.

Execution.

Doesn't matter how fast/slow you go, if you don't execute, you don't get the maximum points per possession you could have. When the other team can punch back more and more this is going to get you into tighter games or beat.

It isn't because of tempo. It isn't because of the number of possessions. It's because you failed to execute and extract enough points in the possessions you did have. If you go faster on purpose (not in scenarios where you have no choice) when you have an execution problem, you are just going to give the ball back to the other team faster.

The constraint of the game of football is 1) the clock and 2) the rules that require an exchange of possessions. If you speed up, you can absolutely get more possessions per game but you are at the same time going to give your opponent more possessions and when you do that you are giving them more opportunities for random variance to express itself.

Ask yourself what is the ideal outcome of every possession? If you could make it happen what would it be?

For me it's score a TD after the longest possible time of possession possible which is theoretically 60 game minutes. Even though that is fantasy, it's true north of how the game actually works. Anything you do that gets away from that, you are going in the wrong direction.

Give me points (ideally a TD) after every possession and each possession take 8-9 minutes and I will end up with 2-3 more possessions than the other guy. THEN, he will be playing from behind in the fewer possessions he has so the last few will be severely constrained (in my favor) and I am going to win every time. When you are the more skilled team, this is the only sensible strategy.

It breaks down when execution breaks down, like anything else.

Hard to execute vs comparable talent. Thats the name of the game in sports. Just because Steph Curry is good at shooting 3s should he just hang onto the ball until the play clock is up and knock it down? Or would you prefer he just take his shots when he has the chance whether than be 2 seconds in our the full 25 second play clock?

Similarly, just operate the offense and stop worry about the clock. Sure sometimes it’ll be a 7 minute drive but sometimes a back breaking 1:20 second 4 play drive is vital.

You need to be able to do it all. Need to be able to grind it out and need to be able to go for the jugular quick if need be too. Indiana for example can do either and they’re better for it. They can stomp you out quick like they did a huge number of teams this year or they can play the efficiency game and go win it in the 4th.

Maybe I’m being mistaken here. I’m not saying we go hurry up. I’m saying you need it all because sometimes a team is ready to fail (Oregon last year) and all the game needs is that final gut punch.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Correct me if I’m wrong but seemed the offense lacked explosion all year. Not what we’re used to. Scoring after 8-9 minute drives is great. It also takes 8-9 minutes of great execution to do so when you can’t hit big plays - that decreases chances of success.

Explosives were down this year most likely to the Smith effect and everyone on the schedule playing a 2 deep zone of some sort no matter what else you did to them, a young QB, a mediocre OL and a big step back in the RB room overall.

Again, Day very likely knew his offense and was managing the constraints all along.

 

[Captain Buckeye]

Correct me if I’m wrong but seemed the offense lacked explosion all year. Not what we’re used to. Scoring after 8-9 minute drives is great. It also takes 8-9 minutes of great execution to do so when you can’t hit big plays - that decreases chances of success.

I think by faster people arent just meaning go tempo all game.

Right. Explosiveness is a big part of it.

That’s my take as well. It takes a lot of efficiency and executing at a high level to go 12 plays in 8 minutes. Especially vs good teams.

Not sure how you fix explosiveness but I’d imagine that’s the calls we make?