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“Almost business as usual” for Bailey despite added responsibilities
Ryan Day isn’t the only one taking on additional responsibilities with Ohio State’s offense during the College Football Playoff due to Brian Hartline’s impending departure for South Florida.While Day is taking over offensive play calling duties from Hartline, he’s said multiple times that co-offensive coordinator Keenan Bailey is also “very much involved” in the offensive operation for the CFP. Bailey will take Hartline’s place as the eye in the sky for the offense in the Cotton Bowl, as he’ll coach from the press box while Hartline will coach from the sideline in a reversal of roles from the regular season and Big Ten Championship Game.
Bailey, who regularly coaches Ohio State’s tight ends, also spent time coaching Ohio State’s wide receivers during the Buckeyes’ Cotton Bowl preparations as Hartline spent some time in Tampa preparing for his first season as USF’s head coach before returning to Columbus for Ohio State’s CFP run.
The extra work hasn’t felt like a big change for Bailey, though, because of how collaborative Ohio State’s coaching staff already was.
“Has it been different for me? Yeah, I've had to do some different things. Not roles that I haven't done in the past, but however I could help make it easier for (Hartline), for the players, for Coach Day, I will do anything for those guys,” Bailey told Eleven Warriors. “We've been so collaborative over the last decade – myself, Hart, Coach Day, even (quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler) has been here for quite some time – we have such a great chemistry that it's not that much different, right? Now ultimately with Coach Hart's deal, Coach Day, everything goes through him. But from a day-to-day standpoint, it's been almost business as usual.”
Bailey, who could be a candidate to replace Hartline as Ohio State’s wide receivers coach next season – if not to replace Hartline as offensive coordinator – said he enjoyed spending more time with the wide receivers because of the role he played in recruiting many of them, specifically starters Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss and Jeremiah Smith.
“To step back in there and coach them, it was kind of refreshing,” Bailey said.
Day has trusted Bailey to take on additional responsibilities for the CFP because of the consistent work Bailey has put in throughout his tenure at Ohio State, where he’s worked his way up from joining the staff as an offensive intern in 2016.
“He means a lot to us on offense. He does a lot of the heavy lifting. He's kind of the guy behind the scenes who does all the dirty work for us in terms of like the preparation, the cut-ups, the motivation,” Day said Wednesday. “He's the first guy in the building, the last guy to leave. He's a hard worker, and he knows what we want to get done. And that has a tremendous amount of value to our offense.”
Cotton Bowl Media Day Notebook: Keenan Bailey Taking On Additional Duties for CFP, C.J. Hicks and Malik Hartford Discuss Redshirt Decisions and Ethan Onianwa Putting Team First
We share what Keenan Bailey said about his additional duties for the CFP, C.J. Hicks and Malik Hartford said about their redshirts and more from Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl media day.
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brooooooo
Max LeBlanc (88) played 13 snaps against Iowa.
If you're a defensive coordinator looking at Ohio State tape, you're discouraged by a precise and increasingly courageous quarterback playing behind a gelling offensive line and a steadily improving backfield-by-committee. It's currently led by two Jacksons, one almost old enough to legally rent a car and the other who plays very well when angry.
And, of course - Number Four and his capable sidekicks. What could you possibly do to slow this unit down? Then you begin examining the personnel packages north of 11 and see Nate Roberts, who is - this is the rose-colored stuff you guys complain about not seeing enough of here - playable.
He's an acceptable passing target. He knows where he is on the field. Here's Roberts (83) getting open for a touchdown off a terrific double move, but Julian Sayin bolts the pocket early and never sees him.
Arthur Smith is scheming the Ohio State offense for success that just requires improved execution.
So if you're trying to get Ohio State's offense off the field, it's looking bleak. Roberts is fine, and as usual, the help that developed elsewhere - Mason Williams - is serviceable. But if anyone else from that room gets onto the field, they're the fish.
And if you're a defensive coordinator, that's your biggest opening - by a significant, almost galactic margin - to get Arthur Smith's terrific scheming to collapse beneath the most vulnerable Jenga piece in the offense, the room run by Keenan Bailey. That unit and special teams are still deadlocked in a death match nobody asked for, competing for the title of weakest unit on a championship team showing inspired and steady improvement elsewhere.
If anyone beyond Roberts or Williams enters the game, the Buckeyes are essentially playing down a man. In the play atop this section, LeBlanc's assignment is the DE/OLB. The defender directly in front of him is in a balanced split stance. That's as much of a pre-snap tell as running a receiver in motion and having a defensive back trail him - ah, they're in man.
The guy LeBlanc starts off trying to block is lined up to cover whichever Jackson is in the backfield, should he release. This is basic film room instruction and primitive TE recognition for a unit whose first obligation is to block. And it goes completely unrecognized.
If TE4 just gets in front of his assignment instead of...whatever this was, Sayin has an extra second to hit his first read (out of the frame; no idea what it was) or reach his second, Brock Boyd, for a walk-in touchdown. But when you're the fish, you end up in a dish. And whenever TE depth sees the field, it's an aquarium out there.
When the Buckeyes reduced their TE presence and played in 11 personnel in Iowa City, they ran the ball conspicuously better. Cortez Hankton's unit put on another WR blocking clinic against the Hawkeyes. The team needs that kind of discipline and energy from the unit Smith's schemes desperately want to include and show off.
Maryland brings the last defense on the schedule against which this tight end room can afford to play its depth. Even here, it's the only consistent weak link in an offense that otherwise has everything necessary to avoid being stopped by a single defense in the country.
Just about every position group has played depth thus far, which is great for sustainability and figuring out who The Guys are going to be in an imposing back half. After this Saturday, there's one room that absolutely cannot afford to keep giving everyone it trusts (apparently, all of them?) chances to sabotage a championship scheme.
CLOSER | INSIDE THE GLASS BOX
Max LeBlanc (88) played 13 snaps against Iowa.
If you're a defensive coordinator looking at Ohio State tape, you're discouraged by a precise and increasingly courageous quarterback playing behind a gelling offensive line and a steadily improving backfield-by-committee. It's currently led by two Jacksons, one almost old enough to legally rent a car and the other who plays very well when angry.
And, of course - Number Four and his capable sidekicks. What could you possibly do to slow this unit down? Then you begin examining the personnel packages north of 11 and see Nate Roberts, who is - this is the rose-colored stuff you guys complain about not seeing enough of here - playable.
He's an acceptable passing target. He knows where he is on the field. Here's Roberts (83) getting open for a touchdown off a terrific double move, but Julian Sayin bolts the pocket early and never sees him.
Arthur Smith is scheming the Ohio State offense for success that just requires improved execution.
So if you're trying to get Ohio State's offense off the field, it's looking bleak. Roberts is fine, and as usual, the help that developed elsewhere - Mason Williams - is serviceable. But if anyone else from that room gets onto the field, they're the fish.
And if you're a defensive coordinator, that's your biggest opening - by a significant, almost galactic margin - to get Arthur Smith's terrific scheming to collapse beneath the most vulnerable Jenga piece in the offense, the room run by Keenan Bailey. That unit and special teams are still deadlocked in a death match nobody asked for, competing for the title of weakest unit on a championship team showing inspired and steady improvement elsewhere.
If anyone beyond Roberts or Williams enters the game, the Buckeyes are essentially playing down a man. In the play atop this section, LeBlanc's assignment is the DE/OLB. The defender directly in front of him is in a balanced split stance. That's as much of a pre-snap tell as running a receiver in motion and having a defensive back trail him - ah, they're in man.
The guy LeBlanc starts off trying to block is lined up to cover whichever Jackson is in the backfield, should he release. This is basic film room instruction and primitive TE recognition for a unit whose first obligation is to block. And it goes completely unrecognized.
If TE4 just gets in front of his assignment instead of...whatever this was, Sayin has an extra second to hit his first read (out of the frame; no idea what it was) or reach his second, Brock Boyd, for a walk-in touchdown. But when you're the fish, you end up in a dish. And whenever TE depth sees the field, it's an aquarium out there.
When the Buckeyes reduced their TE presence and played in 11 personnel in Iowa City, they ran the ball conspicuously better. Cortez Hankton's unit put on another WR blocking clinic against the Hawkeyes. The team needs that kind of discipline and energy from the unit Smith's schemes desperately want to include and show off.
Maryland brings the last defense on the schedule against which this tight end room can afford to play its depth. Even here, it's the only consistent weak link in an offense that otherwise has everything necessary to avoid being stopped by a single defense in the country.
Just about every position group has played depth thus far, which is great for sustainability and figuring out who The Guys are going to be in an imposing back half. After this Saturday, there's one room that absolutely cannot afford to keep giving everyone it trusts (apparently, all of them?) chances to sabotage a championship scheme.
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osuvictory1
Just a schlub from Y-town
The tight ends are a issue. The talent is not there, because OSU has not put serious resources towards that room. So I will preface what comes next with that.
Art Smith and Day's insistence on using multi set TE's even when they are noticeably a liability seems like the definition of insanity. So most of what appears to not be working stays with them. Schematically it's constricting.
This may come out as total blasphemy to some. Is it not fair to put the blame on the poor tight end play and blocking on Keenan Bailey's shoulders? If Bowen is getting heat for the offensive line issues, then why is Bailey not seriously drawing scrutiny? The tight ends can't block. He is their coach.
Nate Roberts and Mason Williams have shown the ability to catch and yac, which is cool, but the scheme OSU is using on the O needs for the tight ends to block.
Art Smith and Day's insistence on using multi set TE's even when they are noticeably a liability seems like the definition of insanity. So most of what appears to not be working stays with them. Schematically it's constricting.
This may come out as total blasphemy to some. Is it not fair to put the blame on the poor tight end play and blocking on Keenan Bailey's shoulders? If Bowen is getting heat for the offensive line issues, then why is Bailey not seriously drawing scrutiny? The tight ends can't block. He is their coach.
Nate Roberts and Mason Williams have shown the ability to catch and yac, which is cool, but the scheme OSU is using on the O needs for the tight ends to block.
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Completely fair. Not only is the position a liability, we exacerbate the issue by insisting on putting multiple TEs (sometimes 3) out there. We've spent too many scholarships gobbling up 3* TEs (Roberts excluded) and rather than accept that shortcoming and adjust personnel accordingly, we push all our chips towards a losing cause because we filled up roster space on the position.
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osuvictory1
Just a schlub from Y-town
Yep, and it has been a staple in a Art Smith offense for a long time.
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osuvictory1
Just a schlub from Y-town
OSU never has any decent wide receivers. Everybody knows this......
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osuvictory1
Just a schlub from Y-town
I know, I know. But it doesn't in my opinion relieve KB as a coach for how bad the TE blocking is.
The WR's are actually blocking as good as they ever have, which says alot about Hankton as a coach.
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wow
Brody Lennon, TE5, played an offensive snap Saturday. That's one more than Khary Wilder, one more than 6'5" 5-star QB Tavien St. Clair - hey, did you know the Buckeyes had a 1st and Goal at the six-inch line? - and one fewer than future Heisman Trophy winner Legend Bey.
Lennon got into the game and lined up improperly, drawing an illegal formation flag. One snap, minus-five yards. He also appeared on kickoff returns, where combining Ohio State’s disastrous tight ends with its calamitous special teams produced the following reeeeeeeeemix.
That’s Lennon waving his arm before Kyle Parker catches the kickoff. Earlier in the week, Day compared Parker to Emeka Egbuka; on Saturday, Parker got two offensive snaps and a teammate - TE5 - who should have been credited with tackling him.
That invalid fair-catch signal left Ohio State at its own 14, with neither a return nor the usual trip to the 25 available. Combine that with Lennon’s offensive appearance and you have five penalty yards plus 11 yards of forfeited starting field position. That's some production line from TE5.
Sixteen yards surrendered through two different misunderstandings of where to stand and what to do with your arms. A sophomore making mistakes is ordinary, but a staff repeatedly expanding the responsibilities of players it hasn’t prepared to handle them is the concern. If you're trusting that guy...God help the guys you don't trust.
Lennon’s 12 offensive snaps this season wouldn’t ordinarily justify this much space, but he’s part of a larger commitment. Bennett Christian played 20 snaps Saturday and has 97 this year. Max LeBlanc missed USC with an injury but has played 73.
One of the scheme experts who pores over Ohio State film all year described Christian’s workload to me as a war crime, which seems excessive until you remember how often Jeremiah Smith gets removed to accommodate these packages.
The program keeps asking this room to supply the blocking that makes its preferred offense possible, then keeps producing game film that invites the same questions. The coaches still trust these players enough to put them on the field. Here’s how Day described what they’ve been getting in return when Cleveland.com’s Stephen Means asked about the group Tuesday.
Brody Lennon, TE5, played an offensive snap Saturday. That's one more than Khary Wilder, one more than 6'5" 5-star QB Tavien St. Clair - hey, did you know the Buckeyes had a 1st and Goal at the six-inch line? - and one fewer than future Heisman Trophy winner Legend Bey.
Lennon got into the game and lined up improperly, drawing an illegal formation flag. One snap, minus-five yards. He also appeared on kickoff returns, where combining Ohio State’s disastrous tight ends with its calamitous special teams produced the following reeeeeeeeemix.
That’s Lennon waving his arm before Kyle Parker catches the kickoff. Earlier in the week, Day compared Parker to Emeka Egbuka; on Saturday, Parker got two offensive snaps and a teammate - TE5 - who should have been credited with tackling him.
That invalid fair-catch signal left Ohio State at its own 14, with neither a return nor the usual trip to the 25 available. Combine that with Lennon’s offensive appearance and you have five penalty yards plus 11 yards of forfeited starting field position. That's some production line from TE5.
Sixteen yards surrendered through two different misunderstandings of where to stand and what to do with your arms. A sophomore making mistakes is ordinary, but a staff repeatedly expanding the responsibilities of players it hasn’t prepared to handle them is the concern. If you're trusting that guy...God help the guys you don't trust.
Lennon’s 12 offensive snaps this season wouldn’t ordinarily justify this much space, but he’s part of a larger commitment. Bennett Christian played 20 snaps Saturday and has 97 this year. Max LeBlanc missed USC with an injury but has played 73.
One of the scheme experts who pores over Ohio State film all year described Christian’s workload to me as a war crime, which seems excessive until you remember how often Jeremiah Smith gets removed to accommodate these packages.
The program keeps asking this room to supply the blocking that makes its preferred offense possible, then keeps producing game film that invites the same questions. The coaches still trust these players enough to put them on the field. Here’s how Day described what they’ve been getting in return when Cleveland.com’s Stephen Means asked about the group Tuesday.
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Captain Buckeye
Head Coach
I can’t stand the use of our tight ends. I’ll be honest I don’t particularly think Bailey is any good either.
Luke Ferrell and Jeremy Ruckert aren’t walking through that door. So playing more than 1 is freaking dumb.
Luke Ferrell and Jeremy Ruckert aren’t walking through that door. So playing more than 1 is freaking dumb.
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