Josh Dooley
Guest
This or That: Which is more important to the success of Ohio State’s offense in 2024, ground game or passing attack?
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Will the Buckeyes lean on “Thunder and Lightning”, or their deep and (insanely) talented group of pass catchers?
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the Buckeyes we expect to excel this season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “This or That” articles here.
Heading into the 2024 college football season, Ohio State boasts and/or can lay claim to an embarrassment of riches. We’re talking players, coaches, you name it — OSU is absolutely loaded.
While this is nothing new for the program, the level of optimism, the morale, the expectations even, all seem to be much higher (currently) than they were heading into last season, despite the loss(es) of Marvin Harrison Jr., Cade Stover, Tommy Eichenberg, and other key contributors.
And we all know why, right? Although the Buckeyes lost the trio above – as well as their starting quarterback – they still retained the lion’s share of their roster and added players such as Caleb Downs, Quinshon Judkins, and Jeremiah Smith. On the coaching side of things, Ryan Day’s mentor Chip Kelly was brought in to free up Day and take over as Ohio State’s new offensive coordinator, while Matt Guerrerri was brought back to Columbus as a subject matter expert on all things Knowles.
So we’re talking better players and better coaches for a team that was ranked No. 2 on/as of Black Friday last year.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25495992/usa_today_22696107.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Suffice it to say, OSU should be feeling good (and plenty confident) as they approach the upcoming season... On paper. But games and outcomes are determined on the field. And even the most talented, best coached teams in the world – in every sport – lose. Which is why it is imperative that the Buckeye are firing on all cylinders throughout the entirety of the 2024 season if they hope to win 11 or 12 regular season games, defeat their rival, make the first 12-team College Football Playoff, and eventually play for a national title.
That said, I absolutely, unequivocally, 100% believe that Ohio State has a championship-level defense. So it stands to reason, at least in my mind, that the team’s CFP title hopes will hinge on its level of offensive execution/production. Simply put (asked): Can OSU’s offense pull its own weight?
I, for one, definitely think that it can and it will. But I also find myself asking: How, exactly, will the Buckeyes succeed and put up copious amounts of points on offense? Which is more important; which will Day, Kelly, and Co. prefer to lean on, ground game or passing attack?... This or That?
Both facets of the Ohio State offense have potential to be borderline unstoppable. But in my opinion, a strong, efficient ground game is going to be much more important to this particular team’s success. Certainly more so than a dynamic passing attack.
And my reason for thinking the ground game trumps the passing attack is simple: OSU is custom-built to run the ball this season. I mean, the Buckeyes have TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins in their backfield. They will likely have Will Howard taking most of the snaps at quarterback, a 6-foot-5, 242-pound wrecking ball with 19 career rushing touchdowns. And last but not least, they brought in Chip Kelly to call plays, a coach who seemingly loves nothing more than to run the ball.
So the Buckeyes have already leaned heavily into the run, even if doing so was not part of Day’s long-term plan as of, say, Jan. 7 (one day before Judkins committed), five days before Henderson announced his return, and several days before Kelly was named OC.
Another reason I tend to gravitate toward the ground game being more important to Ohio State’s offensive success is the undeniable fact that it (poor production/efficiency on the ground) has cost the team multiple big, important, title hopes hanging in the balance-type games in each of the past three seasons. OSU has not been able to run against TTUN since Justin Fields was in Columbus, and not coincidentally, the Buckeyes have a three-game losing streak against their rival. But the same problem – not being able to run the ball effectively – has also plagued the Scarlet and Gray in bowl games and against lesser opponents.
Take the 2022 Peach Bowl, for example. Sure, Ohio State experienced a few bad breaks, but they also failed to establish the run and barely possessed the ball in the fourth quarter. And they still almost won! But a few more first downs and minutes off the clock probably would have iced it (for OSU). Then there’s the 2023 Cotton Bowl... Actually, you know what? Let’s not. If you’re reading this, you know what happened.
A common theme in all those losses was the Buckeyes’ inability pound the rock. Yes, there were others (common themes), but I will and/or would be shocked if Day and Kelly don’t do everything in their collective power to prevent Ohio State’s running game – or lack thereof – from costing the team another big game. Plus, like I said, OSU is literally built to run the ball. They have the perfect roster for it, even if you, me, and all of Buckeye Nation have questions about the offensive line.
But that’s a different topic for a different day...
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Will the Buckeyes lean on “Thunder and Lightning”, or their deep and (insanely) talented group of pass catchers?
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the Buckeyes we expect to excel this season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “This or That” articles here.
Heading into the 2024 college football season, Ohio State boasts and/or can lay claim to an embarrassment of riches. We’re talking players, coaches, you name it — OSU is absolutely loaded.
While this is nothing new for the program, the level of optimism, the morale, the expectations even, all seem to be much higher (currently) than they were heading into last season, despite the loss(es) of Marvin Harrison Jr., Cade Stover, Tommy Eichenberg, and other key contributors.
And we all know why, right? Although the Buckeyes lost the trio above – as well as their starting quarterback – they still retained the lion’s share of their roster and added players such as Caleb Downs, Quinshon Judkins, and Jeremiah Smith. On the coaching side of things, Ryan Day’s mentor Chip Kelly was brought in to free up Day and take over as Ohio State’s new offensive coordinator, while Matt Guerrerri was brought back to Columbus as a subject matter expert on all things Knowles.
So we’re talking better players and better coaches for a team that was ranked No. 2 on/as of Black Friday last year.
Suffice it to say, OSU should be feeling good (and plenty confident) as they approach the upcoming season... On paper. But games and outcomes are determined on the field. And even the most talented, best coached teams in the world – in every sport – lose. Which is why it is imperative that the Buckeye are firing on all cylinders throughout the entirety of the 2024 season if they hope to win 11 or 12 regular season games, defeat their rival, make the first 12-team College Football Playoff, and eventually play for a national title.
That said, I absolutely, unequivocally, 100% believe that Ohio State has a championship-level defense. So it stands to reason, at least in my mind, that the team’s CFP title hopes will hinge on its level of offensive execution/production. Simply put (asked): Can OSU’s offense pull its own weight?
I, for one, definitely think that it can and it will. But I also find myself asking: How, exactly, will the Buckeyes succeed and put up copious amounts of points on offense? Which is more important; which will Day, Kelly, and Co. prefer to lean on, ground game or passing attack?... This or That?
Both facets of the Ohio State offense have potential to be borderline unstoppable. But in my opinion, a strong, efficient ground game is going to be much more important to this particular team’s success. Certainly more so than a dynamic passing attack.
And my reason for thinking the ground game trumps the passing attack is simple: OSU is custom-built to run the ball this season. I mean, the Buckeyes have TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins in their backfield. They will likely have Will Howard taking most of the snaps at quarterback, a 6-foot-5, 242-pound wrecking ball with 19 career rushing touchdowns. And last but not least, they brought in Chip Kelly to call plays, a coach who seemingly loves nothing more than to run the ball.
So the Buckeyes have already leaned heavily into the run, even if doing so was not part of Day’s long-term plan as of, say, Jan. 7 (one day before Judkins committed), five days before Henderson announced his return, and several days before Kelly was named OC.
Another reason I tend to gravitate toward the ground game being more important to Ohio State’s offensive success is the undeniable fact that it (poor production/efficiency on the ground) has cost the team multiple big, important, title hopes hanging in the balance-type games in each of the past three seasons. OSU has not been able to run against TTUN since Justin Fields was in Columbus, and not coincidentally, the Buckeyes have a three-game losing streak against their rival. But the same problem – not being able to run the ball effectively – has also plagued the Scarlet and Gray in bowl games and against lesser opponents.
Take the 2022 Peach Bowl, for example. Sure, Ohio State experienced a few bad breaks, but they also failed to establish the run and barely possessed the ball in the fourth quarter. And they still almost won! But a few more first downs and minutes off the clock probably would have iced it (for OSU). Then there’s the 2023 Cotton Bowl... Actually, you know what? Let’s not. If you’re reading this, you know what happened.
A common theme in all those losses was the Buckeyes’ inability pound the rock. Yes, there were others (common themes), but I will and/or would be shocked if Day and Kelly don’t do everything in their collective power to prevent Ohio State’s running game – or lack thereof – from costing the team another big game. Plus, like I said, OSU is literally built to run the ball. They have the perfect roster for it, even if you, me, and all of Buckeye Nation have questions about the offensive line.
But that’s a different topic for a different day...
Continue reading...