Unlike many seasons for Ohio State football, there are more than a few questions surround it’s team this fall.
Many of the questions are fairly obvious, but they’re still without answers that we all want to find out about. What the start of the season brings is an opportunity for the Buckeyes to give us those answers.
Buy Buckeyes TicketsAlthough my questions might not be exactly what yours are, we probably have at least a few of the same one’s heading into Indiana. Find out below what my questions surrounding this Ohio State team are, and hopefully, we get some answers for them by the time Saturday evening rolls around.
What will the quarterback rotation look like?
Here's every one of Kyle McCord's career completions. 👀@kylemccord16 x @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/tkeQaM9kjl
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) August 29, 2023
Answer we are looking for
We now know who is going to be the starter, but the bigger question is how will Ryan Day handle the two. Kyle McCord is getting the first series, but will he continue? Does Devin Brown get a shot in the second series or will he have to wait until later in the game? I still think this battle plays out past Indiana, so how Day plays it will be telling about how he views the competition.
How will the play calling duties be handled?
"As the season wears on, I have to be conscious this year of not getting too locked into the offense, and making sure that I have a handle on everything that's going on."
🗣 @OhioStateFB coach @ryandaytime #B1GMediaDays pic.twitter.com/BfhT65C6zh
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) July 26, 2023
Answer we are looking for
Staying with the offense, it’s going to be interesting how Day goes about letting his new offensive coordinator, Brian Hartline, call plays. You have to assume the first drive or handful of plays will be scripted, but what about after that? Day has said he’s going to let Hartline call the “easier” games, but still handle a bulk of the calls. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Has the cornerback play improved?
"All I have on my mind is winning Jim Thorpe and being the best corner in college football"
Denzel Burke admits last year didn't go according to plan, but says he worked harder this offseason than ever before.
It shows, as everyone has raved about his performance in fall camp. pic.twitter.com/KibMThwMdt
— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) August 12, 2023
Answer we are looking for
The corners struggled mightily last year, not registering a pick, and they had multiple costly penalties called against them due to not looking back on the ball. Can Denzel Burke get back to his freshman form? With some new faces — most notably davison igbinosun – does BIA (Best in America) make its triumphant return? The group doesn’t need to be dominant, just showing improvement will work for Game 1.
How impactful are the transfers?
Senior safety Ja’Had Carter on @ryandaytime telling me he considered Carter a breakout player this season. pic.twitter.com/KegPciIiST
— Clay Hall (@claywsyx6) August 8, 2023
Answer we are looking for
Igbinosun isn’t the only transfer who will have an opportunity to make a mark this fall. Safety Ja’Had Carter will get plenty of playing time, as will offensive tackle Josh Simmons. Defensive tackle Tywone Malone should see the field as well. The biggest transfer class the Buckeyes have ever had needs to pay off, and we will find out if it does very quickly.
How will the offensive tackles perform?
The Ohio State offensive line getting coached up during drills. Josh Fryar was the first-team right tackle and Jimmy Simmons was at left tackle during team stuff in the ever-changing Buckeye offensive line. pic.twitter.com/lngxuHQ0wN
— Patrick Murphy (@_Pat_Murphy) August 11, 2023
Answer we are looking for
It’s a tall task to replace one starting tackle, let alone two. Simmons is marked as the starter on the left side while Josh Fryar is ticketed on the right. With McCord starting his second game of his career, he will need to stay upright and have time to find his receivers. Simmons and Fryar swapped sides during the spring, telling us that offensive line coach Justin Frye was still looking for the right combination. We will know pretty early if he made the right choice.
Will the tenacity we saw against Georgia be there?
Answer we are looking for
A lot of chatter on the internet was about Day’s demeanor and mentality against Georgia. The Buckeyes played loose (although in a losing manner) and had the chance to win. It was a stark contrast than what happened the last two weekends of the regular season. Was the game against the Bulldogs a one-off or will the Buckeyes continue to play like a fire was lit behind them?
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