Through the first four games of the 2023 season, Ohio State Football has managed to stay undefeated.
The Buckeyes have not been perfect, by any means, but with a bye week, they have a golden opportunity to work on multiple aspects of their game that need to get cleaned up.
Buy Buckeyes TicketsHead coach Ryan Day has his team in a very good position, 4-0 with a big win under its belt defeating Notre Dame on the road. The win was enough to move the Buckeyes up in the polls.
Although the bye week might seem like no work for Ohio State, there still is plenty to get done. Here are ten things that I would love to see the OSU football team accomplish during the off week.
Get healthy
An off week can’t stop Marvin Harrison Jr. from getting work in on the Monarc despite getting banged up against Notre Dame. pic.twitter.com/FCnPpxCYwS
— Garrick Hodge (@Garrick_Hodge) September 27, 2023
Why
This isn’t just directed at Marvin Harrison Jr., there could be other players that we don’t know that are nursing injuries. The Buckeyes won’t get another rest week, so they need to make sure they are as healthy as can be for the rest of the year.
Offensive play calling
This is a great week to self-scout, find tendencies that have been used that have not worked, and maybe running constantly to the weak side is my major change. Now that Kyle McCord has settle into the starting job, the offense needs to play to his strengths. Now is time for Day and offensive coordinator Brian Hartline to work out the kinks in their game plans.
Sacks
The Buckeyes are killing it with pressures, but aren’t generating nearly enough sacks. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of make the quarterback panic, but putting him on the ground will do a bit more to his psyche. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles needs to figure out a way to do this without sacrificing the ability to prevent big plays.
Offensive line play
Why
This unit has gelled fairly quickly but still has some issues. Penalties continue to be an issue and they need to work on that. False starts can’t happen, those are just mental mistakes. The interior has been great, but the tackles have been so-so. Both Josh Simmons and Josh Fryar need to make that extra jump and start being more consistent.
Keep the intensity
Bucks just wanna have fun 🌰😅
#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Jx4viiKFG5— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 28, 2023
Why
It’s not uncommon to see teams come out of bye weeks playing flat. That can’t happen against Maryland, because the Terps aren’t going to roll over just because they’ll be in the ‘Shoe. The Terrapins are underrated and have a great passing offense that will once again be tested. Ohio State, as a unit, needs to come out firing on all cylinders in two Saturdays. It can be a challenge to keep that during the off week.
Recruiting
Thank you @CoachKee for stopping by @LakotaWestFB yesterday! #OhioAgainstTheWorld pic.twitter.com/lJAm4E3aHT
— Luka (@luka_gilbert) September 26, 2023
Why
The 2024 class is almost complete, just needs a few more prospects to finish off the class. The 2025 cycle is very light, with just one commitment from quarterback Tavien St. Clair at the moment. The Buckeyes are behind and need to get more traction with verbals in the class. The coaches have racked up a lot of frequent flyer miles, so I know they’re out. They need to lock a few of those prospects in.
Figure out short yardage
STUFFED! #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/YOope6TXH7
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 24, 2023
Why
One aspect of this Buckeye team that worries me for the future is short yardage. The struggles to find the right play calls, personnel and execute have been glaring. No quarterback sneaks when your best and most seasoned linemen are in the middle makes no sense to me. Jet sweeps don’t either. Day and Hartline need to get this fixed.
Create more turnovers
The Buckeyes can't stop scoring 🌰🔝
The @OhioStateFB defense adds on a TD 🔒 pic.twitter.com/4IvF8rU6lK
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 16, 2023
Why
There are not many aspects of this year’s defense that we want improved, but taking the ball away is always nice. The unit has grabbed three interceptions and recovered two fumbles, which is good but not great. For this defense to really take the next step, causing more turnovers will get it there.
McCord and chemistry between wide receivers
Underrated part of Kyle McCord vs Notre Dame.
The Ohio State offensive line committed 3 penalties and allowed on the QB:
• 3 Hits
• 13 Hurries
• 16 PressuresKyle McCord STILL managed 0 sacks and 0 INTs in his second career start on the road vs. a top 10 team. pic.twitter.com/BwO1d17rPI
— JR’s Rankings 🌰🅾️⭕️ (@jrs_rankings) September 24, 2023
Why
The connections have been very solid, but there have been some missed opportunities. McCord has had a week to just work on timing, route recognition and experience with this group. Who knows how healthy Harrison Jr. is, so that becomes even more important. McCord has other weapons at his disposal and could very well need to use them in the future.
Learn from last week
𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕽𝖊𝖈𝖆𝖕: Notre Dame 🎥🔥 pic.twitter.com/UrUPQkNLjk
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 27, 2023
Why
Emotionally, that win was huge for the Buckeyes. The Irish have a very similar playing style to a certain team that Ohio State will play later in the season. By the time Michigan week rolls around, this game will be in the distant past, but the lessons learned need to be utilized. Notre Dame was a “practice” for The Game and getting back on track against our rivals will go a long way for this season and the one’s to come.
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