Here's what we thought of the Buckeyes' offense during their home-opener against the Ducks.
A tough day in the Shoe for the Buckeyes as 4th down execution and lack of defensive stops led to a 35-28 upset at the hands of the Oregon Ducks. In Ryan Day’s first regular season loss, Ohio State was exposed from a schematic and personnel standpoint. There was some good, some bad, and some tremendously ugly.
Let's start on the offensive side, where execution was largely very good.
As far as how to interpret the following grades:
Grading Key
- A: National Championship-level play ... dominates the opponent and executes at the highest level.
- B: Big Ten Championship-level play ... consistently beats opponents, but leaves a few areas to grow.
- C: Bowl Eligble-level play ... does enough to win in a close game to just get bye. Needs to improve quickly.
- D: Home for the Holidays-level play ... Exposed multiple times and a major liability to the greater whole.
- F: Losing-level play ... unit was dominated in many facets of the game and is a major detriment to success. Major changes needed immediately.
Quarterback: C+
This is a challenging grade this week. If you look at the stat sheet, it appears that C.J. Stroud’s historic day would laurel more praise; but it’s the throws that he didn’t make that leave more to be desired. Stroud would have easily rewrote the record books for the Buckeyes. Missing open receivers has continued to be a calling card after the first two weeks. This will be a challenge, but room for growth. Stroud has played tremendous between the ears, but he needs and will begin to make these throws. As he grows, he will only get better. I’m excited to watch him grow an take that next step.
Offensive Line: B-
Up front, the Offensive Line did a good job of protecting the quarterback, minus the two sacks late in the game. Stroud was able to step up the majority of the day and make history. Where the group struggled was the lack of ability to consistently run the football. It hamstringed Ryan Day in calling a more balanced game. When the backfield is so talented and struggles to get to 4.1 yards a carry, it leaves little to be desired from a play calling standpoint. Look for the Buckeyes to get back to running the ball effectively and often.
Tight End: B+
Jeremy Ruckert was dominant in the run game again. He added a couple additional catches this weekend, but will continue to be a mainstay for the Buckeye ground attack. Cade Stover had his first drop of his young career in a bad time. He will be called upon again for the Buckeyes and will need the answer the call next time. Look for this group to have two big weeks going forward.
Running Back: B-
The ground game was not what it was a week ago and the team suffered. TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams need to be the explosive backs that they can be on a regular basis, no matter the opponent or time of the game. The unit was sound in pass protection and didn’t turn the ball over. The Ohio State standard, especially in the running back room is higher than almost anywhere else in the country. The RB group needs to be a group that Ryan Day feels is a safety blanket and going forward.
Wide Receiver: A+
What an historic day for the Wide Receiver group. Three, that’s right THREE had over 100 yards receiving. This group is historically elite. They are special. The ability to separate and make plays are outstanding. With Stroud’s increased accuracy, this group will rewrite the Ohio State record books.
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