If it has felt like the Ohio State Buckeyes are playing at a snail-like pace in 2025, they have been. The Buckeyes are averaging just 62.2 plays per game, ranked 123rd in the country according to TeamRankings.

They are averaging almost 20 fewer plays per game than the fastest-paced team in the country, the Florida Atlantic Owls. 

In today's era of college football, where points are held in high regard, this may seem like a counterintuitive tactic. However, it is absolutely intentional by Ryan Day and the Ohio State offensive staff. 

The Buckeyes are pacing for a 15 or 16 game season in which they have to manage the number of plays that their key guys are getting. The NFL like length of the season makes the players more prone to injury and the slower pace mitigates a little bit of that.

Compared to FAU, the Buckeyes have played 228 fewer snaps! This comes out to almost four total games less than what the Owl's players have played.

For a more applicable comparison, the fastest-paced playoff contender is Texas Tech. Tech is ranked 10th in the nation at 76.3 plays per game, which totals them at 610 plays on the season. Still, 182 more plays run than the Buckeyes in exactly three more games. 

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While Ohio State's pace can be frustrating at times, it is intentional, and it is aimed at saving them for when the games are most important. 

The result of the slow pace is an increased emphasis on efficiency for the Ohio State offense. If the Buckeyes are going to slow the pace down, they have to execute at the highest level, and they are doing just that. 

No one in the country is playing the quarterback position better than Julian Sayin. Through seven games, Sayin has thrown for 1,872 yards and 19 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions. He is doing that by completing a ridiculous 80 percent of his passes, which is by far the best in the country. 

He is surgically accurate and it helps that he is throwing to the best wide receiver duo in America. Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are head, shoulders, knees and toes better than any other receiving core in the country. 

The last piece of the puzzle is the Buckeyes solving their rushing attack. It isn't awful but it is not up to the standard that was set by the 2024 team. Even through three months, they are still trying to identify the proper combination of backs next to Sayin. 

They have a few more weeks to figure it out before its go-time in the playoffs. 

Expect the Buckeyes to continue at their slow pace throughout the last month of the year into the playoffs. They can't win the championship in November, but they sure can lose it. 

They will continue to do everything they can to avoid that.