Ryan Day isn’t pretending the Ohio State staff can just shrug off what happened against Texas. After the Buckeyes struggled to generate pressure on Arch Manning during the fourth quarter - with Ohio State sending only three players for most of that stretch while the Longhorns scored all three of their touchdowns - Day said Tuesday that everything is on the table moving forward, starting with personnel.
“I think you had to look at everything. And I think there was a lot of good there, but we ultimately didn't win the game when we needed to at the end,” Day said.
“The first thing you got to look at is the personnel and making sure you have the right guys out there. I think we have some really good young players on all three phases, (specifically) offense and defense, that are going to play into both sides of the ball more often as we move forward into conference play.
So that's a big part of it, looking into it."
That evaluation appears to be pushing Ohio State toward more playing time for some of its younger talent. Day pointed to trust as the key issue, using freshman cornerback Jay Timmons as the example.
"You look at a guy like Jay Timmons, from the jump, he's built enough trust to say, put him in the game and look what he did. These other guys, they're going to have that opportunity here," Day said.
"There's no place that's more competitive than we are. And these guys are going to have a chance to compete every day and have an opportunity to get on the field."
Day had already signaled that he likes what he sees from several freshmen, saying last week on 97.1 The Fan: “There are some young freshmen here that I’m really high on. I love the look in their eye.
I like the approach that they have. The future is bright with this class.
Fired up to see where this goes by the end of the year," Day said on 97.1 The Fan last week. "Where we are now with them is not where we’ll be midway through the season or at the end of the season, but bright futures there.”
Now the question is how much that praise turns into real snaps.
Day mentioned defensive end Khary Wilder and linebacker Riley Pettijohn as two young players who could see more action. Wilder played just five snaps against Texas, but according to Pro Football Focus, he produced two pressures. Pettijohn has also shown flashes through two games, totaling nine tackles.
And they’re far from the only young Buckeyes who have made noise without getting much run against Texas. Legend Bey has already drawn Heisman Trophy hype from Jeremiah Smith and delivered six carries for 37 yards plus two catches for 37 yards and a touchdown in Week 1.
TJ Alford started against Ball State, picked off a pass there, and has seven tackles this season. He also wore the green dot at one point against Texas, a significant responsibility for a sophomore.
Then there’s the freshman receiver pair of Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd. Henry is a former five-star with the kind of physical tools that jump off the screen, even if his Week 1 debut was uneven. Boyd has earned praise for his football IQ and has already helped as a blocker, while also flashing his route running in limited action against the Longhorns.
For Day, the issue is finding the right balance between experience and upside. He said the staff has to keep weighing what it sees in practice, what it has on hand, and which players give Ohio State the best shot to win.
"I think that's what you try to balance the best you can, for sure. And I think we had plenty of personnel to go win this game, and we just didn't finish it off, that moving forward, we have to make sure that we put the best guys on the field that gives us the best chance to win," Day said.
"So we'll look at all that. But when you go into a game like this early in the season, those are things you try to weigh the best you can based on what you've seen in practice, based on what you've got, the conversations you have with your staff, and then you go from there."
In Other News...
Ohio State Freshmen Frustration Just Put A New Problem In Public
Ohio States loss to Texas did more than dent the Buckeyes early-season momentum. It also spilled a little of the programs internal frustration into public view, as three freshmen used social media to air dissatisfaction with their roles and limited opportunities, a jarring development for a team that is still trying to settle itself after an important defeat.
Jerquaden Guilford, Brock Boyd and Bey were among the players whose posts drew attention, with language that pointed to a desire for more involvement. For a staff already sorting through a disappointing result, it adds a fresh layer of concern about buy-in and roster harmony, even if there has been no official response yet. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Just Added New Controversy To Texas' Win Over Ohio State
Texas win over No. 1 Ohio State already had enough postgame baggage after Steve Sarkisian abruptly cut off ESPN reporter Holly Rowe during a brief on-field exchange. The moment itself was awkward enough, but it quickly became a bigger talking point once a fake AI-generated video of Sarkisian slapping Rowe started making the rounds online, giving the upset a strange and unnecessary afterlife beyond the scoreboard.
Arch Manning then poured fuel on the reaction when he weighed in on the clip during a Monday exchange, describing it as hilarious. The comment drew immediate criticism on social media, with some users calling for apologies and public statements from both Manning and Sarkisian, turning a celebratory Texas moment into another reminder of how fast a viral postgame clip can shift the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Needs More Than A Win Against Kent State
Ohio State gets a chance to reset at home this week against Kent State, with the Buckeyes coming off the Week 2 loss to Texas and looking for a cleaner showing on both sides of the ball. The matchup will be carried on FOX and streaming platforms, and on paper it gives Ohio State a comfortable spot to get back on track while working through some of the issues that showed up last time out.
The bigger value here may be less about the result and more about what the Buckeyes can take from it, especially on offense. A lopsided win would be welcome, but Ohio State needs a performance that helps settle the unit, builds confidence after the setback and gives the coaches a better feel for where this team is headed as the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]