Let’s break it down:
1. The quarterback situation seems to be getting tricky now.
Last week, I wrote it was too early for Ohio State fans to panic over Ryan Day’s refusal to name a starting quarterback halfway through the preseason.
If he doesn’t have one prior to the Indiana game, I can’t blame anyone who is shifting a little more nervously in their seat, but I still would not view it through the lens of a coach who thinks he has two quarterbacks but really has none.
I get the sentiment, and sometimes it is surely true, but two-quarterback systems can work. I don’t think Ohio State is going to try that, but it’s not the pending disaster some people tend to assume. The Buckeyes were 11-0 when they started Stanley Jackson and used Joe Germaine in relief in 1996. They broke a Rose Bowl drought of more than a decade, too, but they also lost to Michigan in the one game they switched the order and messed up that winning formula. In 1993, they also won a Big Ten title while playing two quarterbacks regularly, though neither of those situations are much like this one.
2. I’ve moved to the side of those who feel Kyle McCord not being named the starter yet is probably more a bad sign for him than a positive sign for Devin Brown.
Nothing Day said in his last press conference refuted my belief McCord has been the favorite all along. The head coach essentially confirmed it when said he would like to see McCord’s loyalty rewarded. The junior could have transferred last year rather than be locked in at No. 2, but he did not. Should that impact who starts now? No, but it would make for a good story. That is less important than winning, of course.
3. Day also confirmed he went into the competition with high expectations.
The battle may have been set up for McCord to win, but he was not going to do that just by showing up.
“I feel good that we have a good quarterback that we’re going to develop and continue to build on,” Day said. “I think we have confidence that these guys can go in and play at a high level. Now, how high? We have pretty high expectations around here. I think that’s where we’re not sure, but I would say that we feel good with both of them right now.”
Day might have to settle for a guy looking like he might develop into his next star quarterback, but you know what would be even better? If he looked the part already. Maybe that is unrealistic, but it is worth setting the bar there just in case they reach it.
4. We finally got to speak to the offensive line last week, and now there is a lot more clarity there.
The starting tackles will be Josh Simmons and Josh Fryar with youngsters Tegra Tshabola and Luke Montgomery likely next in line. Those guys earning the confidence of the coaching staff while going up against an onslaught of talented pass rushers is probably a good sign, but the proof will be in the pudding.
Montgomery winning a starting tackle job would have been a good story, but unless he is the next Orlando Pace also a very dicey proposition for this season however bright his future might be. Michael Jordan wasn’t very good as a starting true freshman guard a few years back, and Ohio State needs both tackles to be at least average if they want to reverse this two-year trend as the Big Ten East runner-up.
Trying the massive Tshabola at tackle was not a bad idea, but he seems best-suited to play guard. In the spring and last week he said he was willing to help the team in any role, but he also admitted the added space on the outside was a big challenge for him to learn to deal with. He prefers his fights in phone booths, which he can get plenty of at guard.
5. Is Day being smartly cautious or overly cautious in letting the QB decision linger?
There’s another aspect of this situation that probably should be discussed, and that is Day as decision maker.
He is still a relatively young head coach, though I never heard that excuse made for him until after he lost to Michigan for a second consecutive year with a more talented team.
I can’t really say without getting to see all the things he sees, but it has to be asked if he is trying to avoid making a tough decision whenever he says he wanted to see someone emerge.
That’s why he gets paid the big bucks, right?
No one is saying this is easy, and games certainly are better determinants than practice, but Day’s decision-making in games has been questionable at times. Is this another strike against him, or will it turn out letting it play out longer than expected works in his favor in the long run?
We’ll see.
SEASON OPENER
Saturday, Sept. 2
Ohio State at Indiana, 3:30 p.m., CBS, 1410
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