Ryan Day Doesn’t Need Extraordinary, Just Consistency At Quarterback

The Buckeyes are still in the midst of a quarterback competition. Following practice on Monday — which was the 10th of fall camp — head coach Ryan Day met with reporters and ended any speculation that he was ready to name a starter.

Put a hold on the scarlet and gray smoke a bit longer, folks, and let the speculation and consternation among the media and fanbase continue unabated. The march will go on. Had Day announced a starter on Monday, of course, it would have been done earlier than any other previous quarterback competition in recent Ohio State history.

So what’s the hold up? Well, neither junior Kyle McCord nor redshirt freshman Devin Brown have a ton of in-game experience. McCord has played in 12 games, including one start, but has only thrown 58 passes over his first two years, with exactly half of those attempts coming against Big Ten opponents. Brown, meanwhile, is still waiting to throw his first collegiate pass.

McCord’s advantage in experience isn’t enough to negate what happens on the practice field, and it’s not enough to provide the kind of distance that can’t be overcome by Brown. Right now, things are too close to call for head coach Ryan Day.

“You’d like a sizable gap, to name a starter for sure. It’s hard to name somebody when there isn’t a significant gap,” Day said on Monday. “So we’re looking for someone to emerge. There’s been good things. There’s been things that they want back. And I appreciate the competitiveness right now. They’re going at it every day. We’re not ready to name a starter right now, and so the competition will continue this week.”

Over the course of this week, which will include a second scrimmage this weekend, Day would like the Buckeyes’ entire depth chart set. Some positions will be deeper than others, which will even include multiple co-starters at certain positions. Despite more depth at quarterback than he’s been used to in the past, however, Day is hoping that quarterback won’t be one of those positions with more than one starter.

“Yeah, I think that’s something we have to decide this week probably, is that are we ready to name somebody by the end of the week, or is the competition continuing into the season?” he said. “That’s not ideal, but if that’s where we’re at, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Ohio State football history is dotted with years where two quarterbacks shared the position, and none of those seasons ended up as great as they could’ve been.

The first scrimmage this past Saturday provided a good look at what to expect at quarterback. Day put his quarterbacks through a number of scenarios and situations, beginning with first and second-down situations, which featured the running game and play-action passes.

“That was solid first and second down, I thought they did well,” Day said. “We then transitioned to a move-it period, where it was hot and cold. There were some things that were good, you know, didn’t really see the consistency that you want out of a starter. But there were some good things. They moved the team down the field a couple of times. So I thought there were some good things there.”

That was followed by a third-down period where the defense held its own, but it was still an improvement from past practices for the quarterbacks. Then came a coming-out period followed by red zone. The reviews by Day were mixed, but you’ll have that when the standard of the quarterback position at Ohio State is first-round draft pick and Heisman finalist.

Kyle McCord and Devin Brown aren’t there yet, but Day understands the timing of these things.

“It’s also not like they’re not doing well either. I mean, there’s really good play out there,” he said. “There’s ability, and now we’re just looking for the consistency. And again, this was practice 10 today, so we’ve still got 15 more before we play the first game. Quarterbacks are funny that way. Sometimes you think you know, and you’re right, and other times you’re not, but you try to trust what your experiences have been and what you see on film.

“We chart everything. We look at the numbers and the analytics of it all, but we’ve also got the eyeball test as well. The leadership. What are the guys on the team thinking? I’ve asked already, ‘What do you guys think here?’ The other coaches and the guys on defense, just continually asking about what everybody’s take is because ultimately that’s your leader.”

Over the course of the first 10 practices, both quarterbacks have made plays. They have looked the part much of the time, but it’s not the number of good plays that is causing the issue. It’s the number of times the good plays are mixed in with the not-so-good plays.

With the kind of offensive help the Buckeye quarterbacks have around them, the best thing they can do is be reliable and consistent. Eliminate the mystery. Ryan Day isn’t looking for a riddle, he’s looking for an answer.

“We’re looking for consistency there,” Day said. “And I keep going back to the fact that I don’t feel like there needs to be extraordinary play. It’s making the routine plays routinely. And taking care of the football. Period. I think we have to understand situational football. I think that’s important. And then ultimately leading the team down the field. So those are the areas that we’ve been emphasizing, and competition will continue this week.”

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