Devin Brown Taking Command Of Ohio State Offense

Ohio State quarterback Devin Brown has thrown all of 22 passes in his two-year Buckeye career, but he has been making up for lost time this month in practice in preparation for Friday’s Cotton Bowl against No. 9 Missouri.

With starting quarterback Kyle McCord off to Syracuse, the position now falls to Brown, who lost a close battle with McCord for the starting job in fall camp.

Not only will Brown be asked to throw the ball a lot more than he’s accustomed to, but he has already been tasked with being more of a leader. And according to head coach Ryan Day, things are going well in that department.

“I think the first thing you notice is his command of the huddle, his command of the offense,” Day said from Dallas on Saturday. “I think he’s done a nice job of that. He has a charisma about him that I think the guys appreciate.”

The offense may not look exactly the same as it did under McCord, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Brown is considered the better runner of the two, which will likely be on display against the Tigers.

“He’s got a chance to extend plays with his feet,” Day said. “He’s got a strong arm. He’s very intelligent. He has a lot of skills, a lot of traits that you look for in a quarterback. Now he’s just got to go play the game.”

As to what the offense will be asking of Brown, it won’t be anything that he can’t handle or that they wouldn’t ask of any other quarterback.

“We’re looking for him to take care of the football and, ultimately, lead the team to a win,” Day said. “What a great opportunity for his first start to be in the Cotton Bowl.”

Brown has had to revert to the leadership skills he showed back when the quarterback job was up in the air. It was an easy transition for him, according to senior receiver Xavier Johnson.

“Like Coach Day said, I think he has a charisma, a confidence to him that he’s exuded even throughout the process of when he and Kyle were battling,” Johnson said.

The confidence and stoicism that Brown showed through a difficult competition also gives confidence to his teammates that the moment won’t be too big or too difficult.

“I think for a player like myself to go out there and play for someone who is a pro the whole time, he didn’t hang his head, he didn’t jump in the portal or do something like that, he stuck around the team,” Johnson said. “And every day he was in Kyle’s ear, trying to figure out exactly what Kyle was seeing and just being a grown man about his business. So for me to see that, even as an older guy, I think that allows me to be confident in the player that Devin is and just the personality that we’re going to have leading us on offense.”

Friday night will be Brown’s first career start as a Buckeye, but he was vetted long ago according to Johnson. And that vetting process gives Brown’s teammates confidence that he will be just fine against a talented Missouri defense.

“You come to Ohio State because of the pressure,” Johnson explained. “I think that if you’re running from the pressure, if you’re scared of playing in big games or having your head on the line every Saturday, then Ohio State is not the place for you.”

The place for Devin Brown on Friday will be behind center as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback. And it could be the start of something much bigger.

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