'Cleaner Across The Board': Ryan Day Looking For Buckeyes' Offense To Rebound vs. Youngstown State

The Buckeyes scored 23 points in their season-opening win against one of the worst defenses in the Big Ten from 2022.

There were several positives from Ohio State's 23-3 season-opening win over Indiana on Saturday. The defense held Tom Allen's squad to 153 total yards. Seven different players totaled at least one tackle for loss. 

A win is a win, right? Not in Columbus among fans, who were less than thrilled with Kyle McCord's debut as the Buckeyes' starter. Ohio State found the end zone twice, though neither came through the air despite having All-American receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and standout No. 2 target Emeka Egbuka, who combined for five receptions and 34 yards. 

Yes, the Buckeyes were anemic on offense, but the season's best is still ahead of them. Youngstown State comes to Ohio Stadium for the home opener Saturday, and Ohio State should be ready to handle business. 

Of course, that's what the Buckeyes were expected to do in Bloomington last week. 

“I wish it was cleaner across the board,” coach Ryan Day said Tuesday in his weekly press conference. “It wasn’t. But we got the win and now we identify the things we need to get better at and see what it looks like this week.”

Day isn't panicking on McCord's rocky debut. The junior is expected to start against the Penguins after finishing 20-of-33 for 239 yards and an interception. And while McCord never found a rhythm with the pass-catchers who are expected to hear their names called in the first round of next year's NFL draft, he did build a rapport with tight end Cade Stover and No. 3 target Julian Flemming.

Stover, who could have entered the draft with first-rounder Jaxon Smith-Njigba, finished with a team-best 98 receiving yards. Flemming led the Buckeyes in receptions (six) and totaled 58 yards. 

“I think we both felt the same way,” Day said of McCord’s performance. “There were some good moments, good throws, and some other things that you wish you had back. When you look back at first-time starters here in the past, that was probably similar.”

Quarterbacks have struggled to transition from backup to starter under Day. C.J. Stroud threw for 294 yards with four touchdowns and an interception against the Golden Gophers in his first start replacing Justin Fields. The Buckeyes would lose at home to Oregon in Week 2. 

Stroud, who recently was named captain of the Houston Texans after being drafted No. 2 overall in April, went on to lead Ohio State to the College Football Playoff in 2022, while becoming a two-time Heisman finalist. 

“There were definitely some good plays, some things I want to clean up,” McCord said postgame. “We definitely left some points on the board. We moved the ball pretty well, just a few times in the red zone you want to get touchdowns rather than field goals.”

The status of Devin Brown remains a mystery. Day said last week the freshman who dons No. 33 would see significant reps in Week 1, but only saw action in two series, both being three-and-outs. 

Day said Brown has earned the right to play, but until there's more clarity on the offense, it would be hard to put a stamp on how many reps he could see Saturday at noon.

“I’d love to say, yeah, Kyle’s the starter and Devin’s not going to play, but that’s not the case. It’s not fair to him, either. It’s not fair to the team. I do not have a crystal ball. I don’t know what it’s going to look like. I wish I did. I know everybody wants to know what it’s going to look like, but we’ll just keep grinding on this thing and keep trying to find wins because we know it’s a long season." 

The game will be televised on Big Ten Network.