It wasn’t the prettiest Ohio State Football win, but it was a win nevertheless on the road against a solid Wisconsin team, 24-10.
The Buckeyes did a lot of good, but there were also plenty of areas that made us frustrated last night and heading into the future. Even with a win, it’s hard to not be critical about the performance, it’s just the way things are with Ohio State or any major college football power.
Like I do every week, there are plenty of Buckeye thoughts following every game on both sides of the coin. Find out below my lasting thoughts after Ohio State defeated Wisconsin on the road.
Quarterback problems?
It was a battle out there, Kyle McCord headed to the bus with a pretty severe limp on a night where he completed 17 of 26 for 226 yards, 2 TDs/2 INTs @nbc4i pic.twitter.com/kckdqYSq5B
— Joe Nugent (@joenuge) October 29, 2023
Thoughts
In our Buckeyes Wire group text, I mentioned the quarterback room is extremely thin with Devin Brown injured. Well, Kyle McCord looked to injure his ankle, which really scares me. The broadcast mentioned Tristan Gebbia as the next man up; that would not be a good scenario. Ryan Day needs to get Lincoln Kienholz ready, and fast.
McCord’s problems
5:09 left in Q2: Ohio State 10, Wisconsin 0.#Buckeyes QB Kyle McCord had one interception in the first seven games. He has two in the first half tonight vs. Wisconsin.
He was looking for WR Marvin Harrison Jr., but Badgers standout CB Ricardo Hallman was there for the pick. pic.twitter.com/7X9fTQTs5s
— Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom) October 29, 2023
Thoughts
All of McCord’s flaws were exposed on Saturday. The penchant for sacks and fumbles, his inaccuracy, intentional groundings and holding onto the ball way too much is becoming very concerning. It was not a very good game for the starter, who might be hobbled. The biggest issue with his game is accuracy; it’s just not there.
McCord is missing on short screens and longer out routes; it’s all just so frustrating. His pick in the end zone was bad judgment; he has to throw that one away. The other interception was a late ball against the best Badger corner; it didn’t end well. How about something good? McCord’s play-action fakes are great, he just needs to pay them off with shots down the field. I know we have been spoiled with a run of first-round NFL quarterbacks, but the drop off to McCord is significant. I still have faith, but it’s wavering.
Defense is elite a sniffing out screens
Thoughts
Opponents have tried to run screens against the Buckeyes, but it just doesn’t work. The linemen are hyper aware of teams trying to do this. More often than not, they blow it up. With the pressure numbers up, teams want to take advantage of Ohio State trying to get upfield to get to the quarterback quickly. Screens are great calls. They just don’t work against this unit. It’s a big reason the defense is so elite this season.
Two-headed offensive monster
"It's just tremendous I believe he is the best football player in the country."
Ryan Day calls Marvin's touchdown catch in the second half unbelievable.
Another game, another 123 yards and two touchdowns for MHJ: pic.twitter.com/wHtTboLDKP
— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) October 29, 2023
Thoughts
The offense we saw on Saturday night was propelled by two Buckeyes’ wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and running back TreVeyon Henderson. The duo accounted for over 300 yards from scrimmage and three scores. These two stars shined very brightly in Madison, but it very much concerns me going forward.
Teams already have been scheming to stop Harrison Jr. and yes, Emeka Egbuka was held out so the offense will change when he returns. That will help. Relying on two players to carry the load is a lot to ask. But, hey, they are on the team, so I guess it could be much worse.
Josh Simmons false starts
Thoughts
I knew it was bad, but I didn’t realize how bad it was on a national scale. Over the last two seasons, Simmons leads all offensive tackles in false start penalties. It’s a mental mistake every time and it can be corrected, it just hasn’t been yet. Simmons can’t keep putting the offense behind the chains, especially as it struggles to put up points on a regular basis. Which leads me …
Run blocking is very poor
Thoughts
You’d think this wouldn’t be a thought when the team rushes for 181 yards, but here we are. A lot of the production is squarely on Henderson’s shoulders; he’s fighting for every yard he gets. How often are we seeing him hit a hole at full speed to get into the second level? Not often. The one time he did, it went to the house. Most other runs, Henderson is juking for his life behind or near the line of scrimmage. At this point in the season, I’m not sure we are going to see much better. It’s very disappointing.
Injuries
JT Tuimoloau is able to jog off the field after staying down for a minute with an injury. Took a shot to the side from Jack Sawyer’s helmet.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) October 29, 2023
Thoughts
McCord, safety Lathan Ransom, Egbuka, edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau, Harrison Jr., wide receiver Julian Fleming, the list continues. Good news was that Harrison Jr., Tuimoloau, Fleming and McCord all returned, bad news was the Ransom did not. With Rutgers coming to town, it might be in the Buckeyes’ best interest to rest some or all of these players when they can. But when will that be?
Nationally
My top 4 heading into first @CFBPlayoff ranking: pic.twitter.com/aXaowCFqvm
— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) October 29, 2023
Thoughts
I have said this all season, I couldn’t care less where the US LBM Coaches or AP polls rank the Buckeyes, it’s all about the College Football Playoff rankings. We will find out on Tuesday where Ohio State is ranked; it would be a bit of a surprise if it wasn’t inside the top two. The résumé speaks for itself, two top-10 wins, one each at home and on the road. We are hitting the home stretch of the season and the Buckeyes are in a very good position to achieve their highest goals.
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