A 2 quarterback system didn’t work very well for the 2015 Ohio State football team, but it may this year if Ryan Day decides to go in that direction.
As the Ohio State football team prepares for Oregon State we now know for certain Ryan Day intends to use two quarterbacks this season. Dave Biddle of 247Sports reported that Day said the plan is for Tate Martell to see playing time during the press conference on Monday..
Does that surprise anybody? Martell is simply too talented to sit.
Will Martell just get reps when the game is out of hand or will it be a two quarterback system like the one in 2015? If so, will it prove to be more successful than the one employed that year?
I think so because the situation is much different for Ohio State this year. I’ll take a look at challenges the quarterbacks faced in 2015 which won’t be issues this year.
There is a clear leader:
There was a real battle in fall camp to see who would start at quarterback in 2015. Would it be Cardale Jones who had such a remarkable run in the postseason or J.T. Barrett who was named the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2014?
Of course Jones won the starting job but it seemed to be a 1 and 1A situation for several games. The offense really didn’t get on track until Barrett took over the reins in the second half of the season. The Buckeyes won’t have that issue this season.
While players and coaches alike have raved about Martell’s ability, there has been no doubt for quite some time who would be the starting quarterback. With his performance last season, particularly in the win over Michigan, Haskins was the clear-cut leader in the locker room.
Deep threats and overall talent at the skill positions:
Devin Smith was the primary deep threat for the Buckeyes in 2014 averaging 28.2 yards per reception and scoring 12 touchdowns. He had moved on to the NFL.
More from Ohio State Football
- Ohio State Football: How Denzel Burke has bounced back so far this season
- Ohio State Football rolling into form at the perfect time
- How Ohio State football has done historically versus new Big 12
- Ohio State Football: We need to see “Killer Ryan Day” at South Bend
- Ohio State Football vs. Notre Dame Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for College Football Week 4
Obviously the cupboard wasn’t bare on offense because Jones and Barrett still had Michael Thomas to throw the football to and Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield. However, they didn’t have the overall talent and depth at the skill positions like Haskins and Martell do.
All six receivers in the two deep are returning and five of them averaged at least 14 yards per reception last season. All are proven downfield threats.
And they will have two 1,000 yard backs to hand the ball off to in J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber..
Now for the main reason I think a two quarterback system could work fine.
Coaching:
Tom Herman, the offensive coordinator Jones and Barrett were familiar with, had moved on to take the head coaching job at the University of Houston. Offensive line coach Ed Warinner replaced Herman at OC.
Haskins and Martell will be in good hands as Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day are two of the best quarterback coaches in the country. Also, Wilson has had success with both pro style and dual threat quarterbacks.
Well, those are the reasons I think the Buckeye offense will be just fine if the two quarterbacks both see significant playing time.
I think Dwayne Haskins will put up big numbers through the air this season with the weapons he has at his disposal. And it will be interesting to see just how Tate Martell will be used, and how often.