Scarlet and Game
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Ohio State Football doesn’t need to force balance vs. Georgia

By Ryan Stano

COLUMBUS, OHIO - NOVEMBER 26: Chip Trayanum #19 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs with the ball during the second half of a college football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium on November 26, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. The Michigan Wolverines won the game 45-23 over the Ohio State Buckeyes and clinched the Big Ten East Title. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - NOVEMBER 26: Chip Trayanum #19 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs with the ball during the second half of a college football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium on November 26, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. The Michigan Wolverines won the game 45-23 over the Ohio State Buckeyes and clinched the Big Ten East Title. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images) /
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The Ohio State football team still has a chance to salvage the 2022 season. It looked like their season was dead in the water after a disastrous showing against TTUN. The Buckeyes had a chance to seal their chance at making the College Football Playoff and winning the Big Ten.

They did neither of those things but were able to make the CFP anyway. This is the first time that two Big Ten teams have made the College Football Playoff. With Michigan beating Ohio State, both got in. That beatdown taught us some valuable lessons about what this Buckeye team is and isn’t.

As we head into preparation for the Peach Bowl, Ryan Day and his staff need to make adjustments to what they have been doing in order to make sure there isn’t a repeat performance against Georgia, specifically on the offensive side of the ball.

The Ohio State football team needs to stop forcing balance on offense.

The biggest criticism of Ryan Day has been the fact that he has tried to force balance on the offensive side of the ball. Without a healthy Miyan Williams, the Buckeyes have been a poor running team in the second half of the season.

Even when they were decent at running the ball, Day still needed to call more pass plays to open the field up. His refusal to let C.J. Stroud throw it over the middle to his best players is startling. It was the most startling in the game against Michigan last week.

To start the second half, Marvin Harrison Jr. seemed to disappear from the game plan. The Buckeyes simply stopped targeting him. He’s the best player on the field. He needs to get the ball as much as possible. If he’s covered, at least try to throw it over the middle to someone else.

If Georgia ends up shutting the run game down early, the Buckeyes need to throw it more. I don’t care if they end up throwing it 50 times. If that’s the best way to move the ball on the Bulldogs, it needs to be done. Day needs to stop with the stubbornness.

Next. Ohio State Football is an underdog for first time all year. dark

We’ll see if that’s something he can do once New Year’s Eve rolls around.

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