Ohio State has an issue with special teams, and it's driving fans insane.
Over the course of the first few weeks of the season, the Ohio State Buckeyes have had multiple special teams failures. Missed field goals, bad punts, and poor decisions on kickoffs have been occurring most weeks. Those issues have not been fixed.
Fans have been furious, and it's easy to see why. Special teams should be the easiest phase of the game for the coaching staff to fix. Ryan Day seems frustrated as well and finally voiced the same anger that the fans have had over the last few weeks.
Ryan Day pledges to fix the special teams for Ohio State
While speaking during his weekly press conference, Day expressed those concerns and vowed to get them fixed.
“I don't think I can sit here and say that we've improved in special teams right now. We need to play better. That's everybody included. That's not just Rob (Discher, special teams coordinator). Rob is the coordinator, so he's in charge. I'm in every meeting. The coaches are in every meeting to make sure we get better production out of special teams."
Discher is in his first year as the special teams coordinator with the Buckeyes. For a while, Day didn't have a special teams coordinator after firing Parker Fleming. With there being no limit to the number of coaches a program can have, there was no reason not to hire a special teams coordinator.
It's hard to believe that the special teams have somehow gotten worse from when they didn't have a dedicated coach for that area. Connor Hawkins has missed two of the seven field goals he has attempted. That was not what the Buckeyes brought him in to do from the Transfer Portal.
Punting has been a mess. Joe McGuire had a 33-yard punt on Saturday, and that is never excusable, especially from where he was on the field. Yet, Ohio State has done nothing to try to improve that issue over the last few years. They have stuck with McGuire for two years now.
Bad special teams could cost Ohio State another game this season
Hawkins' missed field goal in the fourth quarter of the Texas game kept Ohio State from winning that game. That is the main reason why Ohio State is not undefeated any longer. The offense could have played better, but if Hawkins had made that kick, the Buckeyes would still be the number one team in the country right now.
Ohio State still plays three more ranked teams in the next four games they have on the schedule. If the special teams aren't any better, they are in danger of losing one of those matchups. Hawkins can't be missing easy field goals, and McGuire has to be able to flip the field.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the kicking and punting will be any better this season. This seems like an issue they will have to fix in the offseason. However, this was something they should have addressed last offseason.
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