Ohio State's blown 20-point lead against Texas in Week 2 has analysts completely on edge about the Buckeyes' coaching staff.
We know the talent is obvious. OSU was up 23-3 on No. 1 UT in the fourth quarter. There are questions about the team's ceiling under its current leadership, though.
Ryan Day has his doubters. Day's clock management against the Longhorns was a disaster, and he's oftentimes meddled in games he shouldn't. 2024's iteration of "The Game" comes to mind.
Still, it's some of the position coaches he's hired that have many wondering if Ohio State is in trouble.
Tyler Bowen and Keenan Bailey ripped for being unqualified
Land-Grant Holy Land's Gene Ross went on a notable rant about the Buckeyes' offensive line coach, Tyler Bowen, and their tight ends coach, Keenan Bailey. Ross called the pair underqualified in their current positions.
"...while I'm sure (Bowen) a great guy, he is wildly underqualified to be the offensive line coach at Ohio State. The Buckeyes could — and should — be able to hire a veteran, experienced coordinator at one of the most important positions on the field, and not someone who hasn't even led the position for eight years," Ross wrote.
"Both Bailey and Bowen have done nothing in their careers to earn them the roles that they currently occupy, and the Buckeyes are paying the price."
There's no doubt that the interior offensive line has failed the running game this season. The running backs themselves aren't blameless, but the supposed depth the team was bringing at the guard and center spots has been severely lacking.
The tight end room may be getting a bad rap here. While the group doesn't feature any receiving threats, and the fall-off there from Max Klare is a sky dive, the blocking at the position has been strong.
If the lack of a notable pass-catcher from the tight end room becomes a major issue against teams that rely on linebackers in coverage, like Indiana and TTUN, the narrative sharply shifts on the Bailey front.
The lack of a dominant running game for two years under Bowen is a much less forgiving fact.
Ohio State's coaching staff has time to fix this
Early-season struggles aren't the end of the world in modern college football. With a 12-team CFP, you can take a loss or two, and possibly even three, with the Buckeyes' schedule.
The coaching staff could fix this before it's too late. That's easier said than done, but it's still Week 3. The +108-point differential should have fans confident that the early-season hiccups could soon be forgotten with improvement.
Granted, there are now targets on the backs of Bowen and Bailey. If this season goes sideways, the scapegoats are clear.
Ohio State is still the favorite to win the B1G and still owns the shortest odds to win it all, though.
For now, things are fine. Those two coaches could become fan favorites if the development aspect does come.
We'll see where this all goes in the coming months.
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