Ohio State football fans have been screaming for the Buckeyes to play their younger players. With the lack of playmakers on the team not named Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State should want to play its young guys. Against Northwestern, the Buckeyes played some of those guys, and it didn't go well.
Ryan Day finally played some of the young guys that fans wanted to see. Five-star freshman receiver Chris Henry Jr. and exciting running back Legend Bey got some snaps. It was pretty clear why they haven't played more after they both had some horrendous plays.
Ohio State is getting nothing from the young guys
On the first offensive possession, Henry Jr. clearly had no idea what he was supposed to be doing on the play he was in. Luke Fahey threw him the ball because he was wide open, and it bounced off his helmet because he wasn't looking for the ball, and it was intercepted.
That's a horrible play to have, and it would have warranted Henry Jr. not getting another chance to play in this game. However, it wasn't the only awful play he had in this game. Henry Jr. dropped a sure-fire touchdown pass from Fahey in what was the best pass he's thrown in his career.
OH NO CHRIS HENRY JR... pic.twitter.com/wBhuMoQ34a
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 14, 2026
Those two plays showed why Henry Jr. hasn't been getting more snaps over the course of the season. He has a lot of raw talent, but he hasn't earned the trust of the coaches. He has a ton of drops this season, and he must not know the playbook very well, either.
Bey showed why coaches don't trust him, as well. He had a great first-down run that was negated after he got flagged for taunting the Wildcat sideline right afterwards. He is talented enough to make guys miss and get the first down, but he's too undisciplined. That's why Day can't play him enough.
Ohio State might need younger guys to take pay cuts after bad performances
The Ohio State Buckeyes own one of the most expensive rosters in the country. They are not getting what they paid for. Losing three games in a season hasn't happened since 2011. To me, that seems like a massive waste of money. Some of the young guys are getting paid a lot of money, too.
Henry Jr. is getting a ton of money as a five-star recruit. With two games remaining in the season, he has 11 catches for 283 yards and two touchdowns. Most of that has come in garbage time because he has drops when he's played when the game is still in question. He needs to take a big pay cut based on his lack of production.
Bey doesn't get paid nearly as much since he was just a four-star recruit. Still, he hasn't earned much of the money he's getting paid, either. These two guys aren't the only ones who deserve pay cuts, either. There are plenty of guys on the roster who have failed to live up to expectations.
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