Ohio State Shows No Cause for Concern in Win
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COLUMBUS -- It's certainly tough to please everyone when you're a coach or player at Ohio State University or really any sports team at any level.
To many, the fact that the Buckeyes opened the 2022 season with a hard-earned 21-10 victory over No. 5 ranked Notre Dame at an electric Ohio Stadium Saturday night was a perfect start.
To many more, the work of the defense was what was the most important gauge and it responded in impressive fashion.
After spending the bulk of the 2021 season being called soft and having their ability to play at college football's highest level questioned, the defense pitched a second-half shutout and limited the Fighting Irish to just 253 yards of total offense.
However, many spent the wee hours of Sunday morning -- and beyond -- lamenting the play of the Buckeyes' offense, which didn't put up the video-game-like numbers most had been accustomed to in 2021 and expected again this season.
"We just beat the No. 5 team in the country by 11 points," OSU head coach Ryan Day said. "That's not easy to do. It's hard. I couldn't be any prouder of our team and how our team played, especially in the fourth quarter."
Exactly!
Getting the win was by far the most important thing and should be enjoyed. After all, it came against a real team that's loaded with future NFL players and dudes at multiple positions. The defense deserves to be praised because it earned it and the offense will come around. The thing about college football -- unlike high school or NFL -- is that these teams get no scrimmages against anyone but themselves. There are going to be kinks.
The thing that Day was most pleased with on top of just getting the win was how they did it. Ohio State had to earn it. The Buckeyes played with toughness and resolve for 60 minutes, but in the final 15 minutes it was on full display.
When the Buckeyes needed to run the ball, they were able to with Miyan Williams and Treveyon Henderson doing yeoman's work behind an offensive line that is working under a new coach in Justin Frye.
"A lot of people questioned our toughness going into the offseason," Day said. "You can watch the film and then make your decision on whether or not that team was tough (Saturday)."
Though it's not expected to be serious or cost him a lot of action, the Buckeye did play the majority of the game and entire second half without standout wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He left with a leg injury in the first quarter.
"We missed on a few things early (offensively) and got off schedule, but getting the run game going in that (fourth) quarter says a lot about our team," Day said. "Opening games are often times kind of clunky and losing Jaxon didn't help. We had to respond."
There were also a faction of people concerned with how red-shirt sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud played. Unfortunately, it's gotten to the point with Stroud where it's either throw five or six touchdowns or else he's deemed to be mediocre.
Granted, his ability has helped earn that for him and he holds himself to a definite high standard, but against the Irish he was 24 of 34 for 223 yards and threw two touchdowns, including a 31-yard game-winner to Xavier Johnson.
"You can see who C.J. wants to be," Day said. "Going out and putting up all these yards and things aren't important to him. What's important to him is winning. He's a winner and to see him play like he did was special."
Don't take me out of context. There is room for improvement with the Buckeyes' offense and something tells me it will look significantly different this week against Arkansas State, which will come to the Shoe was upwards of a 45-point underdog.
However, by expecting those types of video-game like stats every week is discrediting the oppositions and it's simply not fair or how sports work, especially when talent is equated or close.
"When you can win games in different ways, I think it says a lot about your team," Day said. "This game (against Notre Dame) will pay dividends for us down the road."