It’s been a busy week in the Ohio State world, but don’t fret. BSB has you covered for everything you may have missed in the last seven days, from Ryan Day’s weekly press conference to the action on Saturday.
Kerry Coombs remains a part of the Ohio State defensive coaching staff. Just in what capacity, however, remains open for conjecture. In the wake of a disappointing performance by his defense Sept. 18 against vs. Oregon, Coombs was relieved of his play-calling duties last Saturday against Tulsa. And, according to defensive line coach Larry Johnson, Coombs is now getting more input from other assistants in terms of putting together a defensive game plan.
Ohio State senior linebacker Dallas Gant entered the transfer portal on Sept. 22, per a report from Lettermen Row’s Austin Ward. Once a projected starter, the senior from Toledo (Ohio) St. John’s Jesuit found himself buried in the depth chart through three games. A spring foot injury lingered throughout the offseason and dropped him behind younger players like sophomores Cody Simon and Tommy Eichenberg.
It’s been quite some time since Ohio State has had a pass rush as impotent as the product it has fielded through three games of the 2021 season. Its four sacks through those first three matchups are among the lowest in college football – down in the 100s with teams like Arizona, Kent State, Georgia State or UNLV, four of the most disastrous defensive units in America.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said today on his weekly call-in radio show that starting quarterback C.J. Stroud will rest his shoulder the remainder of the week and be available only for emergency duty Saturday against Akron.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day spoke with Paul Keels and Jim Lachey on 97.1 The Fan’s Ryan Day Radio Show on Thursday afternoon. Day said quarterback C.J. Stroud will be used in “an emergency capacity” against Akron. He is hopeful that they can rest Stroud on Saturday and give reps to Kyle McCord and Jack Miller. As of now, Quinn Ewers would be unavailable for the game.
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Ohio State is going to sit starting quarterback C.J. Stroud on Saturday, barring, as head coach Ryan Day said, emergency circumstances. Anything can happen in college football, but it’s hard to imagine Akron – which lost by 21 points to an awful Temple team – doing anything that would constitute an emergency for the Buckeyes.
With C.J. Stroud sidelined with a shoulder injury, all eyes are on Kyle McCord and Jack Miller this week. The former is a true freshman, eager to make his Ohio State debut. The latter is a redshirt freshman whose 10 snaps against Nebraska last season feel like a distant memory.
Ohio State will wrap up its non-conference schedule Saturday night against Akron, but it will do so without a few key defensive players.
Defensive back Cameron Brown, defensive tackle Taron Vincent and defensive ends Javonte Jean-Baptiste and Tyreke Smith will miss tonight’s game with the visiting Zips. Also on the list is center Harry Miller, who has yet to play for Ohio State this season. There are no Ohio State players listed as game-time decisions.
Kyle McCord threw for 319 yards in his first career game and TreVeyon Henderson and Master Teague each rushed for two touchdowns when No. 10 Ohio State trounced Akron 59-7 before 95,178 at Ohio Stadium on Saturday night. The Buckeyes (3-1) spotted the Zips (0-4) a 7-0 lead before storming to a 38-7 halftime lead thanks in part to a defense that produced a score and pressured Akron quarterback DJ Irons.
Haskell Garrett made sure Akron quarterback D.J. Irons felt comfortable laying on the worn and faded Ohio State turf on Saturday night. He collected five tackles, including four solo tackles and three sacks.
It was a historic night for Kyle McCord against Akron in a 59-7 win for Ohio State on Sept. 25. The freshman signal-caller from Philadelphia threw his first passes, earned his first start and claimed his first victory as a Buckeye all in one night, tossing for 319 yards and two touchdowns on 13-of-18 passing.
For the second consecutive week, Ohio State fell in the Associated Press top 25 after a win, moving from No. 10 to 11 following a 59-7 blowout of Akron on Sept. 25. The Buckeyes dropped to No. 10 from No. 9 a week prior after a closer-than-expected win over Tulsa, 41-20. The coaches poll, meanwhile, was more impressed by the Buckeye blowout. The 3-1 Buckeye jumped two spots from No. 12 to No. 10 in that listing.
