Ohio State’s Ryan Day has some work to do to repeat the success of his national championship from last year, according to insiders.
Buckeyes’ “Bread and Butter” A Priority For National Title Repeat Hopes
The Ohio State Buckeyes enter this upcoming season as the defending national champs, and while that makes them the favorites to do it again, insiders feel that head coach Ryan Day has to figure out what will drive the team back to that level of play.
247 Sports’ Cooper Petagna and Smoke Dixon spoke about what they feel would be needed on their Ultimate College Football show recently on Wednesday, June 4.
“They need to find their bread and butter,” Petagna began, “and what I mean by that is – you lose Chip Kelly, you lose Jim Knowles to Penn State, right? So you’re losing two of the best coordinators on either side of the ball in all of college football.”
Former NFL head coach Matt Patricia is now the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator, and the team’s wide receivers coach Brian Hartline is now the offensive coordinator.
He mentioned wideout Jeremiah Smith’s return as a major factor, along with Caleb Downs in the secondary on defense. “So how do you make that gel? It’s going to come down to Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz, how do you maximize their ability?”
Sayin, a transfer from Alabama, is competing against Kienholz for the starting quarterback position vacated by Will Howard’s departure. Petagna also highlighted the Buckeyes’ schedule, which has them facing the Texas Longhorns to start off the season and ending against the Michigan Wolverines, as tricky.
Dixon agreed with Petagna, stating that Day had to secure their offensive identity early.
“Going into game one, you have to know who you’re going to be on offense with confidence,” Dixon said, adding: “what is your identity going to be? Because Week One determines who you’re going to be for the rest of the season.”
KEEP READING: ‘It’s a Blessing to Carry That Legacy’: 5-Star Ohio State Commit Chris Henry Jr. Reflects on His Father’s Impact
Ohio State is currently ranked fourth among the top 25 teams in the country in the latest ESPN rankings, according to Sports Illustrated behind Alabama, Georgia and their Week One opponent in Texas.
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