Yeah, Ohio State's football program isn't quite on the level of Alabama's and it's running neck and neck with Clemson but dammit these are tough times.
That reality has been made increasingly clear over the last few weeks as some fanatical fringe twitter and message board posters agonize over the type of situations that would bring lesser fans to their knees.
Don't get me wrong, I understand a certain amount of angst, to keep you on your toes if nothing else, because even while Ohio State is clearly in the golden age from a football standpoint, an elusive title or two since the 2014 season is the fuel behind the unbridled passion.
But if you take a step back and look at things from a non-Buckeye fan point of view, the things Ohio State are currently forced to fret about don't quite measure up to the concerns in places like say, Michigan. Or Oklahoma or Texas or LSU or pretty much every school not coached by Nick Saban.
Here's just a sampling of the heavy crosses Ohio State fans are currently forced to bear.
TOO MANY BLUE CHIP QUARTERBACKS
The most recent catastrophe, as digested by a ton of Ohio State fans, occurred just this week as five-star 2022 quarterback prospect Quinn Ewers reclassified and announced he'd be joining the Buckeyes this season.
OH MY GOD, NO!
How in the hell could he do this to us? Doesn't Ewers know we all want a year of separation between he and the trio of C.J. Stroud, Kyle McCord and Jack Miller? Now everyone's going to transfer except one guy after this season.
Hey, you know what, if that happens that means Stroud (most likely) blew the efff up this year - which I think we'll all sign up for - and Day will find a capable backup set to be the next starter/star in waiting.
More likely, if Stroud blows up, at least one of the trio will probably still stick around.
Either way, why be concerned that Day won't be able to get another top tier prospect to come on board? He's given you zero reason to worry about the quarterback position.
But yeah, having four dudes slotted in the top-13 of their respective class position rankings in the quarterback room is definitely a problem 99.9% of programs would welcome with open arms.
Good thing Buckeye fans are hardened to such adversity.
J.T. TUIMOLOAU MISSED SPRING CAMP AND SUMMER WORKOUTS
Day's recruiting train never sleeps and that was never more evident than when he scored a commitment from five-star defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau on the Fourth of July.
The marathon recruitment saw the staff don possibly the daddiest Tommy Bahama Hawaiian shirts at Port Columbus to welcome the the 6-foot-5, 280-pound freak of nature for his official visit, which was clearly the trump card as the Buckeyes beat out Oregon and Alabama for his services. (Watching fans then gobble up the awful $110 shirts was indeed a travesty in its own right.)
The nation's No. 4 overall prospect arrived in Columbus as Buckeye on Sunday, July 11 and appeared on Ohio State's official roster later that same week. Of course, securing the services of the highest rated defensive recruit in program history is great and all but got dayum how is he supposed to win the Heisman as a freshman if he only has fall camp to prepare for the season?
You mean to tell me the Buckeyes will have to lean on the No. 12 overall recruit in his class in Zach Harrison, the No. 5 overall prospect in this year's class in Jack Sawyer, along with vets like Tyreke Smith and Javontae Jean-Baptiste, all coached by the legendary Larry Johnson, until Tuimoloau is ready?
That's it, I'm burning all my Buckeye shit. This is just too much to take.
WE HAVE TO WATCH PARIS JOHNSON JR. PLAY GUARD FOR A FULL YEAR
Since the Thayer Munford decided somewhat surprisingly to return for a fifth season, and what will be his fourth as a starting left tackle, our chance to see Paris Johnson Jr. at left tackle will have to wait another season.
How selfish is Munford anyway? You mean to tell me that after a dominant 2020 that had him in line to be a mid-round pick that he couldn't find his way into the Draft? Now we have to watch another season of Munford's nearly flawless pass and run blocking while he commits like one penalty in 1,100 snaps. All while getting his degree. Boring.
With Munford anchoring the left side, the No. 7 national prospect in the 2018 class, Nicholas Petit-Frere returns to man the right side of the line. Last year, Petit-Frere was an elite pass blocker and a serviceable road grader and he'll be even better this year.
As such, Johnson Jr., the No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 9 overall prospect in the 2020 class must shift inside to right guard for this season before strutting his stuff at presumably left tackle in 2022.
It doesn't really seem fair that we'll have watch him be the best guard on the team, and one of the best in the conference, for a year but that's the type of crap we have to put up with right now. If recruiting and development would just chill out, this nonsense would stop.
CHRIS OLAVE AND GARRETT WILSON ARE GOING TO HOG ALL THE CATCHES
Speaking of unfair, Chris Olave has a lot of gall coming back for another season after leading the 2020 squad in catches, yards and touchdowns when he, like Munford, clearly could've gone to the NFL. Instead, we'll have to watch him team up with Garrett Wilson to churn out big play after big play as the best wide receiver combo in all of college football.
Meanwhile, elite prospects Julian Fleming, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jayden Ballard will probably have to settle for snaps scraps and tutelage from the best wide receivers coach in the game until Olave and Wilson head off to the NFL.
I guess Ohio State fans will have to take solace in watching a relatively inexperienced Jaxon Smith-Njigba and true freshman Emeka Egbuka blossom into the country's most dynamic 1-2 punch in the slot.
So there you have it, at least four factors heading into the 2021 season that really make it hard to get excited for the season. I hope I can strike up the nerve to tune in when Ohio State takes the field in Minneapolis in a mere 28 days.
