Only once in its previous 11 seasons has Ohio State averaged as few or fewer yards per carry as it is averaging in 2023.
The Buckeyes are managing just 4.4 yards per tote, their lowest rate since a 4.3 yard-per-carry mark in 2018. Since 2011, it’s the only other time they’ve averaged less than 5 yards per attempt.
That starts with the offensive line.
“We have, just in general, our room here at Ohio State, we have a very high standard,” Justin Frye said on Wednesday. “So you’re always chasing that. You’re always pushing to that. So are we there yet? No. Are we working there? Yeah. If you watch Week 1 to 4, there’s some improvement there. There’s some guys in the first group that have pulled away and doing some things from the second group, but at the end of the day you want the production, you want all those things. So no one’s happy. ... There’s a legitimate fight right now in the room.”
It’s up to Frye to find the answers up front. And there’s a sense of urgency within the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to solve the team’s offensive line issues before it bites the Buckeyes.
“Everybody – coach, players, unit – involved I feel like is coming out of this week, and talking with Ryan (Day). That’s been their mind set,” Frye said. “Just go, because talking about competitive stamina and growth, the bad stuff (is) not because we’re unable physically. There’s some things going on that we need to correct that we’re capable and able of doing, just not doing right.”
Ohio State is fresh off its worst rushing performance of the season numbers-wise, averaging 1.9 yards per carry against Maryland with 62 yards on 33 attempts.
One possible solution is an adjustment to scheme.
There are different ways to change blocking tactics that involve tight ends and running backs to take pressure off the front five, Frye said, but there's a balance in not changing so much that it confuses players further and diverts attention from the techniques that will lead to better execution.
“Yeah. If you cut yourself open and say, ‘Who are we and what are we doing and what do we do really well,’” Frye said. “You get rolling and going on that, then how thin do you get spread? Or maybe you get away from those core concepts, whatever that scheme may be. So that can sometimes be an answer.”
Frye added that the Buckeyes will continue running stretch and wide zone plays in games, but are evaluating how they might be able to adjust those concepts.
"The bad stuff (is) not because we’re unable physically. There’s some things going on that we need to correct that we’re capable and able of doing, just not doing right.”– Justin Frye
Improving how his players perform on Saturdays is also a matter of looking in the mirror and reflecting on what he’s doing as a coach, Frye explained.
“I’m looking at how hard I’m coaching them, what I’m coaching, what details I’m giving to them,” Frye said. “Making sure I’m not spread too thin, and then we’ve got to put them in the right schemes to go execute.”
As quoted above, Frye feels that the issues aren’t in the talent of Ohio State’s starting personnel. The Buckeyes better hope that’s the case, since none of their backup offensive linemen seem to be making a bid for playing time.
"I don't see any of those guys right now, pushing,” Day said on Tuesday. “I'd like to see that. But I don't see them pushing on the door enough to say someone deserves 20, 30 snaps in a game just yet. But there's still a lot of football left to play and feel free to make a push. We want that in practice."
Still, the baseline of the offensive line’s problems remain technique-based, Frye said. In addition to areas Day mentioned such as hand placement and pad level, the Buckeyes’ blockers need to do a better job getting to the linebacker level.
“We’ve got to be more explosive on those,” Frye said. “I think we had two zero- or negative-yardage runs, but we had too many 3s and 2s. So yes, getting the ball to that second level and working that.”
Frye called it a “mixture” of things that aren’t “random” in terms of solutions up front. It won’t be flashy, though – even if the urgency remains.
“Sometimes it’s boring,” Frye said. “Getting back to the basics, to the fundamentals, to maybe even the scheme.”
