Ryan Day met with the assembled media yesterday to field questions as Ohio State continues preparations for a primetime contest at Wisconsin this Saturday.
Of course reflecting on last week's game was central to the discussion as the Buckeyes handled then-No. 7 Penn State, 20-12, to remained undefeated.
While a lot went right in that game, highlighted by an elite defensive performance and another episode of the Marvin Harrison Jr. Show, Ohio State's run game still could not get on track which wasn't shocking considering the strength of Penn State's defense, TreVeyon Henderson's ongoing absence, and the simple fact the Buckeyes hadn't ran it down the throat of the six lesser-defenses it faced before the Nittany Lions came to town.
That said, Day still feels like there are answers to be had and implemented.
“Yeah, I do (think we can get there), I do. I think there have been signs of that. We’re going to keep pushing. Getting a couple of guys back could help as well, help us become more explosive. So we keep pushing. We believe we can do it and I know we can.”– Ryan Day
Obviously getting Henderson back would be a huge boost to the run game considering his ability to hit a home run that we simply haven't seen much from Chip Trayanum or Miyan Williams.
And not that fans should've expected those two, or Henderson if available, to run wild against Penn State but the carry-by-carry synopsis of the run game's performance last week isn't pretty.
Of the 37 carries by primarily Williams and Trayanum but also to include Xavier Johnson and Devin Brown, 24 went for three yards or less (65%) although one was a 2-yard touchdown so there's that.
The second half was abysmal as the Buckeyes averaged 0.8 yards per carry (after a 3.1 ypc mark in the opening half) and that figure is only based on the 19 true carries (no sacks, scrambles). Of those 19 second half carries, the three longest runs went for five yards each. Fifteen of the 19 went for three yards or less (79%) with five going for negative yardage and two going for no gain. All of that happened even as Kyle McCord softened up the Penn State defense by completing 11-or-14 throws including a touchdown after a first half that saw him struggle to the tune of 11-of-21.
When the dust settled, Ohio State averaged 1.9 yards per carry (and a sack-adjusted 2.3 yards per carry) against a Penn State defense allowing 2.3 yards per carry through seven games.
So far this season, Ohio State's rushing offense has averaged more yards per carry than the opponent is giving up year-to-date just twice. The Buckeyes averaged 4.7 a pop versus a Notre Dame squad giving up 3.6 per carry and a 6.2 average versus a Western Kentucky defense allowing 5.0 per attempt.
| OPPONENT | OSU YPC | OPP YPC ALLOWED THIS SEASON |
|---|---|---|
| PENN STATE | 1.9 | 2.3 |
| PURDUE | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| MARYLAND | 1.9 | 3.2 |
| NOTRE DAME | 4.7 | 3.6 |
| WESTERN KENTUCKY | 6.2 | 5.0 |
| YOUNGSTOWN STATE | 4.6 | FCS |
| INDIANA | 4.6 | 4.7 |
The run game could receive a boost Saturday if Day's comments about Henderson returning this week prove accurate. That said, if we've learned anything in life it's to take Day's injury updates with a salt lick. When he mentioned that Devin Brown will be out a few weeks after his injury at Penn State, you may have joined me in wondering if Brown was actually alive.
Even if Henderson can go this Saturday, it would probably be unwise to expect even 15+ carries. Which begs the question that's continues to be asked which is why have they been so worried about keeping Dallan Hayden's redshirt? Yesterday, it sounded like maybe Day isn't quite as focused on that mission as in the past.
"We're going to push it to see if we can get him into the game this week." – Ryan Day on dallan hayden
Seeing will be believing but Hayden, as a ball carrier, has a small but not insignificant body of work that says he should see the field and keeping his eligibility for 2026 seems like it could be reprioritized post-haste.
I've seen some naysayers on Hayden as a possible part of the solution, mostly suggesting there are clearly other factors keeping him off the field such as pass blocking. But even if that's true, the same critique applies to others in the running backs room.
Bottom line, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. As such, using Brown as a red zone running option was/is a nice wrinkle and getting Hayden on the field more, particularly until if/when Henderson is full go feels worth further exploration.
