There are 12 categories of situational football Ryan Day feels Ohio State has to win – or at least win most of – to win games.
After every contest, the coaching staff charts said situations with the team. It’s been amongst the biggest focal points for the Buckeyes in 2023 because winning in such areas as third down, the red zone, explosive play generation and the two-minute drill can swing matchup games like Ohio State’s 42-41 loss to No. 1 Georgia in last year’s College Football Playoff semifinals.
"It was a big emphasis for us in the offseason," Day said. "If we want to win games, we have to win the situations. Big emphasis, go through them, coach them. We’ll see if it’s something that pays off for us, but after every game, we identify the situations."
Rutgers served as the latest example of an Ohio State team that hasn’t blown all of its opponents out in 2023 but has continued to win those key situations that allow it to take control of the game as it progresses.
That started in the red zone on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the Buckeyes scored four touchdowns in all four of their trips to that area of the field in their 35-16 win over the Scarlet Knights.
"I thought there was precision down there," Day said. "I think the (touchdown) throw with Gee (Scott Jr.), the throw and catch was tremendous. Then the couple of throws that Kyle (McCord) made to Marvin (Harrison Jr.) were really well done as well. High efficiency there. Then the run game, we were running downhill on a couple of those. Every yard is worth two (in the red zone). We got vertical on those. Just overall, ran the ball better and had better efficiency in the pass game."
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In Rutgers’ six trips inside the OSU 20-yard line, the Buckeyes scored as many touchdowns as the Scarlet Knights did. Rutgers went 4-for-6 with three field goals and one touchdown, with one of those failed conversions coming as a result of a 93-yard pick-six tipped by Josh Proctor then intercepted and run back by Jordan Hancock for a touchdown.
The three field goals Rutgers settled for all came after Ohio State made stops in goal-to-go situations, where defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said his group’s "confidence" showed through. Calls are simplified that close to the end zone, Knowles added, which means it often comes down to execution and playing fast.
"It’s just a lot of practice, a lot of situational awareness," Knowles said. "Coach Day preaches the situations and understanding the situations and whether it’s third- or fourth-down or red zone, 'Where are you at? What do they like to do?' There are only so many plays in football, what’s our call? How does it work? There’s a lot of intangibles but guys who like football, they study that stuff."
Day also felt that Ohio State “won big” in short yardage. The Buckeyes converted each of their five combined third- and fourth-down attempts of 3 yards or less, while the Scarlet Knights were just 3-for-8 in those same scenarios. That’s a combined 10-for-13 success rate in short yardage for the Buckeyes.
Rutgers’ lone 4th-and-short conversion, and lone fourth-down conversion in general across three attempts, came on a trick play where quarterback Gavin Wimsatt took the snap and passed it beneath his legs a second time to running back Kyle Monangai. Monangai skirted around the edge of the Buckeye defense and collected 45 yards.
"If we want to win games, we have to win the situations."– Ryan Day
It was the first play of 40 or more yards Ohio State surrendered all season, as limiting explosives defensively was one of the biggest situations emphasized for the team in the offseason. Knowles’ stated goal has always been to allow five “explosives” or less per game, and with one of his definitions of that word being runs of 10 yards or more, the Scarlet Knights were only the second opponent to exceed that limit against the Buckeyes in 2023.
"We had seven explosives, which I think is only the second time we didn’t reach that goal that we have personally," Knowles said. "Some I take accountability for, ‘Bad call by me,’ that kind of thing. Then other ones we have to show guys getting out of their gap, routine things that can happen unless you’re diligent about it. We had a couple of those. And Rutgers is an improved team ... physically and up front and the way they run the quarterback."
By Day’s definition – which appears to be runs of 15 or more yards and passes of 20 or more – Ohio State won the explosivity battle.
"I think explosive plays were even but we counted Jordan Hancock’s (pick-six) as an explosive play," Day said. "So that made it 5-4. (It) changed the whole game."
Overall, Day said the team won eight and tied two more of the 12 situations it tracks against Rutgers.
It wasn’t the first time winning situationally helped Ohio State take control of a game as it progressed. Penn State’s offense went an abhorrent 1-for-16 on third down against the Buckeyes, one of the easier statistics to point to as to why they picked up a top-10 win that day.
Two-minute offense secured a literal last-second comeback against Notre Dame back in September, and the defense had multiple key 4th-and-1 stops in that bout.
"We’ve had to win the game already in the two-minute this year, some things at the end of the half," Day said. "Not perfect (situationally) by any means, but it’s been an emphasis."
Ohio State’s situational emphasis this offseason has clearly paid dividends so far. It will need to continue to do so if the team wants to achieve its goals.
