Skull Session: Devin Brown's Injury is a Bad Beat, Ryan Day Has a Decision to Make About Play-Calling and Ryan Shazier Visits Ohio State's Practice

By Chase Brown on April 13, 2023 at 5:00 am
Devin Brown
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In approximately 48 hours, Ohio State will play a football game just off the banks of the Olentangy River inside Ohio Stadium.

That's so beautiful; it's enough to make a grown man cry.

Let's have a good Thursday, shall we?

 THAT'S A BAD BEAT. Devin Brown will miss Ohio State's spring game because he needed "a procedure" on one of his throwing fingers, Ryan Day announced on Wednesday. It was crushing news for all who wished to watch Brown compete with Kyle McCord in the scrimmage, which I think amounts to – I don't know – all of Buckeye Nation.

To be clear, I include myself within that bunch.

All I wanted to see Saturday was McCord and Brown SLING IT in front of a packed house at Ohio Stadium, throwing dots to Marvin Harrison Jr., Jayden Ballard, Carnell Tate, Cade Stover, Jelani Thurman and the rest of the incredible weapons at their disposal. But I guess that wasn't in the cards.

Many will compare this scenario to Dwayne Haskins and Joe Burrow in 2018, but it's important to remember that Burrow broke his hand in 2017, which allowed Haskins to become the second-stringer behind J.T. Barrett that season. When Urban Meyer called upon Haskins to replace an injured Barrett lead a comeback effort against Michigan – in Ann Arbor, no less – and he delivered, that forced Burrow into an uphill battle to become a starter the following year.

Both Haskins and Burrow performed well in the spring of 2018, but the former always had the upper hand because of his efforts to take down the Wolverines, leading the latter to transfer to LSU before the fall. The rest is history.

As for McCord and Brown, both quarterbacks are unproven at this moment. The competition feels neck and neck to this point, with McCord probably holding an edge due to his experience as a primary backup to Stroud for the past two seasons. Brown's procedure certainly doesn't help his cause in the competition, but I don't think Day will automatically name McCord his QB1 after Brown misses time because of an injury.

The quarterback competition is still very much alive in Columbus. We just won't have the chance to watch the midseason finale as we reach sort of a midway point before the 2023 season begins at Indiana on Sept. 2, and that's a real shame.

 DECISIONS, DECISIONS. In the weeks after Ohio State lost to Georgia in the Peach Bowl, Kirk Herbstreit hinted that Day would offer up his role as the Buckeyes' offensive play-caller to whoever replaced Kevin Wilson as offensive coordinator in 2023 and beyond.

Day never denied that report.

In fact, after Day promoted Brian Hartline to that position in January, he welcomed the idea of his star wide receivers coach as lead play-caller, claiming Hartline would have ample opportunities to showcase his talent this spring. In turn, Day would explore a more CEO-like approach toward being the head coach of the Buckeyes, something he looked forward to as the evolving world of college football added more to his plate.

However, that exploration may have resulted in the opposite effect. Despite his best efforts to be a hands-off head coach who wears several different hats this offseason, he's found himself back in the same place he's always been, building the offense, coaching the quarterbacks and calling the plays.

Well, sometimes. Maybe all the time? Read Day's comments on 97.1 The Fan's "Morning Juice" about his attempts to have a CEO-like approach this offseason and decide for yourselves.

"It's still not taking me away from the day-to-day offense and the defense where we'll sit in the meetings. We pay those guys on defense a lot of money, and that's part of the deal, man – I trust them, and I will give them my feedback and be around them a little more now – but I trust them to do their job. They are really good at what they do. And I'm still involved with the offense and still involved with the quarterbacks. As much as I'd like to tell you I'm gonna stand in the middle of the field and watch, that's not gonna happen. I tried it a little bit early on, and it's not gonna happen. I found myself diving right in, and I think that's the way it's gonna be. But we have great coaches. Brian (Hartline) has done a really good job, and Justin Frye has done a good job with the offensive line. The more responsibility they get they are gonna embrace it."

To me, that reads like Day can't help himself, like he needs control of the offense because it's his identity, his calling card. And, honestly, I don't blame him. Day's offensive mind landed him in Columbus in the first place. His insight has consistently made Ohio State's offense one of America's best since 2019. That's why I see this experiment ending with Day still in control of the offense in 2023.

But... if Day wanted a Best of Both Worlds scenario – one where he relinquishes play-calling duties but still has a say in the offense – he should look no further than what Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy accomplished with the Kansas City Chiefs the last five NFL seasons.

While Bieniemy was the offensive coordinator, it was Reid's offense, and if Reid ever wanted to veto a play call, he could because he had the final say as head coach. That approach resulted in two Super Bowls for the Chiefs. Who's to say Day and Hartline couldn't replicate it and have it result in national championships for Ohio State?

Just something to think about.

 LOOK WHO'S BACK. BACK AGAIN. Ohio State football had a special visit at practice this week, as Day and his staff welcomed former All-American linebacker Ryan Shazier to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Wednesday to share his knowledge and wisdom with the current players that make up his old position room.

This rocks.

I know not all players work out as coaches, but doesn't Shazier feel like someone who would be an outstanding coach leader for the next generation of Buckeyes? As it stands, Day has Hartline, cornerbacks coach Tim Walton, quality control coach Devin Jordan and graduate assistant James Laurinaitis on his staff, not to mention C.J. Barnett, who works on the administrative side of the program. What's the harm in seeing what Shazier can do?

I, for one, would love to see him as a coach on the sidelines one day. I think he would make a fine addition to Day's staff in whatever capacity Day sees fit, and of course, I would prefer to see him work with the linebackers if possible. Maybe he and Laurinaitis could both be graduate assistants and create the most powerful linebacker room in all of America. Two coaches with four All-American honors, multiple All-Big Ten accolades and decorated professional careers coaching the same unit simultaneously? That's a scary proposition.

 THE 1870 SOCIETY, EVERYONE. On Wednesday, Eleven Warriors founder and publisher Jason Priestas announced the launch of The 1870 Society, Ohio State's newest collective and the school's first for-profit collective established to support student-athletes at the university as they navigate NIL opportunities.

I won't pretend to know much about the inner workings of NIL or how each of Ohio State's collectives – The Foundation, Cohesion and The 1870 Society – interact and help student-athletes create partnerships with various businesses, but I can share this with confidence. The people behind The 1870 Society are experienced and have the best interest of Ohio State, its athletic programs and Buckeye fans in mind with every move they make.

You all know what Jason has accomplished in building Eleven Warriors into one of the internet's most prominent independent websites, let alone the most prominent Ohio State sports website with nearly 1 million readers each week and hundreds of thousands of followers on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Jason's expertise combines with that of Todd Markiewicz, a TV and radio executive with over three decades of experience; Drew Esler, a business person with incredible knowledge of data science and analytics; and Tyvis Powell, a former Ohio State captain and national champion turned Central Ohio media personality, as well as folks like Aidin Aghamiri and Mark Stetson.

But there is one caveat to the claim that The 1870 Society will flourish. They need you, Ohio State fan, to partner with them in their efforts.

If and when you donate, you will receive access to unique and exclusive content, including The Ryan Day Podcast, virtual film sessions with coaches and athletes, passes to football practices and on-field passes for games at the Shoe, depending on the level of your donation. All of that sounds pretty darn cool.

From Jason and the crew at The 1870 Society, thanks for taking the time to read this section and consider a contribution. Please also check out the collective's membership opportunities and follow the collective on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

 SONG OF THE DAY. “How You Remind Me” by Nickelback (This song is a banger. You can't tell me otherwise).

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