On Saturday, the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0) beat the Purdue Boilermakers (2-8) by a final score of 34-10, but that was clearly not the main focus on the OSU sideline. Head coach Ryan Day had specific goals he wanted to accomplish on both sides of the ball, whether it was against Purdue, Penn State, UCLA, or even his own practice squad.
As my colleague Gene Ross noted on social media during the game, the Buckeyes were essentially using the game as a live scrimmage to work on their running game and to get reps for players on both offense and defense.
Every game week, the Ohio State football program releases a trailer for the upcoming game. This week’s trailer was titled “It’s About Us.” This phrase is one that Day has used for quite some time to remind his players—and by extension, their fans—that the focus should always be on improving as individuals and as a team. It’s about addressing personal and collective areas for growth rather than worrying about what the opponent is doing.
This mantra serves as a reminder that if Ohio State plays its best football, no team in the sport can beat them. While that might sound like a generic motivational slogan you could put on a sign in the team meeting room, Day has consistently shown that when he emphasizes such messages both internally and publicly, they carry significant weight.
We know that the OSU defense is the best in the country, as is the passing game, but the rushing attack has been somewhat underwhelming to this point. It was clear that Day, offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, and run game coordinator Tyler Bowen had a plan for what they wanted to accomplish on Saturday.
The offensive line has struggled with injuries over the past week. Joshua Padilla and Phillip Daniels did not play, and Ian Moore started at right tackle. Wide receiver Carnell Tate also sat out due to some pregame tightness.
Throughout the game, the Buckeyes ran or screened to the right side of the field at every opportunity. Unfortunately, it didn’t always work. In fact, this might have been the worst performance by the right side of the line all season. Every yard gained by the Buckeye running backs seemed to come despite, not because of, their blocking.
The line gave up its fourth and fifth sacks of the season, and starting right guard Tegra Tshabola looked overwhelmed at times. Despite the struggles, the Buckeye running backs combined for 166 yards on 33 carries—a solid 5.03 yards per carry.
On offense, quarterback Julian Sayin continued his strong play, completing 27 of 33 passes for 303 yards, one touchdown, and one surprising interception.
Despite the difficulties on the right side of the offensive line, OSU continued to plug away. The coaching staff gained valuable reps and film to analyze, helping them assess what their players can realistically perform in game situations.
Ohio State didn’t score in either the first or third quarters but stuck to its game plan and distributed touches to 15 different players. It wasn’t always pretty, but it was a win, and Day and his staff accomplished what they set out to do from a progress standpoint.
In the 12-team College Football Playoff era, style points don’t matter—especially for a team like Ohio State. Day is focused on getting his team into midseason form when the games truly matter, beginning with Saturday, Nov. 29, when the Buckeyes head to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan in the regular-season finale.
Day admitted on his radio show earlier in the week that he wasn’t trying to get the most out of his team just yet. Speaking with Paul Keels, he said the Buckeyes would “turn up the gas” when the time was right. Clearly, the game against Purdue was not that time.
In a way, it feels like OSU is sandbagging. They are playing the slowest offense in the country, and it’s clear there is plenty of untapped potential. But as I wrote earlier this week, the Buckeyes don’t care about that right now. They are focused on themselves, not their opponents.
According to cleveland.com’s Stephen Means, Ohio State used eight offensive linemen, five tight ends, five wide receivers, four running backs, and two quarterbacks in the first half alone—not even counting the second- and third-string players who entered during garbage time.
That’s the approach you take when you still have things to figure out as the postseason approaches.
So, while there might be some disappointment, annoyance, and consternation among Buckeye Nation following a game that was less thrilling and dominant than many expected, it was exactly what the coaching staff wanted all along.
Well, strike that—I’m confident that Day would have preferred his offensive line to play better and to see fewer penalties and blown assignments on both sides of the ball. But when it comes to checking off items on the coaching checklist, this game was a success—even if it meant “playing with their food.”
https://www.landgrantholyland.com/ohio-state-football/106303/ohio-state-shows-its-about-us-is-more-than-a-cliche-in-34-10-win-over-purdue
