We’re even now for what Taylor Decker did to Jaylon Smith. No more tomfoolery from either team this season.
Jaylon Smith should’ve sat out that game and gone top 5 in the draft, that ND team was wrecked by injuries and wasn’t going to win that game under any scenario
Day held a press conference today. We have starters named everywhere except QB, S, and K. QB Kyle McCord RS Soph or Devin Brown RS Fr RB TreVeyon Henderson Jr and Miyan Williams Jr WR Marvin Harrison Jr WR Emeka Egbuka Jr WR Julian Fleming Sr TE Cade Stover Sr LT Josh Simmons RS Soph (new) LG Donovan Jackson Jr C Carson Hinzman RS Fr (new) RG Matt Jones Sr RT Josh Fryar RS Jr (new) DE JT Tuimoloau Jr DT Ty Hamilton RS Jr DT Mike Hall Jr (new) DE Jack Sawyer Jr (new) LB Tommy Eichenberg Sr LB Steele Chambers Sr CB Denzel Burke Jr S Lathan Ransom Sr S Sonny Styles Soph (new) S Ja’Had Carter Jr or Cam Martinez RS Jr CB Davison Igbinosun Soph (new) P Mirco Soph K Lewis or Fielding
Guards are a bit of surprise as everyone predicted the twos to be the starters, everything else is as expected The post camp buzz is that ND’s WR’s and DE’s underwhelmed but ND’s DT’s and RB’s exceeded expectations. The counter to that is ND is loaded at OT and CB, with arguments to be made they have the best units in the country at those positions which would make the DEs and WRs look bad in camp. ND is expected to again be run first, strong special teams, and the defense should be top 15ish
all three WR, QB, both guards, both DE’s, both safeties, nickel, kicker, punter (technically TE but they have plenty of experience) 6 of the 13 are graduate transfers were they started elsewhere. ND did sneaky well with the portal
Offensive line or overall? For the OL:Coogan and Spindler For the team overall: QB - Hartman WR - Tyree(was a third string rb, converted to slot wr) WR - Merriweather (showed flashes last year but as soon as he got on the field got a concussion and was out the rest of the year) TE - Evans (replacing Mayer, unenviable task) DE - Bothelo, Javonte Jean-Baptiste (might be familiar with him) DT - Mills (could be wrong on this but I think he was a backup, he played a lot last year though and for the past few years has been the 'this guy is really impressing in camp and then is mediocre during the season' dude)
JBB played a lot of snaps for us the last three years, always in the two deep, but he got passed by Tuimoloau and Sawyer. Hopefully, he’s solid for you, just not in this one.
I hope he murders whichever QB you guys end up starting tbch but I just assume this game will go like every ND-OSU game I've seen in my lifetime *Sandbag placed*
We’re starting two new OTs, so the DE matchup is a concern. Our new LT is a transfer from SD State. Im comfortable with the OL situation, but we’re fucked if one of the tackles goes down.
Seems rather cordial to me ND exploits our weaknesses and they can win but we’re favored by like 10 due to top end talent JBB sucks, if he has a good game then big schedule gonna be rough. You have good DBs but please, nobody in college can guard Marvin and EE. Bless up
I'd be more worried about this game if Kelly were still the HC, I just don't think Freeman is great at anything other than being cool. If we don't play better than we did last year, we could lose because ND has decent talent and they're going to treat it like the Super Bowl.
We had a disaster of injuries last year. Based upon the very scientific law of averages, this means we’re good in 2023. We went down two of our three starting WRs against ND last year, Fleming missed the game and JSN left it. We played Michigan with a guy who was playing LB in September as our leading rusher and a walk on WR playing RB as our No. 2.
We have a SDE that after a few years really emerged as being very good at setting the edge in the run game. Problem is, he's not a very good pass rusher. Word on JBB is that he's showing the opposite. For a SDE, he's showing real promise as a pass rusher but gets pushed around in the run game. It would be great if we had a strongside guy with some versatility, but at least qe have guys who are situatuinally capable. So in that regard, JBB was a good add. He'll play. He'll contribute. He juat won't be an every down guy. I'm not sure where he lined up at OSU, but in this defense the vyper/WDE/Edge, whatever you want to call it, wasn't an option for him physically.
I think our WRs are going to shock a lot of teams this year. Far, far from the level of someone like Ohio State or Bama. But compared to the schlubs we’re been throwing out there the last few years, it will be the best WR room we’ve had since 2015. Having a QB that can actually throw the ball more than 20 yards downfield may also contribute to that.
Oh yeah? We started Drew Pyne against 9 teams last year. Drew. Pyne. Too bad we couldn't have temporarily traded a backup RB for one of your backup QBs last season. He wasn't the type to break loose in Rees' duo-fueled power run game, but I'll bet Ryan Day would have had fun getting the ball to Chris Tyree, and I'll bet any of your backup QBs were tall enough to have seen over a Gatorade jug sitting on the bench. Would have a fair trade.
For the record, our 2 starting QBs from last year are currently 4th on the depth chart at Bama and 3rd on the depth chart at Arizona State Our passing game will be improved. The question becomes how much
Our defense has been the Achilles Heel of Ohio State since 2020. We have been fine against bad teams, but we have been lit up by anyone playing competent offense. Last year, it was catastrophic big plays. Michigan scored 5 TDs on plays of 45+ yards, 4 over 65+ yards. We had an 11 point lead with 8:30 in the 4th Q against Georgia and let them hit a 76 yard TD.
I honestly think your defense will improve. I think Day made a great hire, but that type of overhaul takes a couple years. Not just from the standpoint of personnel, but in development enough knowledge of the system throughout the roster that you have enough guys who can run it instinctuallly. I think last year you immediately saw improved fundamentals and effort, especially in the front 7. DB wasn't as great, but the transition to that type of a defense is tougher on that unit, especially because it requires more talented and experienced depth on the back end, which you just don't build overnight. Even with the portal. I'll say this, if he's around and has things humming, you'll be glad to have Knowles and his system when USC and UCLA start showing up on the schedule. Hell, same applies for what Fickell plans to do with the offense at Wisconsin.
We have between 6-8 guys on defense who could be drafted in 2024. There is too much talent to be as bad as they have been.
There is no doubt that if this game were based off of looks of the head corch and star QB, ND would be a -41.5 favorite
it’s almost as stark as the difference between the beautiful honkey Adonis we have under center and whatever the fuck this is