Ohio State 2021 Spring Game Offensive Observations
It's easy to over-react to a scrimmage several months before the season begins. But considering where we were 12 months ago and having no clue if the football season would be played, watching today's Spring Game was a major breath of fresh air.
Offensively, the Buckeyes made a few mistakes here and there, but were largely very impressive.
Let's start with the quarterbacks: Jack Miller, C.J. Stroud and Kyle McCord all had bright moments.
Miller finished 17-of-30 for 128 yards and he put some heat behind a couple of early throws. His only blemish was an interception thrown at the goal line on the first drive of the afternoon.
Stroud finished the day 16-of-22 for 185 yards and two touchdowns, including a great throw to Chris Olave on the run for a score in the second quarter.
McCord's first throw in Ohio Stadium was a 55-yard bomb down the middle on a post route, hauled in by Garrett Wilson. The true freshman was 12-for-17 for 184 yards and two scores.
Ryan Day and his staff sure appear to have three very capable quarterbacks to choose from, but I was very impressed from what I saw out of McCord today in particular. More on the QB battle along the way, as I'm sure that will be a hot topic of conversation all the way up to the start of the year.
The running backs were a big part of the passing game today, which was perhaps more noticeable than any individual runs since there was no tackling to the ground. But Marcus Crowley and TreVeyon Henderson stood out most to me - both with their physicality and their explosiveness. Henderson had six carries for 26 yards and five catches for 29 yards. Crowley ran it six times for 29 yards and caught three passes for 28 yards.
Meanwhile, the receiver room that Brian Hartline has established showed some unbelievable ability today. Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson both hauled in very long completions and they continue to lead the room. But Jaxson Smith-Njigba made a couple of fabulous plays, true freshman Emeka Egbuka caught seven passes for 123 yards and was virtually unstoppable, and Marvin Harrison Jr. flashed with seven grabs for 49 yards and a score.
The Buckeyes still have some work to do on the offensive line, but I thought Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere played like the veterans they are at the tackle spots today. Ohio State's defensive line got some pressure throughout the day, but they largely held up well. Only Jack Sawyer seemed to cause consistent stress - he finished the day with three sacks and looks the part as one of the top freshman in the country.
Jeremy Ruckert did a nice job at tight end, as did Joe Royer, who caught a late TD.
All in all, the Buckeyes capped off a great spring with a nice offensive showcase. While it will probably still be several months before we know who the starting quarterback will be, this group has an insane amount of talent on the offensive side of the ball and will be considered one of the premier offenses in college football again this fall.
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