At a time when the biggest weekly stories in college football focus on unmet expectations and the millions of dollars being paid to fired coaches, something extraordinary is happening with very little fanfare.
While we obsess over the possibility of Lane Kiffin coaching three football teams at once and the jobs that will potentially still open in the weeks ahead, we’re missing a dominant football season, potentially historic greatness, happening in real time.
Ohio State wasn’t supposed to be this good. Not this soon. Not after losing both its offensive and defensive coordinators to high-profile posts. Not after losing its starting quarterback along with 13 other players to the NFL Draft, tying the record.
This was an exodus of talent along with an exorcism of negative emotion. A year ago, Ryan Day was approaching the worst day of his professional life—another loss to rival Michigan that prompted an avalanche of questions surrounding his future, the size of his buyout and the future of the Buckeyes.
You know, our kind of story.
Instead, fresh off a national title, a slew of new hires and a largely restructured roster, Day has gone from hot seat to one of the few dependable coaches across college football. And his work this season, despite dealing with so much change, has flown severely under the radar.
Excellence, in many regards, is boring. And while you can question Ohio State’s schedule—more on that in a moment—you can’t question the results.
New defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has been nothing short of magnificent. Currently, the Buckeyes are No. 1 in scoring defense, allowing 6.9 points—less than a touchdown—every game.
Ohio State has allowed 55 points all season. For reference, Texas A&M, the nation’s No. 3 ranked team according to the College Football Playoff selection committee, has allowed 40 points in two individual games this season.
On offense, the team’s starting quarterback, Julian Sayin, is now the favorite to win the Heisman. Before this year, Sayin had thrown a grand total of 12 passes in his collegiate lifetime.
As the season has progressed, the Buckeyes have opened up the playbook. New offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, along with Day, have surrounded Sayin with immense talent, particularly at wide receiver.
As the playbook has expanded, Sayin’s talent has really popped. He has scored 23 touchdowns and thrown just three interceptions. He’s also completed 80.7 percent of his throws—the only QB to eclipse the 80-percent mark.
Having two elite wideouts, Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith, doesn’t hurt, either. These are special talents that have an impact far beyond the damage they do to opposing secondaries.
Oh, and the offensive line, which has allowed just three sacks all season, second only to Cincinnati, is perhaps the best in the nation. Not too shabby.
Dive deep into any stat you choose, and chances are the numbers will showcase the Buckeyes as an elite team with elite potential. So, why don’t more people care?
Why do we take this kind of greatness for granted? Why, after so many months of clobbering Day for every misstep, are we incapable of giving the coach credit for all that he has done.
When you consider all of the variables—the many changes Day had to address in the immediate afterglow of the greatest moment of his life—it’s hard to put into words just how brilliant of a situation he has created.
The schedule, unquestionably, has played a part. Ohio State has wins over two teams that are currently ranked, Texas and Washington. It throttled Illinois, which was ranked No. 17 at the time.
Games against Wisconsin and Penn State that felt meaningful before the season began weren’t for obvious reasons. Ohio State played one of the most meaningful out-of-conference games all season, and it has dominated everyone since.
The Buckeyes will close with Purdue, UCLA, Rutgers and, of course, Michigan. Beating the Wolverines is still a must for Day, who still has one more demon to conquer.
From there, a potential matchup in the Big Ten Championship against Indiana could serve as a fascinating measuring stick for two teams barreling toward the playoff.
Time will indeed tell the story for the Buckeyes. Anything less than another championship will be a disappointment, which is perhaps a bit extreme but the reality for a program with these kinds of yearly expectations.
It is vital, however, that this kind of greatness, especially under such unique circumstances, not go without appreciation. We can accomplish this without crowning Ohio State before we need to—without overreacting to two-and-a-half months of football.
Right now, something spectacular is happening in Columbus, and it’s not getting nearly enough attention. The Buckeyes, seemingly bound for a rebuilding year before the games began, have taken on a new dominant form with a largely new cast of characters.
At present, the Buckeyes are merely No. 1 in the first of a series of playoff rankings. We have a long way to go. But looking exclusively at the finishing line and failing to soak up all that has and will continue to happen would be a disservice to the excellence in play.
We cannot let the offset language in a coach’s buyout consume our attention, nor can we spend our in-season hours obsessing over who LSU might hire next. While much of the football nation is searching for the right person to fix its program, Ohio State is making it look easy one dominant victory at a time.
