What Could Happen Next After Offensive Failures in Cotton Bowl

Real Pod Wednesdays

Ohio State’s offensive performance in the Cotton Bowl was unlike any we had seen since Ryan Day came to Columbus.

The Buckeyes’ three points and 203 yards of offense against Missouri were both by far the worst totals put up by an Ohio State offense in any game since OSU’s 2016 College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Clemson. That game, in which the Buckeyes failed to score any points, led to an offensive staff shakeup that initially brought Day to Ohio State as the Buckeyes’ co-offensive coordinator.

Having now completed his fifth year as Ohio State’s head coach with back-to-back losses to end the year, Day must seriously consider making offensive staff changes of his own after a significant dropoff in offensive performance throughout the 2023 season, especially in Ohio State’s 14-3 season-ending loss.

Ohio State’s biggest failures in the Cotton Bowl came on the offensive line, which had the worst performance we’ve ever seen from a Buckeye offensive line in our time covering the team. That was a significant factor in the struggles of Ohio State’s quarterbacks, but those struggles could nevertheless lead to a transfer quarterback addition. And it’s probably time for Day to give up offensive play-calling duties after an ineffective game plan in Dallas.

We dive into all of that and evaluate how hot Day’s seat could be in 2024 before giving our overall grades for the 2023 season, identifying the year’s biggest surprises and disappointments and making our picks for next week’s national championship game in our first Real Pod Wednesdays of 2024.

• 0:36: Ohio State’s offensive performance was U-G-L-Y, starting with its offensive line play
• 7:19: We don’t expect Justin Frye to be fired now, but he has a lot to prove in 2024
• 11:00: Josh Fryar should be playing guard, not tackle
• 13:20: Lincoln Kienholz didn’t look bad when he had time to throw, but that rarely happened
• 14:18: Devin Brown’s injury prevented us from a real evaluation of OSU’s quarterback situation
• 16:06: Will Howard can add experience at QB, but would he be an upgrade over Kyle McCord?
• 24:18: It would be tough for Ryan Day to bank his future on unproven QB in make-or-break year
• 27:33: It’s time for Day to embrace the CEO role and hire someone else to call offensive plays
• 36:55: Day’s seat is getting warmer, especially with a new athletic director coming later this year
• 39:39: Beating Michigan, making the 12-team CFP should be minimum expectations for 2024
• 47:03: Ohio State’s defense bears no blame for loss, but special teams remained a problem
• 47:36: Promoting James Laurinaitis to linebackers coach, replacing Parker Fleming is an obvious move
• 52:24: Our overall grades for Ohio State’s 2023 season
• 57:55: Our biggest positive surprises and biggest disappointments for Ohio State this season
• 1:04:01: Will Kacmarek isn’t a flashy addition, but he could be a big asset at tight end
• 1:06:45: Departures of Noah Rogers, Bryson Rodgers speak to new roster-building challenges
• 1:11:49: Why we‘re picking Michigan to win the national championship game