2022 Fall Camp for the Ohio State Buckeyes began yesterday and it marks the official start of the season. However, before you get too excited, it’s just the first day. As Head Coach Ryan Day put it: “It’s just the beginning of a long journey. It’s the first step in a long, long journey,” But as opening night looms ever closer, excitement is mounting.
Here are 3 early takeaways from the first day of camp.
Fall Camp At Ohio State Is A Machine That Produces A Winner
The Buckeyes are an established program for a reason. They know how to prepare, and this year is no exception. In his post camp press conference, Coach Day made several remarks that give us a peak behind the curtain if you will. And it shows a world class organization at work.
He was asked about the benefit of having the offense and defense going against each other to practice all that can be thrown at them so there’s “no big surprise”. And part of his response was that yeah, that is a benefit, but “there’s a balance there and that balance is important” regarding working on certain plays and working on fundamentals. Fundamentals are just as important as being ready for a particular team’s playbook. And the balance that he spoke of is crucial to success, especially against the top tier teams.
Coach Day also mentioned that they have people on staff whose job it is to watch film and give honest opinions on the film. And they are kept separate from the team in order to do so. This is hugely beneficial in making adjustments without any preconceived notions influencing one’s decision. The value of insight gained from objective observers is difficult to measure. But it is a clearly well thought out way to consistently improve. Very smart indeed.
On a side note, defensive line prospect Jalen Thompson, who attended camp in June, gave a little insight into his experience inside camp at Ohio State. He said “…the thing that really stood out was the hard work they put in and the way everyone works together as one unit.” That is an encouraging look into Coach Day’s program. One really gets a feel for the standard of excellence that is the norm in Columbus.
There Is Depth On D-Line But The Starters Are Not Set
When asked about the defense line, Coach Day made an observation. On one hand he stated “well, I think the whole defensive line unit has great talent. And they have good depth.”. But he also made it known that the difference will be who proves themselves. As he put it, they need to find out “who are we going to be able to count on to go make those plays”. The coaching staff are not just looking for talent, but competitiveness and drive. The Buckeyes need players that are going to be difference makers. And it will become more clear who they are as the next few weeks progress.
One interesting comment regarding the defense mentioned highly touted linebacker C.J. Hicks. When Hicks reported to the Ohio State fall camp Coach Day said that the freshman didn’t look like a freshman. “It almost looks like he’s one of the guys that’s been around for a while,” he said. This is good to hear as it sounds like physically Hicks is ready for the season. But don’t expect him to make as impact early. New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ defensive scheme is complex. And for a freshman who is just starting his college career Hicks has a lot to take in as it is. But he could be a welcome “surprise” in the middle of the season when the defensive scheme clicks for him.
It Should Be A Better Start To The Season In 2020
When asked to compare the start of this year to last year Coach Day made a distinction. Last season, coming off of a Covid affected year where they were not able to play the young players as much, was “concerning”. They were rightly concerned that there would be a slow start with some hiccups in the road. And as we all know now they were right. Quarterback C.J. Stroud personified this as he struggled early on, only to finish so strong that he became a Heisman finalist. Not to mention the front-runner going into this season.
This year is different. They were able to play the younger players a lot last season, giving them invaluable experience. This year the coaching staff know a lot more about what they have in the players as well. Although Coach Day said that “it doesn’t mean anything”, it’s clear that he meant it doesn’t guarantee success. Obviously this does help them to be better prepared to come out of the gate firing on all cylinders.
But he is right. There are no guarantees of course. However, a better feel about the team early in camp is definitely good news when a strong start is critical. Especially against Notre Dame.
September 3 can’t get here soon enough.
