COLUMBUS, Ohio — The focus of Ohio State football’s offense officially shifted from legs to arms in 2021. For the first time in the Ryan Day era, the Buckeyes offense passed more than it ran. C.J. Stroud and others averaged 38 pass attempts per game and 32.4 handoffs or scrambles. The previous two years, with more mobile quarterback Justin Fields under center, OSU still ran the ball over 60% of the time. Even in Dwayne Haskins’ record-setting, aerial attack season of 2018, rush attempts — barely — comprised the majority of the offense. What effect did 2021?s shift have on the final product? Buoyed by a final eruptive push in the Rose Bowl, Ohio State led the nation in total offense. While the 2022 offense may not boast two imminent first-round NFL Draft picks, it likely still has one in Jaxon Smith-Njigba. C.J. Stroud will again take aim at the…
Continue Reading: Ohio State football’s run-pass balance needs a tweak in 2022, but not in terms of volume
