Greetings Warriors,

        I thought I'd share a few things that make me feel optimistic about next season and the general state of the program. I know the loss to Georgia really stung, but here are a few reminders of why there is a lot to look forward to:

1. The defense- listen, I know what many of you are thinking. "Knowles is an overpaid buffoon who blew it in the biggest games!" While I agree that the defensive performance against TTUN and Georgia were unacceptable, here are some things to keep in mind:

          -Knowles is in year 1. This is a different program with different competition and he had a HUGE mess to clean up. The losses stung and he knows that the defense HAS to get better. He's analytical, thoughtful, and a good coach. I've mentioned this before, but Jordan Hancock mentioned in an interview recently that the Sunday after the TTUN game, Knowles took the team out and re-enacted the 5 broken plays that cost OSU the game and showed the defense what was SUPPOSED to happen. This man is thorough and I believe he will get the job done. But he needs more time.

      -Most of the defensive issues were related to plays in the secondary and this is not unrelated to some huge recruiting misses (Clark Phillips, Terrance Brooks, Jordan Battle etc..). I'm not putting all of the blame on the players, and I want to make that clear. But the recruiting in the secondary of the 2019 and 2020 classes left a lot to be desired and that's not on Knowles (or Eliano or Walton). However, I expect the secondary to be a stronger unit as a result of the quality of some of the players brought in from the 2021, 2022 and incoming 2023 classes. Guy like JK Johnson and Jordan Hancock should take a big step in their third year, and then you got guys like Sonny Styles, Jyaire Brown, Ryan Turner and Kye Stokes in the '22 class. And despite the flip of Kayin Lee and not landing Caleb Downs, there are some studs in the incoming class of '23. I'm keeping a close eye on Calvin Simpson-Hunt, Jermaine Matthews and Malik Hartford in particular. I know true freshman rarely make a significant impact in the secondary but my point is that the recruiting is elevated. I also think the staff is willing to look at the portal, if needed, to fill any holes.

      -The defense is returning a lot of experience. In particular, I'm excited about the front 7. The D-line is loaded- a (hopefully) healthy group of Tyleik, Mike Hall, JTT, Jack Sawyer and others should really wreak havoc and feel comfortable in the scheme. Chambers returning helps a lot too and Knowles overseeing the LB's has been great in my opinion (anyone remember Billy Davis?). 

    -The defense improved a lot at stopping the run and that is essential. If the issues in the secondary get cleaned up, OSU should have... wait for it.. a complete defense. And that's what it needs to be special. 

2. The offense

Run game- There were times this season when it seemed like the team simply couldn't run the ball effectively. This has been discussed ad nauseam, but the Bucks were able to get yards on the ground against TTUN and even popped off some nice runs against Georgia (including Stroud... big smile). I don't recall many, if any, times against Georgia when our RB's were tackled behind the LOS. I know that OSU had to be pass-centric against Georgia (which worked by the way), but it was great to see Williams, Chip and Hayden all get some chances and the O-line hold their own against the SEC's best. This gives me a lot of optimism. I know it's early, but I like what Frye has done and I think he was a good hire. Injuries really impacted the RB room but the team will have Henderson, Pryor, Chip, Hayden and a couple of walk-ons for quality depth. Not sure if Williams will return but even if he doesn't, there should be enough depth. I love Henderson, but I'm really high on Hayden. I think he's going to be a major part of the offense next season. Certainly biting as a pup.

Pass game- Stinks to lose Stroud but Coach Day continues to attract and develop top-notch QB's. We don't know yet who will win the QB battle, but Brown or McCord will be under the tutelage of someone who oversaw Haskins, Fields and Stroud shredding teams through the air. The WR group will return the best WR in all of college football in MHJ and Egbuka, and Fleming return. And, of course, under Hartline the room is loaded with young talent. The constant under Day has been a great pass game and it turns out that this is an essential part of competing for a Natty. We couldn't have competed with Georgia without it.

3. Ryan Day-Again, I know what many of you are thinking: "The guy isn't from Ohio, he doesn't get it. He has let Harbaugh and the Skunk Weasels beat him twice in a row, including at home this past season. He doesn't lose to Purdue or Iowa but he can't win the big games."

Folks, Ryan Day is a great coach. I am as frustrated about these losses as anyone, but Day is an elite offensive mind who simply needs to be paired with an elite defensive mind. In nearly all of the games lost (Clemson 2019 can be debated), the common denominator is the defense not holding up against a really good offense. Day is not a defensive-minded coach, so he needs to delegate that. And he has. And he has shown a willingness to make swift changes when needed. 

I'm hearing now that Day may end up delegating play-calling duties and work more as the CEO. Assuming this to be true, this is good news. Again, this shows a willingness on Day's part to make changes if it is better for the team. If Day is able to carefully oversee the entire team and make sure that the right things are being emphasized, I think we will see positive change.

People also forget that Day hasn't been a HC very long. Think of the many HC's who didn't start out that great. I mean, do you think TTUN is happy or sad that they kept Harbaugh for as long as they did? Day is still learning and figuring things out, but he has a very high floor, doesn't create unnecessary drama, and is a genuinely good dude. We should be grateful for that. There is no guarantee that his replacement would be any better and there's a decent chance that they'd be worse for the program, in one way or another.

I'm not presenting these thoughts to create division or pick a fight, but I'd love to hear your collective thoughts and opinions. What makes you optimistic about next season (looks to be a tough schedule by the way)? Please be respectful and thoughtful when commenting. Thanks.