Our Juiced Ball Era

The importance of chucking the ball to the offensive strategy has varied by the era. Consider Les Horvath, whose name and number are permanently displayed in C-Deck above the north end zone. Les passed for 344 yards in 1944. Like, in all of 1944.

That's 41 fewer yards than Justin Fields threw for on New Year's night. Fields turned in a throwback performance at Clemson's expense that clocks in at No.8 among the all-time Ohio State marks for passing yards in a single game.

It was an historic performance, which suggests that level of production through the air is rare - and over 131 years of football, it is. But over the past four seasons it's become quite common.

J.T. Barrett confidently throwing downfield in 2017.

The offense being deployed in Columbus looks a lot different in 2021 than it did in 1944, but it also barely resembles the type of football we saw even a decade ago. That was when Jim Bollman's offense participated in a game where it only completed one pass. Even Horvath would have laughed.

That pass went for a touchdown and the Buckeyes still won, but still - that game was broadcast in HD and no charges were filed. Ten years later, Fields' 385-yard effort is the eighth-best ever. Had an Ohio State QB done in 2011 what Fields did in the Sugar Bowl, it would have been second best.

You have to see Ohio State' six primary passing records in this context to appreciate the mockery Ryan Day's QBs have made of them in just four* seasons (three full, one shortened).

Yeah yeah yeah you didn't like his throwing motion, or how slow he looked dusting Jabrill Peppers year after year, or whatever other bad reasons you had - but JTBIV has nearly 2,000 passing yards on everyone else who has ever taken snaps at Ohio State.

And his most prolific season through the air was Day's first. The impact he had on Ohio State's veteran QB - after replacing two coaches who were essentially fired on the tarmac leaving Phoenix- was immediate and swift. And also, lasting:

J.T. Barrett: reunited with Ryan Days children. pic.twitter.com/OtFI1N1Qrw

— Colin Hass-Hill (@chasshill) October 13, 2018

Dwayne Haskins checks in at 11th, but he won't be on this list very long so let's appreciate the fact that he's on it at all with just one season starting, at Joe Burrow's expense.

Haskins would still be in the top ten had the campaign to have a 2020 season failed, or if Ohio State hadn't had so much success in that abbreviated frame. Both of those efforts were led by Fields.

Day's second year produced another unafraid quarterback who could make precision back-shoulder throws into the boundary.

Haskins and his one full season starting were bumped to No.11 by Fields and his 1.6 seasons. Day's QBs are making records in record time. If you refuse to believe that, take a look at what's happening these days on any given Saturday.

Day's QBs own seven of the top ten performances. It's like they're playing a different sport now. There was a time not so long ago when 300-yard passing games were unicorns in Columbus. We made a big deal about them.

Fields had six other 300-yard performances that didn't make this list. You barely have to scroll down from the top ten of all time to find the current era occupying a lot of that space.

Three of the most prolific passing seasons in Ohio State football history have happened since Day arrived in 2017. The pandemic was the only thing keeping Justin Fields (2,100 passing yards in just eight games) from knocking No.10 out of the top ten.

He was tracking to knock himself out of 3rd place. Instead, it took him only eight games to land in the top 20.

Greg Frey and Art Schlichter aren't going to be in the top ten by the end of the decade and probably much sooner, which will be dominated by Day QBs, Heisman winners and the peak of the John Cooper era.

Elite quarterbacks like Justin Fields can make every throw, and under Day - they've been allowed to make them.

Ohio State's single-season passing touchdown record was broken four times over the past decade and Day's quarterbacks were responsible for three of them.

The other QB mentors in Ohio State's top 6: Tom Herman, Joe Daniels, Walt Harris - quite easily the four best QB coaches the Buckeyes have had over the past 50 years.

Fields was trending to finish with 36 touchdowns in a full 2020 season, between Barrett's only season with Day and his own first season in Columbus. If you're wondering why Ohio State is choosing whichever QB recruits it wants these days, you're thinking too hard.

Shout out to the late John Borton, who held the all-time record by himself for 43 years and then shared it with Bobby Hoying until 2013. Eight quarterbacks coached by Day have tied or broken it since his arrival in 2017.

Day is entering his fifth year in Columbus and only his third non-abbreviated season as head coach. He's just 42 and his pipeline of quarterbacks only appears to be getting stronger. It's not a stretch to suggest that something on these historic lists will shift every single year as long as he's coaching the Buckeyes.

If you're a high school QB and you like to chuck the ball around, very few schools - if any - can match what the program best known for three yards and a cloud of dust is producing these days.