The creative evolution of each major musical act in human history is unique.
It took several years and multiple iterations of members before Gang Starr could so much as produce more than the occasional single in the hip-hop sphere. The talented Guru, a Boston native living in New York City, was the last man standing under the name until he heard a demo tape from a producer then-known as Waxmaster C. Soon, the producer had changed his name to DJ Premier, and the duo released a full album with a handful of hits, 1989’s No More Mr. Nice Guy.
But still, it took a few years for the duo to find their full chemistry and release their masterpiece. In 1991, the marriage of DJ Premier’s jazz-influenced production with Guru’s lyrical prowess and technical, controlled flows produced what is known as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, Step in the Arena. One of the greatest exhibitions of how skilled both men were came on the album’s seventh track, “Check the Technique.”
Ryan Day feels Ohio State’s running game, specifically its run blocking, could use another look entering the Buckeyes’ second bye week. The hope is, like Gang Starr, the ground attack’s first act will merely lead to a more iconic second half of the season – because, while the Buckeyes are actively the No. 1 team in college football for their defense and passing game, there will come a time when they need to run the football.
“There was some breakdowns in terms of technique in the (Wisconsin) game,” Day said on Tuesday. “I don't really get into pointing fingers, but we've got to be more consistent in terms of identifying who we're going to and using technique to block them. There were some really good runs in the game. But then there was a stretch there in the third quarter where it was like four runs that went for nothing. And a couple of them we didn't identify right, but for the most part, it was technique. And we abandoned our technique. That's really what it came down to.”
There are tons of things to praise about Ohio State entering its final off week of the regular season. This is not to sow doom and gloom about a team that’s already proven capable of repeating as national champions. But the issues are the issues, the season is a constant grind of improvement, and the run game is easily the most glaring patchwork needed.
Through seven contests, the Buckeyes sit at 51st in the country for yards per carry at 4.6. The pass-heavy attack demonstrated at Wisconsin and elsewhere by Day’s squad makes rushing totals somewhat less relevant, but still, Ohio State is 71st in rushing yards per game at 151.7.
Their bout with the Badgers marked the second straight game where the Buckeyes fell short of 4 yards per carry. Even subtracting two quarterback kneeldowns that count in the official record book, Ohio State finished with 100 rushing yards on 26 carries, or 3.8 per attempt. Negative runs were a primary issue. Seven of Ohio State’s rushing attempts went for zero or negative yardage. Drop those, and the Buckeyes actually had some good chunk gains against the Badgers, averaging 5.6 yards on their other 19 carries.
It’s just that consistency is needed.
“Those are all things that put stress on defenses, and we'll put the game plan together each week based on what the opponent does well, what we do well, and then kind of go from there,” Day said. “But the big question is, do you have the ability to do all of the things you want to do? Obviously running and passing are the top two, so gotta be able to do both.”
Day didn’t see many glaring issues with Ohio State’s rushers themselves against Wisconsin. For only averaging 3.8 yards on actual rushing attempts, the Buckeyes averaged 2.9 yards after contact per rush, per Pro Football Focus. 76 of their 100 total rushing yards came after contact.
“I don't think that there was an issue in terms of the running backs not reading the right hole,” Day said. “I think we always want to see the running backs make 4 yards for the team and then make some guys miss down the road and run physical and through contact. Some of that did happen in the game when we watched the film.”
That said, there are still areas to evaluate in the Buckeyes’ backfield. Freshman Bo Jackson has clearly established himself as the No. 1 running back in the rotation, though an ankle injury limited him against Illinois in Week 7 and Wisconsin in Week 8. West Virginia transfer CJ Donaldson had seemed to solidify himself as the No. 2 back and short-yardage specialist for Ohio State, with sophomore James Peoples working in, but freshman Isaiah West has begun to gain steam.
In just 21 carries, West has forced six missed tackles this season, again per PFF. That’s already second on the team behind Jackson in by far the fewest opportunities among the four ballcarriers. He was easily the most efficient against the Badgers, with nine carries for 55 yards (6.1 yards per carry). His yards after contact per carry were also easily the highest, at 3.8. He forced more missed tackles against Wisconsin in nine carries (three) than Donaldson has forced all season in 60 carries (two).
That said, Day is still not decided on a hierarchy for his backfield, and said it may depend on who has the hot hand. He was impressed with West in this last game, though.
“I think most of the guys are so young that I still don't think we're there yet,” Day said. “I still think that each game they play, they're learning more and more. They’re watching themselves on film. They're growing, and so they still got to continue to get better. There's just a lot to be learned about all of them. And when you watch them play in the games, you get more and more feedback. So it's their job to take the feedback from the coaches and try to get better. But I've said before we're going to need them all. I think they all bring different things to the table.”
Ryan Day was impressed with Isaiah Wests performance in Ohio States win over Wisconsin. The freshman had a team-high 55 rushing yards on nine carries.
— Josh Poloha (@JorshP) October 19, 2025
Hit (the holes) good (on his two runs for seven and 14 yards), Day said. There were two guys in the hole that he made miss. pic.twitter.com/fi9UbZfkPD
The more concrete personnel question to answer is at right guard. Tegra Tshabola continues to struggle intermittently, as discussed in more detail here. Joshua Padilla played 26 snaps in his place vs. Wisconsin. Right tackle Phillip Daniels is still having some growing pains, too, though the right side wasn’t solely responsible for the lapses on the ground.
“(We’re going to) give the guys the feedback on this game, but also on the first half of the season, the things they've done well, the things they need to improve on,” Day said. “And everybody's going to get that type of feedback, including Tegra. And we need to improve in those areas that everybody has to work on. But we're going to evaluate everything and make sure we're doing what's right by the team.”
Ohio State might have the defense and passing game to carry it to a national championship if the running game stays stagnant. But if the Buckeyes check their technique and coalesce on the ground, it will make them all the more unstoppable.
“What we can’t have is have (defenders) running free in the backfield,” Day said. “And we had that a couple of times in the game. And that wasn't just one guy. But the guys will get the feedback on their grades and figure out where they need to get better, and get the feedback today. But to me, it was more of a technique issue. And maybe it was a lack of focus in that moment. But either way, it's unacceptable.”
