Joel Klatt Reveals ‘Biggest Development’ for Ohio State This Season
The Ohio State Buckeyes breezed through their first two games of the 2024 college football season with ease, outscoring Akron and Western Michigan by a margin of 108-6.
Despite the high level of execution in Columbus, the poor quality of competition has caused Ryan Day's Buckeyes to drop one spot in the AP Top 25 after entering the season as nation's No. 2 team. The Texas Longhorns and Georgia Bulldogs currently sit atop Ohio State in the rankings before Week 4 action.
Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt believes the Buckeyes have shown improvement in one major area, even with the opposition's talent disparity, under first-year offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. The former Oregon and UCLA head coach made the move to Columbus this offseason to reunite with Day, his former quarterback during his tenure at New Hampshire.
"(Ohio State was) a little too reliant on the drop back pass," Klatt said on "The Joel Klatt Show." "Now you've got Chip Kelly, and what I think is the biggest development of the season for Ohio State is what he's doing in the run game."
Beyond landing transfer quarterback Will Howard out of Kansas State, the Buckeyes made a notable offensive improvement to the running back position by landing Ole Miss star Qunishon Judkins.
The pair of Judkins (7.4 yards per carry) and returning starter TreVeyon Henderson (7.3 yards per carry) have been a lethal one-two punch early in the season. The Buckeyes rushed for 170 yards against Akron and 273 yards against Western Michigan.
"Obviously the competition has not been great but it's signs of improvement," Klatt said.
Ohio State will take on Marshall this week before a trip to Michigan State in Week 5. It's unlikely that the Buckeyes' offense will truly be tested until welcoming Iowa to Columbus in Week 6. The Hawkeyes are currently allowing just 56 rushing yards per game, seventh-best in the nation.
Related: Paul Finebaum 'Convinced' There is Massive Quarterback Controversy for College Football Powerhouse Related: Rece Davis Names Best Destination for Lane Kiffin Between Ole Miss and FloridaThis story was originally published September 19, 2024, 5:11 PM.
