Ohio State

Wow. I did not see this coming. Speechless. Coach Tony Alford, Ohio State's RB coach, is leaving Ohio State after 9 years with the program. I don't think that it's the leaving part that is surprising OSU fans, it's the program he's going to, Michigan. Alford was already on a short leash after what feels like failure seasons from the RB room since J.K. Dobbins left. Alford was only on a one-year contract with OSU with a pay cut after this past season from a lack luster season from the RBs even though the room was pretty beat up last year. Ohio State was ranked 76th in the country last year with 140.2 YPG, this was while rushing 51.02% of the time. In 2021 the offense rushed for an average of 180.3 YPG and in 2022 it was 192.4 YPG so this past season is a serious fall off from the last couple seasons which weren't spectacular to begin with. Alford's RB room was also outrushed in all 3 games against Michigan the last 3 seasons. The winner of the rushing game during The Game usually wins. I do hate to solely blame the RB room for it's failures last season because the OL play was also atrocious, which did not help their cause at all, but it just felt like they could never get anything going. 

The thing that blows me away the most is the fact that this upcoming season was a prove it year for Alford and he was about to have the best RB duo he's ever had and probably would ever have and he dipped. I 100% believe you could throw anyone back there and have a better than average season with Judkins, Henderson, and Hayden in the backfield. I also find this move weird because you never see coaches leave OSU and go to Michigan, it's almost like an unwritten rule within the program. Not only did he leave for Michigan, it was announced that Alford may have already known he was taking the Michigan job a couple weeks ago but was in contract negotiations which just means he was hanging around the program for a couple weeks knowing what he was about to do. He also takes info with him about OSU's recruiting and who they are trying to pursue who may be an undervalued target. Someone like Chris Olave who no one really knew about coming out of High School but Ryan Day saw something in and turned into a star. 

I have not seen an official number on Alford's contract with Michigan but I have heard it's a multi-year deal and a pay raise from what he was earning at OSU last year with a base salary of $772,000. I guess the job security at Michigan meant more to Alford than the rivalry which on one hand I understand but on the other hand I feel like if you were a true Buckeye there is no way you could take that deal. I understand you have to do what's best for you and your family but why there? Oh well, we move on. With the upgrades that Day has made at certain coaching positions I have nothing but faith in Coach Day to fill the role with the best possible fit. I've heard a lot of former Buckeyes on the list of possible candidates so lets hope whoever gets it brings the fire.

Ryan Day has finally done it, he has promoted former Buckeye legend James Laurinaitis to Linebackers coach. After the firing of Perry Eliano and Parker Fleming this offseason it gave Ohio State an opening that needed to be filled. The number one hire that every Buckeye fan was saying was "PROMOTE LAURINAITIS" and everyone thought it would for sure happen soon, but it felt as if Day was dragging his feet and would possibly let Laurinaitis walk. It was announced the other day that Laurinaitis had interviewed for a position with the Cleveland Browns, which was never confirmed. This worried every Buckeye fan. With his ability to recruit and being a Buckeye himself this would have been a huge loss for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes. Then it was announced today that Laurinaitis was officially staying with the Buckeyes for the 2024 season as their official LB coach. Another great move by Ohio State to keep their amazing offseason going.

Not only was it announced that Laurinaitis was being promoted but a lot of other coaches got extensions today as well. It was announced that DL Coach Larry Johnson was receiving a 2-year extension, which had some Buckeye fans excited which is funny considering how they felt about LJ a couple of months ago when they thought he lost Eddrick Houston to Alabama. I do see this being his last couple of seasons when you look at the fact that Johnson is 72 years old. With all of the guys on the DL returning next year, aside from Michael Hall Jr., I do expect to see some improvement from last season. Last season felt underwhelming even though the DL played pretty well. The sack numbers were not there and it felt like they were rarely getting to the QB, which is the only thing I hope to see improvement on from this unit. Hopefully, LJ can get it done next year. 

Someone who deserved an extension after this season was Keenan Bailey, the relationship he has with these players and how highly they speak of him says a lot. In November it was announced that Bailey was possibly a finalist for the ECU Offensive Coordinator position, which worried me that he would possibly leave after the season. Ryan Day made sure that didn't happen and locked Bailey down for next season. After his first full season as a full-time assistant, Bailey elevated the Tight End production by helping Cade Stover break the school record for receiving yards by a TE with 576 yards. If we keep seeing production like this coming from the Tight Ends then I'd love to see Bailey stick around for the long run.

Another person who deserved an extension after their performance last season was Jim Knowles. After the incredible season the defense had last year it was an easy decision for Coach Day to extend DC Jim Knowles. The first season in 2022 left people questioning if Knowles was the guy for the job because the defense was the clear weakness and why OSU didn't win the National Championship in 2022. Knowles had a huge bounce-back season last year by having the #3 defense in the country behind only Michigan and Penn State. The unfortunate part for Coach Knowles was that the offense was the clear problem this year with their lack of scoring. If it wasn't for the defense last year Ohio State could have well ended the season at 9-3 or worse. I look forward to Coach Knowles coming back and having the #1 defense in the country next year and making it easy for the offense.

The last coach we have to talk about is Tim Walton who had the biggest promotion of anyone, Assistant Head Coach. This was a well-deserved promotion for Walton after the incredible performance from the secondary last season and his unreal off-season commitments. He not only landed Caleb Downs, the #1 player in the transfer portal from Alabama, but he also has already landed the #1 and #2 CBs in the 2025 class. Walton has put in some serious work this year and it has shown. Getting him on the recruiting trail with every single recruit OSU goes after could make a huge impact for future classes and I look forward to seeing what OG Walt can do in this new position.