Joel Klatt sees a bit of Nick Saban in Ryan Day for the Ohio State Buckeyes this season and it makes sense why
The Ohio State Buckeyes have had little trouble through two games this season, with everything going according to plan. Ryan Day’s team sits at 2-0 after a hard-fought win over the Texas Longhorns and a 70-0 blowout of Grambling State. Against Grambling, the Buckeyes were firing on all cylinders — exactly what you’d expect against […]
The Ohio State Buckeyes have had little trouble through two games this season, with everything going according to plan. Ryan Day’s team sits at 2-0 after a hard-fought win over the Texas Longhorns and a 70-0 blowout of Grambling State. Against Grambling, the Buckeyes were firing on all cylinders — exactly what you’d expect against that level of opponent. Still, it’s not uncommon to see some early-season rust show up in these matchups, so it’s a positive sign that Ohio State played sharp from start to finish.
Joel Klatt impressed with the Buckeyes to start the season
“Now we look at teams like Ohio State and Oregon and Tennessee and Florida State. They went out and took care of business,” Klatt said recently on The Joel Klatt Show. “Ohio State scored 70 on Grambling. Julian Sayin was nearly perfect, and if Julian Sayin would have thrown 34 passes against Grambling, they would have scored 897,000 points because it was up and down the field. He looked great, he was on time, he was in rhythm. They were getting the ball to [Jeremiah] Smith, they were getting the ball to [Carnell] Tate, they were getting the ball to Bo Jackson at times.”
Sayin went 18-for-19 passing against Grambling, with his only incompletion being an interception. The sophomore threw for 306 yards and four touchdowns before sitting out the second half. Ohio State then rotated in its other quarterbacks, with Lincoln Kienholz and Tavien St. Clair also seeing action. Freshman running back Bo Jackson topped 100 rushing yards despite not entering the game until the third quarter, playing behind CJ Donaldson and James Peoples.
“I loved what I saw from Ryan Day late in that game when Bo Jackson does kind of a freshman move and reaches the ball out, playing a little undisciplined football — and [Day] let him know about it. I’m like, ‘That reminds me of Nick Saban,’ screaming at guys up 70-0.”
Jackson stretched for the goal line on the play, but the ball went out of bounds at the one-yard line. If it had instead fumbled through the end zone, Grambling would have taken over at the 20. With Ohio State comfortably ahead, the outcome didn’t matter, but Day still used the moment as a teaching opportunity for his young back.
Klatt has been high on the Buckeyes for years, and this season looks no different. The Saban comparison is an intriguing one — and a compliment — considering all the winning the former Alabama coach did. Day and the Buckeyes are aiming to build a dynasty of their own. After last year’s national championship run, they’re off to a strong start in defending their crown.
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