Ryan Day confirmed a suspicion about an Ohio State football player the Buckeyes have no choice but to get on the field more
The Ohio State Buckeyes are going to start playing a rising defender more, and it’s easy to see why after the game against the Texas Longhorns.
The Ohio State Buckeyes‘ 24-23 loss to the Texas Longhorns wasn’t the worst of outcomes, but how Ohio State lost made it hurt a whole lot more. The Buckeyes allowed 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter while the offense went stale and the defense couldn’t get a stop late.
Following a game like that, changes have to be made, whether it is how the team operates on the field or who is out there.
One rising sophomore defender is going to be playing a whole lot more for Ohio State, and he should be.
Texas native, linebacker Riley Pettijohn, went home to Texas and had a solid game against the Longhorns that showed he is ready to step in and play.
Pettijohn recorded three tackles and a sack while rotating in at linebacker for the Buckeyes. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound athletic linebacker is going to be playing more, and coach Ryan Day confirmed it on Tuesday.
Ryan Day confirms Riley Pettijohn’s expanded role
“Riley will continue to play more. The more he plays, the better he’s gonna be,” Day said.
Day also said, “He’s put himself in a situation where he’s a unique player who has an uncanny ability to slip blocks and make plays.”
That’s exactly what Ohio State is going to need from its linebacker unit, which looked a bit slow at times against Texas. Missed tackles were an issue as well. The Buckeyes allowed 336 total yards to the Longhorns, but it was 141 yards on the ground that stood out as something that simply can’t happen. Texas was 9-of-16 on third down, and that’s another worrisome number for an Ohio State defense that was strong last year in Matt Patricia’s first season as defensive coordinator.
Who loses snaps with Riley Pettijohn playing more?
It will be worth watching whose snaps Pettijohn eats into when he’s out there more for the Buckeyes. Whether it is Payton Pierce or Christian Alliegro, it is more than obvious that Pettijohn has to be on the field more for Ohio State’s defense, and Day confirmed that’s going to be happening.
The timing is good for the Buckeyes, who play Kent State on Saturday. Ohio State will get to rotate in plenty of players during that game. As Big Ten play starts next week, expect Pettijohn to be a player who is out there more for the Buckeyes going forward.
