Whether supporters like it or not, Bill O’Brien will be joining the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus as their new offensive coordinator.
The question now is: What changes will the offence undergo by 2024?
No matter how the shift is portrayed nationally, Buckeyes everywhere need to accept it. After losing to Michigan three times in a row during seasons that may have ended in victory, it is necessary.
Perhaps Ryan Day will end up on the unemployment rolls after another loss. How many coaches survive a four-game losing streak to the Maize and Blue while having four seasons with 10 or more wins and three College Football Playoff berths behind them?
After leading the New England Patriots offence to a league-low 13.9 points per game in 2023, O’Brien may be the subject of ridicule. However, his performance in college speaks for itself.
Going into what seems to be a must-win year, the Buckeyes needed to take risks. O’Brien has been a college and NFL coach for more than thirty years, so he pretty much checks all the boxes.
O’Brien played for Alabama, where the Crimson Tide’s offence finished in the top 10 for scoring, led by Bryce Young, the Heisman Trophy winner. In 2021, Alabama qualified for the postseason and defeated Cincinnati to get to the national championship game.
In six seasons, O’Brien led the Houston Texans to four AFC South division crowns. Under his leadership, Deshaun Watson developed into a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback, and the team placed in the top 15 in terms of total offence and touchdowns three times.
And if that weren’t enough, O’Brien served as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator and quarterback coach during some of the best statistical years in the Tom Brady era. Before accepting the position at Penn State, O’Brien assisted Brady and the offence in winning the Super Bowl in 2012 as the team’s primary play-caller.
Quarterbacks frequently rely on passing the sticks over deep downfield passes and completion percentage. For O’Brien’s idea, it all comes down to keeping the ball moving and out of the hands of the opposition; adopt a “next play” mentality.
Brady, Watson, and Young all prospered under the idea and won a ton of games as a result. Balanced but not overwhelming was the running assault, and receivers were finding ways to break through barriers and end up with 1,000-yard campaigns.
Indeed, O’Brien’s team included numerous players capable of scoring 1,000 yards. Does anyone recognize Jameson Williams, DeAndre Hopkins, or Randy Moss?
All had seasons where they broke records running O’Brien’s offence.
Eight offensive starters are returned for the Buckeyes, including offensive guard Donovan Jackson, running back TreyVeon Henderson, and receiver Emeka Egbuka. In their top-three class, they added Jeremiah Smith, the number one recruit, and they brought in Will Howard from Kansas State and Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss via the transfer portal.
The bottom line is that Day and Co. no longer have an excuse. Ohio State is aware of the additional pressure that comes with a glut of highly anticipated players choosing not to enter the draft in favour of waiting another season.
Ohio State seems to be “all in” every year, but that year must be 2024. It takes more than just two outstanding safeties and a talented player like Alabama’s Caleb Downs to go 11-2 and make an early exit in the 12-team college football playoffs.
Perhaps that won’t be the case with O’Brien.
He will be overseeing the offence, so be prepared. Day, on the other hand, will probably assume more of a CEO-type role in his day-to-day responsibilities, letting his coordinators take over the operation via a headset as he works more on long-term planning.
As O’Brien calls the plays, a professional style of play will be expected. That doesn’t mean O’Brien won’t add players, tempos, or various formations; it just means he plays close to the vest and has a distinct offensive style.
Remember that O’Brien was in New England, kayaking upstream with foam paddles? He also had a quarterback who was already one foot out the door and receivers with hands made of Styrofoam. Even if Bill’s marriage was successful in the past, it didn’t guarantee that it would work again.
It doesn’t follow that O’Brien’s time in New England will be similar to his time with the Buckeyes.
Columbus is a place where firearms exist. To put it mildly, it is endless. And while most quarterbacks in O’Brien’s system emerge from his system better off, say what you will about the Mac Jones experiment behind your back.
Will everything function as it should? Who is to say? But going into 2024, change was imperative. Day’s excuses are running out, and Ohio State supporters across the country are losing patience.
O’Brien may prove to be the cause of Day’s departure, or he may be the reason a team plays at the Woody Hayes Centre again the following autumn.
Here, there’s hardly a middle ground. Much like his offensive style has no middle ground,. Assemble the proper parts and observe how everything fits together.
He has the appropriate parts at his disposal. O’Brien has to arrange them correctly.
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