The B1G 10: Is Ohio State’s QB competition going to extend into the season?

1. The B1G Story

The longer this thing drags on at Ohio State, the more clear the answer becomes.

The more likelihood that Devin Brown will be the Ohio State quarterback — or that both Brown and Kyle McCord could extend the competition into the first 2 games of the season.

You know, like You Know Who did last season with Cade McNamara and JJ McCarthy.

“You’d like a significant gap to name a starter,” said Ohio State coach Ryan Day.

Or maybe just follow the Michigan Plan.

Frankly, we should’ve seen this coming. McCord, CJ Stroud’s backup the last 2 seasons and the projected starter, didn’t win the job in spring practice — despite Brown missing time with a fractured pinky finger on his throwing hand.

Everything was set up for McCord, a former 5-star recruit, to win the job. He had the experience; he started a game in 2021 when Stroud was injured, and played well in an rout of Akron.

Day even said before the beginning of spring practice that he’d prefer to name a starter after spring practice and allow him to lead and build chemistry throughout the summer — like every Day quarterback at Ohio State. There couldn’t have been a more primed situation for McCord’s ascension.

Only he didn’t play well enough in spring practice to seize the opportunity. It’s not that McCord played poorly, but he left Day with enough apprehension to extend the competition into fall camp.

Brown got healthy in the past 3 months, added weight and got physically stronger, and has thrown the ball well — and has now forced the competition to move into Week 3 of fall camp. Just how close is the race?

Day — who has never played 2 quarterbacks at Ohio State — admitted Monday that he could play 2 quarterbacks this season until 1 shows he can consistently play at a winning level.

“If someone doesn’t emerge.” Day said, “you have to come up with a plan.”

Why not the Michigan Plan?

2. The need for separation

Ohio State is loaded on offense. The Buckeyes go 6-deep at wide receiver, and 4-deep at running back with an offensive line that, on talent alone, could be among the best Day has had.

The defense boasts a handful of potential 1st-round picks, and a motivated coordinator (Jim Knowles) who wants another shot at Michigan and beyond in the Playoff. Everything sets up for a magical season.

Heck, even Day has said this could be his best team — and the 2021 team was a missed 50-yard field goal from beating Georgia in the Playoff semifinal and eventually winning it all.

But quarterback — the 1 position that has never let Ohio State down in Day’s time as offensive coordinator under urban Meyer and as head coach — is the only missing piece. It could be as simple as run the ball, play elite defense and ask your quarterback to manage the game.

There have been multiple national titles won with that very formula, from the early Nick Saban years at Alabama to the last time Ohio State won the national title in 2014. A backup quarterback, an elite run game and defense — and the next thing you know, Ezekiel Elliott is streaking through the Alabama secondary in the Playoff semifinal, and No.4 Ohio State is on its way to winning the 1st Playoff.

That’s obviously not the preferred course. Day’s offense is at its best when it puts defenses in conflict with its ability to run for 200-plus yards and throw for 300.

This leads us to the Michigan Plan.

Day says he wants 1 quarterback, but it’s not out of the question that 3 gimme putts to begin the season — at Indiana, Youngstown State, WKU — could help decide who starts when Ohio State travels to South Bend, Ind., on Sept. 23 to play Notre Dame.

Michigan used money games in 2022 against Colorado State and Hawaii to determine a quarterback competition between McNamara and McCarthy. One working theory on that competition is that Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh knew McCarthy was the better quarterback, but needed McNamara and the Michigan fan base to see it, too — in real time.

There’s nothing wrong with throwing on the silk jerseys and rolling out in front of 100,000 at Ohio Stadium and letting the final stages of the competition play out against a couple of overmatched teams.

The winner of the competition then gets the start against WKU as a final tune-up heading into the Notre Dame game.

Simple, right?

3. The QB decision, The Epilogue

Day called last weekend’s scrimmage “defining” in terms of numerous position battles — not the least of which was the most important position on the field.

After more than 100 snaps in the scrimmage, he was left answering questions about the frustration level created by Ohio State’s stalled quarterback competition.

“It’s hard to name somebody when there isn’t a significant gap,” Day said. “So, looking for someone to emerge.”

The easy answer to the dilemma is no matter who plays quarterback, the track record of the guy coaching them (Day) translates to a huge season.

JT Barrett. Dwayne Haskins. Justin Fields. CJ Stroud.

That’s 1 quarterback who broke numerous Ohio State passing records (Barrett), and 3 straight NFL 1st-round draft picks. Penciling in 35-40 TDs and 3,500-4,000 yards is as easy as finding a sousaphone player to dot the i.

It’s not who’s available, it’s who’s the best of an elite group. Only this time, there’s no clear elite talent.

Part of that can be traced to Quinn Ewers’ decision to leave Ohio State after the 2021 season and transfer to Texas. If Ewers were still in town, it would be plug and play with no questions asked — like every other Ohio State quarterback decision (including Haskins over Joe Burrow).

Even though Day says he’s not frustrated about McCord’s inability to pull away from Brown, there has to be some concern that a player who spent 2 seasons as the backup quarterback and was a play away from running the team, hasn’t seized control of the starting job over the past 8 months.

Especially considering Brown is a redshirt freshman who missed time this spring with a fractured finger. In a perfect world, McCord would’ve been the better of the 2, and the injury to Brown would’ve closed the competition.

The job would then have been given to McCord in the spring, and the process of playing the position — on and off the field — could’ve begun in April.

But here we are, beginning the 3rd week of fall camp, and the job is still available. It would be different, Day says, if you had a couple of quarterbacks who couldn’t play.

This is more difficult. Both have talent and ability, but 1 must be more consistent than the other. Or 2 will play.

4. Now what, Iowa?

They planned nearly 9 months for this. As soon as Cade McNamara hit the transfer portal, Iowa jumped.

A pitiful offense from 2021-22 would have a legitimate quarterback, and embattled offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz would have a realistic chance to save his job.

No one ever thought about the unthinkable: What if McNamara gets hurt?

He got dinged in last weekend’s scrimmage, and though Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said it was “muscle related” and not a structural knee injury — and that his status is day to day — the unavoidable must now be asked.

What happens if McNamara can’t play?

That’s where a 2nd portal decision comes into play: Iowa also signed former Wisconsin backup Deacon Hill. A big body (6-4, 230) and a big arm, Hill played high school ball in California — but his hometown is Iowa City.

He’s raw, but he has starter potential. He’ll now get time with the first team until McNamara fully recovers from the “muscle” injury. Those reps will be critical in case the unthinkable happens at some point this season.

5. The Weekly 5

The 5 games that stress the Michigan win total (11.5).

1. Nov. 25, Ohio State: Michigan hasn’t won 3 in a row in the series since 1995-97.

2. Nov. 11, at Penn State: New Penn State QB Drew Allar will be 2 months into his 1st season as starter — and ready for a big moment in a big game.

3. Oct. 7, at Minnesota: A sleepy dangerous game considering Michigan can ease through the first 9 games of the season without being stressed.

4. Nov. 18, at Maryland: The Terps in 2022 had Michigan shaken for nearly 3 quarters.

5. Nov. 4, Purdue: After 8 relatively easy wins, does Michigan look past Boilers with Penn State a week away?

6. Your tape is your resume

An NFL scout analyzes a draft eligible Big Ten player. This week: Wisconsin WR Chimere Dike.

“You want to watch a guy’s stock rise? Watch (Dike) this season. He can run, and he’s got explosive ability after the catch. He has been stuck in a run-friendly offense at Wisconsin, and now gets thrown into the exact opposite for his last season. He needs to show more consistency in route running and the ability get separation, but he’s going to be a problem for Big Ten defenses.”

7. Powered Up

This week’s Power Poll, and 1 big thing: ranking the defensive line rooms.

1. Ohio State: What’s not to like about a unit that could have 3 1st-round picks (Edge JT Tuimoloau, DT Michael Hall Jr., Edge Jack Sawyer).

2. Michigan: Disruptive DT Kris Jenkins is elite, and transfer Edge Josiah Stewart (Coastal Carolina) gives Michigan another difference-maker on the front.

3. Penn State: Chop Robinson is as physically-gifted as any edge in the Big Ten, and the Lions have 3 more behind him: Adisa Isaac, Dani Dennis-Sutton and Amin Vanover.

4. Illinois: it begins with massive yet athletic DT Jer’Zhan Newton, the most dangerous interior defensive lineman in the nation. DT Keith Randolph Jr. gives Illinois to best interior combo in the Big Ten.

5. Iowa: Don’t shocked if DEs Joe Evans and Deontae Craig combine for 17-20 sacks. The stout Iowa D begins and ends with an experienced front.

6. Minnesota: As good as Minnesota has been the last 2 seasons on defense, the 1 issue has been pass rush. Only 19 sacks last season. Edge Danny Striggow is the best option on the outside, and DT Kyler Baugh is an underrated force on the inside.

7. Wisconsin: Returning starters Edges CJ Goetz and Darryl Patterson will get help from Temple transfer Darian Varner, who had 7.5 sacks last season.

8. Rutgers: DEs Aaron Lewis and Wesley Bailey are solid, but need to be more pass rush productive. Can DT Keynote Hamilton reach his high ceiling?

9. Maryland: Terps hit the portal for impact players, and got former blue-chip recruit DT Jordan Phillips (Tennessee) and 2 stars from the NCAA lower division: FCS All-America DE Donnell Brown (St. Francis) and DT Trey Colbert (Angelo State).

10. Michigan State: DTs Derrick Harmon and Simeon Barrow are a strong duo in the middle, and combined for 6 sacks in 2022. Spartans need Khris Bogle and Texas A&M transfer DE Tunmise Adeleye to disrupt off the edge.

11. Nebraska: Huskers will likely start 2 true freshmen, but transfer Edges Chief Borders (Florida) and MJ Sherman (Georgia) will be critical to the pass rush.

12. Purdue: The front will rely on a group of transfers including Malik Langham (Vanderbilt) and Isaiah Nichols (Arkansas) — and a unique project in DE Jeffery M’Ba (Independence CC). DT Cole Brevard is solid.

13. Indiana: Hoosiers lost their pass rusher to the portal, then added 5 from the portal who will rotate among the 8 who will play. Andre Carter (Western Michigan) had 7 sacks last season.

14. Northwestern: The Wildcats needed size on the inside, and picked up DT Reginald Pearson (Bethune-Cookman) and Matt Lawson (Fresno State). They needed athleticism off the edge, and added Richie Hagarty (Southern Illinois), who had 6 sacks last season.

8. Ask and you shall receive

Matt: Does the Big Ten finally stop adding teams now? — Kerry Swift, Fairfax, Va.

Kerry:

I don’t think we can say any conference is done expanding, especially the 2 heavyweights (Big Ten, SEC). I still believe there’s 1 more big move of realignment — or what we should be calling contraction. Because that’s what it is.

The SEC and Big Ten are adding elite programs from other Power 5 conferences, and in the process wounding (and in some cases, mortally wounding) their own. The next big move, if/when it happens, will be the breakup of the ACC.

If Florida State — which has been rattling cages for months now about leaving the ACC — finds a way to get out of the ironclad Grant of Rights agreement with that conference — and others follow — we’re more than likely looking at 2 major conferences with up to 18-20 teams each.

At that point, multiple industry sources have told Saturday Tradition that the SEC and Big Ten could begin talks to merge their media rights deals and sell a product that could fetch double what they’re currently earning from multiple TV partners.

9. Numbers

0. The number of plays Penn State star LT Ole Fashanu saw in last weekend’s scrimmage. The reason: Lions coach James Franklin says he will use “modifications” for Fashanu during fall camp.

That means Fashanu, a potential top 5 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, will get individual work in fall camp, but won’t be put in situations where he could be injured.

The goal is to keep Fashanu from absorbing too many hits. Penn State knows what he is, and what he brings. There’s no need to push it. He’s ready to play now.

10. Quote to note

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule: “I can make 1,000 excuses, but they listen to everything I say — and there is no excuse for that.”