Ryan Day says officials mistakenly called back Marvin Harrison Jr.'s Week 1 TD

Ryan Day and Ohio State were able to get a 23-3 win in Week 1, despite the fact Marvin Harrison Jr. was limited to a quiet performance.

In the game, Harrison was held to 2 catches for 18 yards, a far cry from his usually strong performances. However, Harrison did have one 24-yard touchdown grab that was called back for an illegal touching penalty.

Officials ruled Harrison stepped out of bounds and did not immediately return to the field on his route. That resulted in the penalty with Harrison being the first player to touch the ball.

This throw by Kyle McCord throwing thirty yards opposite hash for a touchdown is elite. The only reason we aren’t talking about it more is because Marvin Harrison Jr. stepped out of bounds running the route.

Ryan Day needs to open up the playbook and let Kyle McCord sling it. pic.twitter.com/0hQG5Z248D

— The Scarlet and Gray Podcast (@TheSG_Podcast) September 3, 2023

During Thursday’s radio show, Day revealed that the penalty was called incorrectly. The head coach revealed Big Ten officials confirmed in a call that Harrison was forced out of bounds by the defender and should not have been flagged on the play.

Ryan Day said on his radio show he was told by Big Ten officials this week that Marvin Harrison Jr.’s touchdown catch in the third quarter against Indiana, which was nullified by an illegal touching penalty, should not have been called back because he was forced out of bounds.

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) September 7, 2023

While that touchdown alone would not make up for some of the inefficiencies of the offense, it would help things look a bit better. And if Harrison is to challenge for the Heisman Trophy this year, he’ll need every touchdown he can get to get to New York.

The Buckeye star is still among the top non-QBs in the Heisman odds entering Week 2. Interested parties can get in on the action with our special FanDuel Ohio promo code.