You’re Nuts: Which Ohio State non-starter do you want to see more of this season?

Ohio State’s 41-28 loss to Oregon essentially ended the College Football Playoff hopes of the Buckeyes. Maybe Ohio State could win their final three games of the regular season and make the Big Ten Championship Game and advance to the 12-team tournament with a win. The possibility of that happening is very slim, since nothing the Buckeyes have done over the last two games has resembled anything close to a team that belongs in the playoff.

With Ohio State now unlikely to make the CFP, the final three games of the regular season could give the coaching staff an opportunity to look at some players who currently aren’t starters and don’t see an abundance of playing time. Since whatever the Buckeyes are doing now on both sides of the football isn’t really working, shaking things a bit could give the team a spark and help them turn around their lackluster recent play before Michigan comes to Columbus at the end of the month.

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Today we want to know which players who aren’t starters or those that feature in rotations at their position that you’d like to see more of on the field the rest of the season. Maybe there is a freshman you want to get a better look at to see if they have the look of a player who could be a part of the future plans. Or maybe you’ve seen enough of what Luke Fahey can do at quarterback and are curious about what Tavien St. Clair could bring to the table.

In a season that feels like it is spiraling out of control, there’s no reason to stick with what isn’t working. If only the coaching staff wasn’t too stubborn to admit they made a mistake about something.

Today’s question: Which Ohio State non-starter would you like to see on the field more the rest of the season?

We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.

Brett’s answer: Legend Bey

The freshman year for Legend Bey at Ohio State has been a rocky one. After generating some excitement during spring practices, Bey suffered an injury that caused him to miss the spring game. Then, when the team reconvened for preseason camp, Bey was suspended for the first few practices. Despite drawing comparisons to Reggie Bush with his athletic ability, Bey has struggled to see even the smallest amount of playing time.

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After totaling 74 total yards and a touchdown on eight touches in the season opener against Ball State, Bey has only racked up 47 yards on 14 touches since. Against Oregon, Bey had a usage bonanza, carrying the ball once and catching two passes.

Maybe Ryan Day and Arthur Smith are coming around to using Bey more, especially with Ja’Kobi Jackson being injured and the offense searching for an identity after Julian Sayin suffered a season-ending injury against Indiana, but I’m not holding my breath about Bey even seeing double-digit touches in a game.

Bo Jackson is a solid running back. It’s hard to go wrong with someone who ran for over 1,000 yards in their freshman season. Bey has the ability to turn every touch into a touchdown, something Jackson doesn’t have. We know what we are getting with Jackson. A running back who usually can give you 70 to 100 yards a game on the ground. Now it’s time to see what Bey can bring to the table.

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Another reason I want to see Bey get on the field is that if he doesn’t play much the rest of the year, then he might jump into the transfer portal since he didn’t play as much in his freshman season as he thought he would. Not saying a bigger role in the offense over the final three games of the regular season would fix everything, but it could show Bey he will be a big part of the Buckeye offense going forward.

Right now the Ohio State offense looks miserable. Giving Bey a bigger role could provide the spark this team desperately needs.

Matt’s answer: Tavien St. Clair

I am fully prepared to admit that this might be an entirely selfish request, born more out of frustration, curiosity, and a borderline unhealthy obsession with Ohio State football than any particularly sophisticated analysis of quarterback play. But with three games remaining in the regular season, I desperately want to see Tavien St. Clair get a legitimate opportunity to run the Buckeyes’ offense. And frankly, I am running out of reasons why he shouldn’t.

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During his Tuesday press conference, Ryan Day confirmed that Luke Fahey will remain the starter against Northwestern, explaining that the staff continues to invest in St. Clair’s development, but doesn’t believe this is his moment. That’s all well and good, but if not now, when?

To be fair, Fahey’s numbers since replacing Julian Sayin against Indiana aren’t exactly disastrous. In his two starts, the true freshman has completed 57 of 88 passes for 620 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. However, those statistics are considerably more impressive than the actual performances, especially considering how much of that production came after Oregon had effectively put Saturday’s game away.

And while I understand that Fahey is a true freshman, let’s not pretend that inexperienced quarterbacks aren’t capable of showing flashes of brilliance — and even sustained production — at major college football programs. I’m not expecting him to be a finished product, or to immediately recreate what Julian Sayin was doing, but through two starts, I haven’t seen much to suggest that he has the potential to become the future of Ohio State’s offense. Heck, the fact that he went more than two full quarters without even targeting Jeremiah Smith against Oregon is, to me, the football equivalent of a crime against humanity.

Now, do I know that St. Clair would be any better? Absolutely not! He could be considerably worse, for all I know. But that’s precisely why I want to see him play.

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Technically, Ohio State still has a path to the Big Ten Championship Game and, consequently, the College Football Playoff, but those possibilities are looking increasingly like mathematical technicalities rather than realistic possibilities. So, rather than continuing to wonder what the former five-star prospect might be capable of, why not find out before Michigan comes to town?

And it’s not like I’m the only person wondering. Urban Meyer recently questioned why St. Clair didn’t get an opportunity against Oregon, while former Buckeye great Cris Carter compared his potential to Patrick Mahomes over the summer. Obviously, that doesn’t guarantee anything, but it certainly makes me curious since two of the most knowledgeable people in the game who also happen to love this program and institution as much as — if not more — than anyone else believe there is potential there.

Day also acknowledged Tuesday that he takes input from others in the building when making these decisions, which makes me wonder whether some of his assistants might be advocating for St. Clair. That is admittedly speculation, but that’s how I took his comments, and the possibility only adds to my frustration.

Look, I fully recognize that the coaches see infinitely more of these quarterbacks than I do, but if Fahey genuinely represents Ohio State’s best available option, that’s a pretty damning indictment of the program’s quarterback development. I understand that NIL and the transfer portal have fundamentally changed roster construction in modern college football, but championship-caliber programs simply cannot afford to be completely helpless when their starting quarterback goes down.

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And that is ultimately where I find myself. I don’t need St. Clair to be the next C.J. Stroud, Justin Fields, or Dwayne Haskins. I just want to know whether there’s something there worth getting excited about.

Maybe Fahey really is the better option, and seeing St. Clair struggle would finally put that question to rest, but until I get some evidence beyond the increasingly stubborn and opaque head coach’s assurances, I’m going to remain skeptical, frustrated, and probably a little bitter.

Because at this point, I’d much rather discover that St. Clair isn’t the answer than spend the rest of a potentially miserable season wondering whether he might have been great.

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com