COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football’s scout team is tasked weekly with preparing the Buckeyes for their next opponent.
At quarterback, coach Ryan Day and his staff have taken a different approach ahead of Saturday’s game against Washington.
The Huskies are led by quarterback Demond Williams Jr. — a dual threat option whose ability to escape the pocket makes him lethal. As a result, the Buckeyes have let receiver Phillip Bell take scout team reps at quarterback.
“He’s been giving us a great look,” linebacker Sonny Styles said. “He’s not a quarterback, but he’s super shifty, so he gives us a great look. It feels like the game when he’s back there.”
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Lincoln Kienholz is Ohio State’s most athletic quarterback, but as the backup behind Julian Sayin, he no longer works with the scout team.
The scout team is instead led by freshman quarterback Tavien St. Clair. However, the unique nature of Saturday’s matchup forced OSU to get creative.
James Franklin throws subtle jab at Big Noon Kickoff
Third-ranked Penn State has its biggest home game of the season Saturday when it hosts No. 6 Oregon. The matchup will serve as the Nittany Lions’ annual white out game, and it’ll be played at night with NBC broadcasting the game.
Penn State coach James Franklin thinks that’s the proper spot for this game.
“I know Fox tried to argue that a 12 o’clock white out was the same as a 7 o’clock white out,” Franklin told reporters this week. “I think people would disagree with that.”
Last season, Penn State fans caused an uproar after the game vs. Ohio State was put in Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff slot.
As a result, PSU hosted its white out game against Washington.
“It’s just turned into a special event, and not just in football – really in sports,” Franklin said. “If you’re a sports fan, this is like a bucket list thing that you need to attend.”
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