Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord and receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. connected on only two receptions against Indiana.
So how did it come that Day, only one game into the season, literally looked down at a stat sheet and saw only two touches for his star? For starters, the box score is somewhat deceiving. With different outcomes from three plays — all of which included an optimal decision by McCord — Harrison’s stat line jumps to five catches for 102 yards and a touchdown.
• Harrison drew a pass interference call on a deep shot down the sideline in the third quarter. If he catches it, it goes for about a 39-yard gain. Instead, OSU settled for the 15 penalty yards. • McCord laced a 24-yard touchdown pass to Harrison in that quarter as well. Except Harrison had stepped out in the course of running the route, which negated the catch. • Harrison also left the game briefly after landing hard from an attempted leaping grab on the sideline. McCord took a hit as he threw, which likely affected the precision of a pass that still glanced off Harrison’s hands. Would have been about a 21-yard gain if he’d made the catch — and he’s made similar grabs in the past. • If you really want to stretch it, McCord took another end zone shot for Harrison, but the throw was low and behind him. The better decision on the play actually might have been to target someone else. But if he could have led Harrison more with the pass, the 6-3 receiver with great hands perhaps could have snagged that, too. McCord might have had that play in mind when he said after the game he could have given Harrison a “better ball” on a few occasions. Game film also shows a couple of instances where McCord could have thrown Harrison’s way but made other decisions. All of this is likely very bad news for some poor Youngstown State cornerback who will likely get roasted by Harrison on Saturday. In more talent-equated matchups, the Buckeyes also want to make teams better pay for that overcorrection of coverage on Harrison. Emeka Egbuka, also a 1,000-yard receiver, totaled only three catches and one rush against IU. “I mean, he’s the best receiver in college football,” McCord said of Harrison. “So a lot of the time it’s gonna be rare if you get one-on-one with him. If they do leave him one-on-one, you have to make them pay, but it’s not surprising when they put a safety over top to double him or whatever the case may be. “But having him on the field when they do that opens up other guys, which, I think a few times today we capitalized on that.” It looked worse on the state sheet than it did on rewatch. The question is what it will look like later this month at Notre Dame and in other season-defining games after that. If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 or visitIf you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. By browsing this site, we may share your information with our social media partners in accordance with our
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