Look, everyone remembers the final drive in Ann Arbor. It’s the image burned into the retinas of every Buckeye fan—Kyle McCord’s desperate heave, the interception, and the realization that the streak had hit three. But if you only judge 2023 Ohio State football by those final seconds against Michigan, you're missing the most fascinating, high-wire act of the Ryan Day era. It was a year where the identity of the program fundamentally shifted, moving away from the "basketball on grass" offensive fireworks of the C.J. Stroud years and leaning into a gritty, defensive-led philosophy that almost—almost—carried them to the promised land.
It was weird.
For a decade, we were used to seeing Ohio State hang 50 points on just about anyone with a pulse. But in 2023, the Buckeyes became a team that lived on the edge. They weren't blowing teams out. They were winning fistfights. Whether it was the literal last-second touchdown at Notre Dame or the defensive masterclass against Penn State, this team had a different DNA. It was a squad defined by Marvin Harrison Jr. doing "Supermarv" things while a vastly improved defense, led by Jim Knowles, kept the lid on games that would have been shootouts in years past.
The Quarterback Conundrum and the Kyle McCord Era
You can't talk about 2023 Ohio State football without talking about the quarterback battle that bled into the actual season. Most years, the Buckeyes have "The Guy" locked in by the spring game. This time? Ryan Day made us wait. It was Kyle McCord versus Devin Brown, a battle between a traditional pocket passer and a more mobile, athletic threat. McCord eventually won out, but the leash always felt short, didn't it?
McCord finished the season with 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. On paper? Those are solid numbers for 95% of college programs. At Ohio State, following in the footsteps of Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud, it felt like something was missing. The efficiency was there, but the "wow" factor often wasn't. He was a quarterback who thrived when the system worked perfectly but struggled when the pocket collapsed or the script went sideways.
Honestly, he was put in a tough spot. He was throwing to the best receiver in the country in Marvin Harrison Jr., which is a blessing, but it also meant every missed throw was magnified. If Marv had a step and the ball wasn't there, the collective groan from the Shoe could be heard in Cleveland. The pressure was immense. By the time the Cotton Bowl rolled around and McCord hit the transfer portal for Syracuse, it felt like a mutual realization that the fit just wasn't quite right for the championship expectations in Columbus.
The Marvin Harrison Jr. Highlight Reel
We really should have appreciated him more while he was there. Harrison Jr. didn't just play receiver; he dictated how entire defenses had to operate. He finished the year with 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns, becoming the first Ohio State receiver to ever post back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. He won the Biletnikoff. He was a Heisman finalist.
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Think back to the Penn State game. The Nittany Lions had one of the best defenses in the nation. They knew the ball was going to Marv. We knew the ball was going to Marv. He still caught 11 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. It was a "Jordan in the 90s" type of dominance. He was the safety net for a transition year at quarterback, a player so talented he could turn a 5-yard slant into a 50-yard explosive play purely through body control and route running.
Why 2023 Ohio State Football Became Defensive-First
For years, the Buckeyes' defense was the "weak link" that prevented them from winning it all. In 2022, they gave up big plays like they were handing out candy. In 2023, Jim Knowles finally saw his vision come to life. The "Silver Bullets" were actually back. They ranked second in the country in scoring defense, allowing a measly 11.2 points per game.
Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers weren't just linebackers; they were the heartbeat of a unit that refused to break. And the secondary? Denzel Burke looked like a first-round lock again. Davison Igbinosun brought a nastiness to the corner spot that had been missing. They went from a unit that fans watched with their hands over their eyes to a unit that fans actually trusted to win the game.
That’s why the Michigan game hurt so much. The defense played well enough to win for 55 minutes, but the offense couldn't capitalize on opportunities early. Then, when the defense needed one final stop, the Wolverines' offensive line—a group of grown men, frankly—managed to bleed the clock. It was a bitter pill to swallow because, for the first time in years, the defense wasn't the reason they lost; they just weren't able to be the reason they won at the very end.
The Notre Dame Miracle
If you want one game to summarize the spirit of the 2023 Ohio State football season, it’s the trip to South Bend. It was ugly. It was physical. It was low-scoring. It was everything "old school" Big Ten fans love and "modern" offensive gurus hate.
Trailing 14-10 with almost no time left, McCord led a drive that felt like it was moving in slow motion. A 3rd-and-19 conversion to Emeka Egbuka kept hope alive. Then, with one second left, Chip Trayanum burrowed into the end zone for the win.
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The post-game was even more wild. Ryan Day’s "Where’s Lou Holtz?" rant was the most emotion we’ve ever seen from him. It felt like the program was circling the wagons, pushing back against the narrative that they were "soft." For a moment, it felt like this team was destined to win it all because they found a way to win a game they had no business winning.
The Run Game Struggles and Offensive Line Woes
We have to be honest here: the offensive line was a problem for large stretches of the year. Ohio State has always been built on the ability to run the ball when everyone knows they’re going to run it. In 2023, that vanished. TreVeyon Henderson was spectacular when healthy, but he missed time, and the line struggled to generate consistent push against elite fronts.
The stats don't lie. The Buckeyes averaged about 138 yards per game on the ground. By Ohio State standards, that’s anemic. It forced the offense to become one-dimensional, which allowed defenses to bracket Marvin Harrison Jr. and dare McCord to beat them with secondary options.
Emeka Egbuka dealt with injuries. Cade Stover was a reliable safety valve at tight end. But without a terrifying run game, the play-action pass—the bread and butter of Ryan Day’s system—just didn't have the same bite. It’s a huge reason why the red zone offense felt so bogged down. They could move the ball between the twenties, but once the field shrunk, the lack of a dominant "push" up front became glaringly obvious.
The Fallout: Michigan, the Portal, and the Cotton Bowl
Everything in Columbus is judged by the last Saturday in November. Losing to Michigan for the third straight year changed the trajectory of the program. It sparked a massive philosophical shift that we saw play out in the following months.
The Cotton Bowl against Missouri was, frankly, a disaster. With McCord gone and Harrison Jr. sitting out to prepare for the NFL, the Buckeyes looked lost. Devin Brown got hurt early, Lincoln Kienholz was thrown into the fire, and the offense put up a staggering zero touchdowns in a 14-3 loss. It was a bleak end to a season that had been so full of grit and hope.
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But that loss served as a catalyst.
The "failure" of 2023 led to the most aggressive offseason in school history. It’s why they went out and got Will Howard. It’s why they brought in Caleb Downs from Alabama and Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss. It’s why Chip Kelly was hired as offensive coordinator. The 2023 season proved that a "great" defense and a "good" offense isn't enough to beat Michigan or win a National Championship in the current era. You need elite play at every single level.
Key Takeaways from the 2023 Campaign
- Defense is the new standard: Jim Knowles proved his system works in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes are no longer a "finesse" team; they are physically imposing on the defensive side of the ball.
- The WR Factory continues: Even in a "down" year for the offense, Ohio State produced the best receiver in college football. The pipeline from Brian Hartline’s room is the most consistent thing in the sport.
- The QB bar is sky-high: 3,000 yards and a 11-1 regular season isn't enough to keep the starting job in Columbus. The expectation is Heisman-level play or bust.
- The "Soft" narrative is dead, but the "Finish" narrative is real: They proved they could win tough, ugly games (Notre Dame, Penn State), but they still haven't proven they can close the deal against their biggest rival when the stakes are highest.
What to Do With This Information
If you're a fan or a student of the game looking back at this era, don't just look at the record. Look at the shift in recruiting. Look at how the 2023 season forced the coaching staff to evolve.
Watch the tape of the Notre Dame game. It’s a masterclass in situational football and mental toughness.
Study Marvin Harrison Jr.’s tape. If you want to know how to run routes against double coverage, there is no better modern example.
Analyze the defensive structure. Notice how Knowles used his safeties to eliminate the big plays that plagued them in 2022.
The 2023 season was a bridge. It was the end of the "out-athlete everyone" era and the beginning of a more balanced, albeit sometimes frustrating, approach to championship football. It wasn't perfect, and for many, it was a disappointment. But it was a year of incredible individual performances and a defensive resurgence that re-established Ohio State as a team that can beat you in more ways than just a track meet.
Take a look at the defensive snap counts and pressure rates from that year compared to the years prior; you'll see a team that finally figured out how to stop the bleed. That foundation is exactly what the program is building on now. The 2023 squad might not have a trophy in the case, but they certainly changed the way football is played in the Horseshoe.