With Quinn Ewers transferring back to his native Texas after two hand-offs and a semester in Columbus, at least Ohio State still has Kyle McCord. While McCord proved to be more than a stiff vs. Maryland, his head coach Ryan Day could look like a walking trash can if his No. 3 Buckeyes lose at home to James Franklin's No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions.
This has everything to do with Drew Allar.
During Tuesday's press conference, Day revealed to the media that Ohio State opted to go with the former five-star out of Texas in recruitment over the local kid from Ohio. Ewers was every bit a blue-chipper coming out, but once he reclassified for 2021, Ohio State was all-in on the gunslinger from The Lone Star State. Allar, who was a great recruit in his own right, left his native Ohio for Penn State.
Now that Ewers left Columbus after one season to go be the Texas Longhorns' star quarterback, maybe Day is starting to admit like the GOB Bluth he is at times for making another huge mistake.
"He's an Ohio kid who had a great career. We already had Quinn Ewers committed to us, and at that point. ... He's done a good job in his first year. He's had poised, he's a big, strong quarterback who leads the team well."
Here is Day's entire press conference heading into the season-defining home game vs. Penn State.
Once again, all the pressure in the world rests on Day's program's shoulder, and not Franklin's at all.
Ryan Day and Ohio State may come to regret not recruiting Drew Allar
The winner of this critical Big Ten East game will emerge as the most formidable challenger to Michigan not only in the division, but in the conference. Whether it be Ohio State or Penn State, that team is on a fast track to going 11-1 (8-1), possibly sneaking into the College Football Playoff as an at-large team if chaos ensues and we need someone quality not playing on Championship Saturday.
For Penn State, the Nittany Lions have had their struggles with the Buckeyes and Wolverines in recent years. They have been the epitome of a 10-2 New Year's Six Bowl team and nothing more. However, that all could change if they clip the Buckeyes in The Horseshoe. Fortunately for Penn State, Ohio State has shown signs this regular season that the Buckeyes can get got by any opposing team.
So much needs to be settled in Big Ten play before we know for sure who will probably face Iowa in Indianapolis in less than two months. Unfortunately for Ohio State, anything short of a blowout will bring up even more questions about this team. Unless McCord massively outshines Allar, Day will have to own up to his quarterback recruiting mistake. Allar is the better quarterback at this moment.
This may go down as the worst quarterback decision since Mark Richt picked Bryce Ramsey over Deshaun Watson. Both guys hailed from Georgia, but only one of them ever amounted to anything.