Since taking the head coaching job at Ohio State this winter, Ryan Day has provided variations of the same answer when describing his offensive scheme -- “we’re a college spread run game with pro passing concepts.”

To understand what this means for the Buckeyes’ offensive scheme, it is helpful to unpack:

· what Day is driving at with this phrase,

· how – if it all – this is different than when Day was the co-offensive coordinator under Urban Meyer, and

· how this system provides Day flexibility in transitioning from Dwayne Haskins to Justin Fields.

This column addresses the foundational aspects of the offense. My next column will examine the transition from Meyer to Day and from Haskins to Fields.

Day has relatedly described his offense as being pro-style oriented, mixed in with the college run-game and run-pass options (RPOs). A college spread-run game is a continuation of what Day and Kevin Wilson operated under Meyer. The Buckeyes will largely run zone (tight, middle, and outside zone) and gap (power, counter trey) run plays, combined with the quarterback operating in the shotgun to re-equate numbers.