What to watch for in Ohio State, Michigan spring football games on FOX

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All the while, a new element in Ohio State’s offense is that head coach Ryan Day is delegating offensive play-calling duties to new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, the former UCLA head coach who also was Day’s head coach at New Hampshire.

Young is fascinated by how Ohio State will operate on that side of the ball.

“Then, I get to see Ryan Day on a sideline without having to look at a play card for the first time like ever. I doubt that the man is actually going to have to consult his play card at all because his mentor, his coach in college, Chip Kelly is running the offense, and we all know what Chip Kelly is capable of as an offensive play-caller,” Young said.

Meanwhile, Michigan will also have a new quarterback in 2024, as two-year starter J.J. McCarthy is going pro. Alex Orji, Jayden Denegal, Davis Warren and Jadyn Davis are among the quarterbacks in the mix to start for Michigan.

Who will ultimately take the baton from McCarthy?

“Since you don’t want to tell us who the starter is, I’m going to tell you that it’s Alex Orji. That’s a guy who has been in the program, understands the system and also has snaps playing significant football in the National Championship Game,” Young said. “Quiet as it has been kept, Sherrone Moore’s been really smart about getting J.J. McCarthy, when he was backing up Cade McNamara, into the game, also smart in getting Alex Orji into the game in 2023 …

“I think you have set Alex up to be the guy going into 2024. Let’s not complicate this, and take all of the emotion out of this decision coming in August. If you can get through the spring and announce that guy, announce that guy. Let the team rally around him. Let him know it’s his going into Week 1 and make it happen. Give him enough room to make some mistakes between now and then, as opposed to, alright, it’s your turn, go do that.'”

Moore, who was previously Michigan’s offensive coordinator, was promoted to head coach after Harbaugh left to become the new head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Moore served as acting head coach for four games when Harbaugh was suspended at different points in the 2023 season.

Among the standout hires for Moore’s coaching staff is long-time Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford, who left Columbus for the same position in Ann Arbor. Michigan has primarily relied on its running game in recent memory, specifically running backs Blake Corum — who’s going pro — and Donovan Edwards of late.

Young expects Alford to have a profound impact on Edwards, who will likely be Michigan’s lead back in 2024.

“His record of producing tailbacks is also one that he would like to keep very high. I think that Donovan Edwards is going to learn a lot from Alford. I think Alford’s going to learn a lot from being at Michigan, and then he’s obviously going to come in with a tremendous amount of knowledge of their most important foe, that is the Ohio State Buckeyes,” Young said. “All of that works together the way that I think it can, there’s no reason to believe that Donovan Edwards isn’t a 1,500-yard back with 15-20 touchdowns in 2024 and vaults back into that conversation leading Michigan to what they hope is yet another Big Ten championship and perhaps an opportunity to defend their national championship.”

Ohio State and Michigan will cross paths next season in “The Game” on Nov. 30 at Ohio Stadium.

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