Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) turned nine receptions into 90 yards and a touchdown in the season-opening victory over Notre Dame.Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

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Hey, Nathan: “Should we be concerned there are no true burners on this year’s squad a la Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson last year? Seems like we didn’t have people that were open by five-plus yards or more like those guys used to be. I’ve seen a lot of good throws and catches by wide receivers that were not really open. A little worried we don’t have the speed there anymore and with an aggressive defense out passing game will struggle.” — Vlad from L.A.

Hey, Vlad: Nah, OSU is fine on speed. Ryan Day was asked to identify the fastest player on the team on Thursday’s radio show, and for offense he named Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. He said all ran in the high 22/low 23 mile-per-hour range.

Now, I’m not going to quibble with those numbers, and don’t know the context under which they were recorded. But according to the Sporting News, the fastest NFL speed by a skill position player in 2020 was former Purdue running back Raheem Mostert’s 23.09 miles per hour. Mostert also ran some track, so it makes sense he would exhibit elite top-end speed.

So if you believe Day’s numbers, OSU has more than enough speed. That is not, though, the only factor in separation at the line. Winning the first step, balance, hand fighting out of the break — those are all crucial in getting early separation from a defensive back. Those are also things veteran receivers will often be more polished at than first or second-year guys.

Notre Dame kept dropping eight guys in coverage, which is another reason receivers were not as open as in the past. Day said Thursday he is becoming more content with running the ball when teams do that, which in the long run might force them to put more defenders back in the box. Then some of those passing lanes will open up.

Hey, Nathan: “On what level do you feel an offense such as Day’s should be the aggressor in establishing itself? Or is it better to be malleable and adjust to what the defense is doing? The Notre Dame game felt like the 2020 B1G title game against Northwestern. It took forever to establish the run in an effort to bring safeties up and the downfield pass was nonexistent. I had a Notre Dame fan asking me why TreVeyon Henderson didn’t start. I told him he did start, he just didn’t get carries. I guess there are just times when you have to realize what is and isn’t working. Thoughts?” — Seth Shaner

Hey, Seth: I agree with your comparison to the 2020 Big Ten championship game. Had that thought myself as the Notre Dame game was playing out. I couldn’t understand why Day did not run the ball more. It has, at times, seemed like he will quickly move away from the run after one stop but is less likely to back off of the pass.

Know who else had that though? The post-Saturday night version of Day. He acknowledged Thursday he could have called a more run-heavy approach under the circumstances.

“There are certain teams that will play us in drop eight and put two high safeties up there,” Day said. “And when that happens, we have to run the football.

“... When that happens, we can’t let our pride and ego get in the way. And we have to do what we need to do to win the game. And a big part of that is me right here.”

Now in now way is that an argument that Ohio State’s offense is better off if C.J. Stroud is not scanning an opposing secondary for vulnerabilities and putting the ball in Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s hands. It must — and I cannot emphasize that enough — be an elite passing team in order to win a national championship. Unless you have a Georgia 2021 defense, you have to be able to put up points in bunches against the best teams in the country.

Day built an offensive identity by recruiting Heisman Trophy level quarterbacks and stocking the receiver room with elite talent. But this offensive line with Henderson and Miyan Williams can obviously be highly productive as well. The next time OSU gets that look, I would expected to see a more malleable (nice word, by the way) approach.

Hey, Nathan: “Rough five minutes of today’s pod talking about how Georgia and Alabama are just flat better than the No. 3 team in the nation. Hard not to feel like we should just pack up the season with talk like that.

“So I suppose my question is big picture. Is this what college football will be for the foreseeable future with a slow march toward inevitability? And down to the OSU level, what needs to change to be thought of in that top tier?” — Ryan from Greensboro, N.C.

Hey, Ryan: First of all, thanks for listening to Buckeye Talk. Secondly, those conversations are attempting to assess the landscape off little to no information.

A year ago, Georgia opened with a 10-3 victory over Clemson and did not look like it would have the offense to challenge for the national championship. A lot happened over the next 14 weeks, including the Bulldogs figuring out how to finish off their title.

Ohio State opened the season No. 2 in the AP Top 25 and still received first-place votes last week. No one is treating the program like chopped liver. It cannot be thought of in the top, top tier, though, because Alabama has locked that down. Only way to gain entry is through a confetti shower in a playoff game against the Crimson Tide. Even then, come back and do it again a year later like Alabama does. Then do it again.

On the other hand, Ohio State beating Notre Dame the way it did should arguably increase confidence in its national championship chances. Consider the reaction if it had won 38-35. That looks like a team still too flawed on defense to challenge the SEC’s best. Instead, the defensive tone is set now, and the offense may be a healthy Jaxon Smith-Njigba away from finding the right gear again.

We do live in the Super Team era. LSU 2019 and Alabama 2020 featured untouchable offenses. Last season, Georgia’s overwhelming defense laid waste. So when OSU comes at those teams, it cannot come with obvious flaws.

Alabama and Georgia look more “complete” after one week, but that’s only one week.

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