How frustration can be positive for Austin Mack, Ohio State wideouts

COLUMBUS — Ohio State wide receiver Austin Mack was irritated Saturday.

Nobody on Ohio State’s roster really had a reason to be upset or mad after a 76-5 pasting of Miami (Ohio). But if one guy had a gripe, it would be Mack.

In the second quarter, Ohio State had a 35-5 lead and had just blocked a punt. With the ball at the 20-yard line, quarterback Justin Fields fired a pass to Mack, who finished the play in the end zone for a touchdown. Mack began to celebrate, then turned around and saw a flag.

Mack weighs the good with the bad when it comes to plays like that. The good? He put a good route, catch and run on film. The bad? Well, the flag. Points taken off the board for a senior wide receiver trying to lead Zone 6 and make the most of his final season with the Buckeyes after injuries derailed last year.

“It sucks,” Mack said. “But it’s on film. It’s the luck of the draw, but you can’t dwell over the moment. Wait for the next one to come and try to get in the end zone next time.”

It’s been hard so far this season for Mack to wait for the next opportunity. It’s a good problem to have; Ohio State is decimating opponents through for games, but with those huge leads, first-stringers like Mack find themselves playing just a half of football. So when one of Mack’s four targets Saturday ended up as a touchdown, Mack was ecstatic. Again, until he saw the flag.

Luckily for Mack, he has examples to lean on as precedent. Mack cited Terry McLaurin’s season last year as a testimony for what a good work ethic, a humble attitude and a small sample size can do for a guy looking to make the leap to the NFL.

“It’s hard not to get frustrated,” Mack said. “Especially for me, being a last-year guy. You’re not going to come around many opportunities. But it’s just to stay humble, it’s to know that Terry only had 35 catches last year. It’s to stay in your lane and make sure that it’s a plan. It’s a process and to trust the plan.

“Whatever happens, make sure I’m doing everything properly to be in that spot at the end of the season.”

In four games, Mack has seven catches. His 72 yards don’t seem inspiring or ultra-productive. But Mack is a valuable asset for the Ohio State 0ffense, and he has proven what he can do when he’s targeted by Fields.

The frustration this season isn’t bad. It’s just proof that these wide receivers are all talented, even the guys at the bottom  of the depth chart. There’s only one ball on the field.

“It’s OK to get frustrated,” wide receivers coach Brian Hartline said. “Guys work their tail off. Blood, sweat and tears every day, all season long, and they don’t get out of it what they want out if it, we have those conversations. It’s OK to be frustrated. What you can’t do is allow it to affect your teammates or your team.”

Try to find a bad thing to say about Mack. His teammates don’t have any complaints. His coaches don’t. He’s been a steady worker for the Buckeyes.

Maybe he hasn’t had the beginning to his senior year he would have wanted. That’s fine. But as Hartline said, he isn’t affecting his teammates or his team, so the frustration isn’t a bad thing.

The good news for Mack: The small stat sheet is about to change. It’s inevitable.

“Their time is coming,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “Last week Austin had, maybe, four targets or something in the first half. Doesn’t play in the second half, he has a touchdown called back. If he plays two halves, then if he doubles that, then that’s eight targets, that’s two touchdowns. That’s a good day at the office.

“But that’s just one of those things where he didn’t play in the second half. He hasn’t played in some of those games. And so really if you’ve only played one half of football for four games, the numbers maybe aren’t as high. But I think those guys understand that, and their time is coming real fast.”

For Austin Mack, that time is rapidly approaching. And his frustration can finally be poured into production.