The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0, 3-0) didn’t quite cover the spread, but they still got a 49-26 win over Indiana (4-2, 1-2) on Saturday.
Quarterback Dwayne Haskins threw for the most yards ever in a Buckeye victory (455), while the Buckeyes rushed for the fewest yards ever in a win (154).
Okay, the second stat is fake, but isn’t the fact that it sounded true a significant problem?
Defensively, it wasn’t great, and even when it was much better in the second half, the aroma of the first half was impossible to ignore.
There was a lot to take in from this game, so why don’t we talk it out point by point and examine what we learned this week from a 23-point win by the Buckeyes.
1. The defense was lost at times.
Greg Schiano had to call three timeouts in the first quarter because he didn’t like what he was seeing from his defense and himself. That’s never great. And that was just before the snap. After the snap, the Buckeye corners had a rough go of it. Kendall Sheffield got turned around once for a touchdown. The four plays of 30+ yards in the first half were also an indicator of a defense having difficulty finding the the football. The second half — as has been the case throughout the season — was a different story.
2. Jahsen Wint isn’t ready.
Jahsen Wint is an outstanding special teams player, and outstanding special teams play is usually what it takes to get on the field for scrimmage downs. Unfortunately, Wint’s play this season at safety has not be up to Ohio State’s standard at the position. He is just a redshirt sophomore, so there is no shame in that. Heck, there’s no shame in any of it, but a better option may have been Jordan Fuller and Shaun Wade, which is what Alex Grinch and Greg Schiano went to late in the first half. Interestingly, Fuller was moved back to strong safety when Wade came in. Wade’s experience at corner and nickel makes him a better fit at free safety in this defense. Fuller told me after the game he’s willing to go back to his old position if he is asked. Isaiah Pryor returned from his first-half suspension and played well in the second half, delaying the need for Wade to move into a starter’s role. There is still going to be a competition in practice, however.
3. This team isn’t winning a national title.
The defense won’t allow it and neither will the running game. You need both and Ohio State doesn’t have either for more than two quarters per game this year. Granted, this isn’t the finished Ohio State football product, but the same issues from game one are still evident and not getting better. And the road is only going to get more difficult.
4. This must be the first year ever defenses have set out to stop the Ohio State run.
Ohio State can’t run the ball because defenses are setting out to stop the Buckeye running game, which begs the question of why didn’t defenses ever think of this before? The answer, of course, is that defenses have always set out to stop the Ohio State run, and generally failed. And now with Ohio State’s most prolific passing attack in school history, for some reason the Buckeyes can’t run the ball.
5. Terry McLaurin is going to be missed.
After taking out two defenders with a block two weeks ago and three defenders last week, Terry McLaurin was asked if there were any plays where he took out four defenders this week. He said no, but then added with a smile that he had two knockdowns on defensive ends. Imagine recruiting wide receivers and telling them that we’re going to need you to plant some defensive ends along the way. How many do you think return Ohio State’s calls?
6. The Buckeye linebackers were targeted, and will continue to be.
Because of Ohio State’s man-to-man defense, Indiana did a great job of isolating slot receivers and running backs on the OSU linebackers. Several times throughout the game, Pete Werner’s man was split out near the sideline, and then they would run in-routes or slants against him. That’s a tough ask for any linebacker. Every level of the pass defense struggled on Saturday, and as Urban Meyer said after the game, it began with a lack of pass rush. We will find out on Monday where Jonathon Cooper and Malik Harrison are with their injuries. The Buckeyes cannot afford to lose either player for long.
7. J.K. Dobbins should continue to be used in the passing game.
J.K. Dobbins is only averaging 4.7 yards per carry, but he is still a dynamic playmaker for the Buckeyes. Since he isn’t making those plays between the tackles, Ryan Day needs to continue calling his number in the passing game. Dobbins has had two catches in each of the last three games, and could have had an even bigger day on Saturday with a bit more accuracy from Dwayne Haskins.
8. A big back wouldn’t be so bad.
The short-yardage concerns continue after the Buckeyes failed to pick up a fourth-and-one. I know Dwayne Haskins has said he is willing to run whenever asked, and that may very well be true, but if it’s not in the best interest of success, then there’s no point. Enter the big back. Under Urban Meyer, the Buckeyes have always had a guy who could pound the ball. It began with Carlos Hyde, then to Ezekiel Elliott, and finally ending with J.T. Barrett. All three players were at least 6-feet tall and over 220 pounds. The Buckeyes just lost a big back commit on Sunday. Or maybe instead of a “big back” they need a “small quarterback.”
9. This won’t be Dwayne Haskins’ last 400-yard passing game this year.
A few weeks back — and maybe even before the season — Tom Orr and I discussed on Accost the Field whether or not Dwayne Haskins would have a 400-yard passing game this season. Tom doubled down and said Haskins was more likely to have two than none. Now he’s saying he’s been proven correct, but I have to disagree. At least until the next one. As long as the Ohio State defense allows 300 yards of total offense in the first half, the Buckeyes will keep throwing the ball. Tom and I aren’t the only ones who believe Haskins isn’t done with 400-yard games this year. Johnnie Dixon told me he expects another this year as well, but declined to name which team it would happen against.
10. The Buckeyes have five games to figure out how to run the ball.
I know Dwayne Haskins beat Michigan by throwing the ball last year, but there was very little scouting done on him back then. That is not the case any longer. Don Brown and the Michigan defense will know every single tendency and attack each of them in various ways. So far this season, the best way to make Haskins human is through pressure. That is no different than any other quarterback, but when given time, Haskins is very different from most every other quarterback. There are areas to attack the Michigan defense through the air, but it will require Ohio State’s best pass blocking. If the Buckeye offense is one dimensional, however, there probably won’t be enough pass blocking to keep Haskins upright enough times to get the win. In other words, the Buckeyes need to get the running game going, or they can kiss The Game goodbye.