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Urban Meyer says Michigan State will test Buckeyes rushing attack
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Ohio State’s coaching staff spent hours trying to address the team’s concerns running the football. As production dipped over the last few weeks, it became a glaring deficiency in the Buckeyes’ offensive attack.
Things returned to normal — at least temporarily — in the win over Nebraska last Saturday. J.K. Dobbins rushed for 163 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries and Mike Weber added 91 yards on nine touches as the Buckeyes posted a 36-31 win over the Huskers.
The 229 total rushing yards was the most Ohio State has posted in a game since the Week 2 win over Rutgers. That week, the Buckeyes totaled 225 yards on the ground in a blowout victory.
Yes, the Buckeyes were successful on the ground against Nebraska, but is the approach sustainable past Saturday?
“It has to be,” Meyer said at his weekly press conference. “Obviously, schematically it’ll change but the mentality has to be the same.”
Meyer also said that the rushing game will face a major test this weekend. Michigan State owns the nation’s best run defense, allowing just 71.7 yards per game for the year.
While Dwayne Haskins has enjoyed tremendous success as a passer this season, Meyer has harped on Ohio State’s inability to run the football. He doesn’t want the Buckeyes to throw 50 times a game, a formula he doesn’t believe will work.
The Buckeyes need a win to stay alive in the B1G East race and College Football Playoff picture this weekend. The Spartans are coming off back-to-back wins over Purdue and Maryland and are hoping to play spoiler.
Ohio State is going to have to find a way to run the football effectively Saturday to escape East Lansing with a win.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB