Ohio State: 5 things I’d like to see from Buckeyes vs. Wolverines

If you don’t know what week this is for Midwestern college football, you probably stumbled across this website by accident.

This year, the best rivalry in the Midwest (if not the nation) will also settle the Big Ten East Division championship.

Ohio State hosts Michigan at Ohio Stadium (noon ET Saturday, Fox) with a shot at the B1G championship game and College Football Playoff hopes at stake for both teams.

The 115th edition of “The Game” will ratchet up the intensity like no other, so OSU must maintain focus now more than ever. That leads to the 5 things I’d like to see from the Buckeyes against the Wolverines:

Maintain discipline

Ohio State is 112th nationally in the Football Bowl Subdivision in penalties with 86 for the season. Michigan (77 penalties) is not much better, ranking 96th. The Buckeyes have drawn plenty of silly penalties including numerous false starts, usually at the worst times. And the Buckeyes cannot let the emotion of this rivalry game goad them into cheap penalties and costly personal fouls.

Red zone efficiency

For an offense that has produced such prodigious numbers, the Buckeyes are lacking in one surprising area: Red zone points. OSU is 119th with a 75.9 percent scoring rate from inside the opposing 20-yard line. The Wolverines are decent in this category (86 percent, ranked 52nd). Dwayne Haskins and company have hit a lot of big plays for scores but punching in more red zone opportunities is critical for the OSU offense to run at maximum efficiency.

Kick return energy boost

Ohio State got its longest kickoff return of the season late in last week’s victory against Maryland and it came at a critical time. Demario McCall’s 42-yard return set up the tying touchdown to force overtime for the Buckeyes. OSU is ranked 109th in returns with an 18.1-yard average. The Buckeyes are excellent at kick coverage (15.4 average, fifth in FBS) so even a slight advantage in this category could go a long way for OSU.

Big plays on defense

Michigan is plus-8 in turnover margin and is converting 50 percent of its third-down attempts. The OSU defense, which has given up a lot of big plays this season, needs to make a few of its own for the Scarlet and Gray to win. A few sacks would help keep Michigan off balance. The Buckeyes did little well on defense against Maryland but one of them was pressuring the quarterback as they got four sacks. As in any game, a few turnovers could decide the game so any big plays the Buckeyes can make, especially in the secondary, will be crucial.

Full-throttle offense

The Buckeyes put it all together on offense against the Terrapins, setting a school record for total yards in a game against a Big Ten opponent with 688. Michigan has the top-ranked defense in the country so asking for a repeat of those numbers is a bit much. One thing OSU can do is vary its tempo, going fast at the right times to test Michigan’s defensive depth. Another big factor: Even a defense as talented as Michigan’s will struggle to cope with wide receiver Parris Campbell. OSU needs to create more ways to get the ball in the senior’s hands, certainly more than the five touches he got (one rush, four receptions) against Maryland.

Jim Tomlin

Longtime newspaper veteran Jim Tomlin is a writer and editor for saturdaytradition.com and saturdaydownsouth.com.