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Ohio State: 5 things I’d like to see from Buckeyes in B1G title game
By Jim Tomlin
Published:
Ohio State’s matchup against Northwestern for the Big Ten championship in Indianapolis (8 p.m. ET Saturday, Fox) offers two teams who believe in balanced offenses.
The Buckeyes (11-1, 8-1 B1G), ranked sixth in the Associated Press poll (we’ll find out tonight what the College Football Playoff committee says), run an average of 41 times a game and pass 40.2 times per game. The No. 21 Wildcats (8-4, 8-1) average about 38 rushes and passes; they have exactly one more pass attempt (453) than rush attempt (452) this season.
But there are differences between the teams, and some things OSU must do well if it is to repeat as conference champions. So here are 5 things I’d like to see from the Buckeyes against the Wildcats:
Better composure
The Wildcats are very disciplined. Northwestern leads the country in fewest penalties (2.8 per game) and fewest penalty yards (26.7) per game. This could be a problem area for Ohio State, which is sixth in the country in both most penalties and most penalty yards (8.2 and 76, respectively) on average. Aggression is fine but OSU has to avoid silly penalties which could lead to cheap yardage or even points for the Wildcats.
Rush Thorson…
Northwestern senior quarterback Clayton Thorson has not had a 300-yard passing game since going off for 455 yards against Nebraska on Oct. 13. But Northwestern still can be dangerous through the air. Ohio State has been shaky on defense frequently this season and its pass rush has been spotty. Putting pressure on Thorson is critical to help keep the Wildcats off-balance.
…but stop Bowser first
In the past six weeks, the Wildcats have unleashed a new weapon: Freshman running back Isaiah Bowser. The former standout at Sidney (Ohio) High School, about 80 miles from Columbus, has rushed for 734 yards and six touchdowns in that six-game span. Last week against Illinois, Bowser ran for a career-high 166 yards on just 18 carries.
Haskins highlights
Sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins had a spectacular game last week for OSU in its East Division clincher against Michigan, passing for 396 yards and six touchdowns. That was just what the Buckeyes needed on offense and they will need it again when they face the Wildcats. Northwestern ranks fourth in the B1G in rush defense but 11th in pass defense so Haskins should have some success with all of the weapons he has, especially Parris Campbell and K.J. Hill.
Another complete game from O-line
Ohio State’s offensive line has had a pretty inconsistent season marked by too many penalties and too many games where the rushing attack in particular has been below par. But the unit put it all together against Michigan’s nationally top-ranked defense, keeping Haskins completely clean. The Wolverines did not have a sack or even a quarterback hit on Haskins during OSU’s 62-39 victory in Columbus. If the Buckeyes’ offensive linemen can keep Northwestern away from Haskins the way they did against Michigan, it will go a long way toward an Ohio State victory. Perhaps even by enough of a margin to impress the CFP voters and pave a possible path toward a Playoff semifinal.
Longtime newspaper veteran Jim Tomlin is a writer and editor for saturdaytradition.com and saturdaydownsouth.com.