The opening week of Big Ten football is here, and Ohio State gets a physical challenge right off the bat in Wisconsin. Yes, the Badgers lost to Washington State earlier this season in a 17-14 upset. But they always get my attention. They're stout, physical, not afraid to run the ball down everybody's throat, and if they're given the opportunity, they'll slowly drain the life out of teams by using ball control. Wisconsin hasn't won against Ohio State since 2010, or in Columbus since 2004, but I'm sure Coach Day and the Buckeyes are zeroed in and not taking them lightly.
I'm most interested in seeing how the Buckeye defense does today. They're only surrendering 14 points per game, but truth be told, they probably haven't really been tested yet or pushed yet. Arkansas State and Toledo aren't real tests, and Notre Dame may not be who we originally thought they were at the beginning of the season. The Irish are really struggling under first-year head coach Marcus Freeman.
That's not to take anything away from how these guys are playing. They're doing what's expected of them, and I'm definitely pleased with the job new Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has done so far. The Silver Bullet defense might be making a comeback under his leadership. The Buckeyes are getting after it up front with the pass rush, the linebackers are diagnosing most plays quickly, flying to the ball and making solid tackles and big hits, and the secondary has limited their biggest question mark by preventing most big plays. But they'll need to kick their physicality up several notches to keep rolling through Big Ten play. We're done with any cream puffs, and ready to go into the meat grinder.
Ohio State's offense has been rolling for the last two weeks since struggling quite a bit against Notre Dame. They're averaging 48 points per game, and 565 yards of total offense per game. But again, take these numbers with a grain of salt, since they haven't really played anyone in two weeks. Blowing out Arkansas State 45-12, and absolutely annihilating Toledo 77-21 isn't going to impress anybody on the College Football Playoff committee.
The one thing I'm impressed with though, is that this offense hasn't missed a beat when dealing with injuries to star players. Running back TreVeyon Henderson and star wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba have both been recovering from injuries.
Ohio State has really embraced the next man up mentality. Marvin Harrison Jr., has had a fantastic season so far, catching 18 passes for 342 yards and five touchdowns. His fellow wideout Emeka Egbuka has been great as well, with 20 receptions for 324 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Miyan Williams has also been a stout presence in the backfield, running the ball 32 times for 207 yards and a touchdown. He's averaging six and a half yards per carry. The Scarlet and Gray machine is firing on all cylinders right now, which is a great sign. But they'll run into a stout defense today.
With all that said, let's check out the Keys to Victory, and what the Buckeyes need to do to start off on the right foot in Big Ten play.
Shut down the Wisconsin running game, while getting it going on your end
Wisconsin is famous not only for stout offensive lines, but for great running backs as well, like Ron Dayne, Melvin Gordon and Jonathan Taylor. Ron Dayne had success in his day against Ohio State and others on the way to winning the 1999 Heisman Trophy. Melvin Gordon and Jonathan Taylor obviously weren't as good as Dayne was, but they certainly made their mark. The one unfortunate thing for Gordon and Taylor? They were both shut down by Ohio State. The Buckeyes will need to do that against another talented ballcarrier in Braelon Allen. As a freshman, Allen racked up 1,268 yards rushing yards, and so far in 2022, he has 50 carries for 332 yards and five touchdowns, while averaging 6.5 yards per carry. The Buckeyes need to key in on him. Take away Wisconsin's running game, you take away the motor of this Badgers team.
On the other side of things, Ohio State needs to impose their physicality early and often with the running game. Henderson is a freak of nature and one of the best backs in the country when he gets going, and Miyan Williams is a bowling ball. Ryan Day needs to use them both quite a bit to soften the Badgers up.
Limit the big pass play
Wisconsin's not known as a particularly great passing team. but if the Badger ground game gets going, the Ohio State secondary might need to keep their eyes peeled for the occasional deep shot. When a team can run the football well consistently, the opposing defense is forced to creep up or put more guys in the box to stop the run. When that happens, there's a risk that the back end of the defense could be exposed to huge pass plays. I do like how the Buckeyes have largely limited big pass plays so far on the season, but I still consider that their Achilles heel. If they can continue to limit the big play in this game and later on? Sky's the limit for how good this defense can be. They're not National Championship caliber yet. But they could certainly get there by the end of the season. This game will be a nice test for them.
Cover the spread
Usually I don't care what the bookies in Vegas think. But I add this as the last Key to Victory for one reason: The nonconference games are over, and it's time to start truly impressing the people who matter most in college football: The 12 people on the College Football Playoff Committee. Ohio State is favored by 19 points going into this one. If the Buckeyes can cover the spread, and perhaps blow Wisconsin out if they have a chance, it'll send a strong first message that Ohio State is one of the teams the Committee needs to keep an eye on along with Georgia, Alabama and others.
The Buckeyes play their Big Ten opener under the lights tonight in the Horseshoe. But it's going to a be a little dark, as the team will be decked out in all black uniforms. I've always liked blackouts at the 'Shoe, but it doesn't matter to me what kind of uniforms Ohio State has as long as they get the job done! Tune into ABC tonight, and watch all the action go down at 7:30!
GO BUCKS
Sources: ESPN, 247sports.com, yahoo.com, Buckeyes Wire at USA Today,
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