The Buckeyes had the unusual season opener against Indiana, but the true and more lengthy conference schedule starts this weekend at Rutgers. Ohio State opened as a 27.5-point favorite against Chris Ash and the Scarlet Knights, but there's no denying that there are some areas still in desperate need of improvement.
Urban Meyer can get away with some subpar play against the likes of UNLV and Rutgers, but once Penn State, Iowa, and Michigan come calling, then these things better be clicking for the Scarlet and Gray.
Intermediate Passing Game
Some people seem to be all about Dwayne Haskins getting more playing time while others want to ride things out with the fifth-year senior. I side with the latter, but I'm fully aware that Haskins has the superior arm talent and can make throws that Barrett simply cannot. It's clear that Barrett remains the guy with Haskins and Joe Burrow coming off the bench, however.
The intermediate passing game is a concern right now. The crossing routes to Parris Campbell have been nice, but the mid-range passing game is in need of improvement. That really falls on everyone — the quarterback, pass-catchers, and the offensive line.
The Lack of a Deep Threat
This is no secret, but Ohio State has a lot of fast players. Still, the Buckeyes continue to miss that true deep threat that can take the top off of a defense.
The best recent example continues to be Devin Smith who was a true master of the craft. This hasn’t been a consistent part of the offense since Cardale Jones left town
Again, this relates to a number of factors – including the arm strength of the quarterback – but someone needs to step into this role. It will be even more important against the more stout defenses.
Heading into the UNLV game, things weren't looking pretty for the deep and intermediate passing game.
Here are all of J.T. Barrett's throws this season... the over 10 yds/under 10 yds breakdown is astonishing. pic.twitter.com/8OpKVeluMK
— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) September 21, 2017
Red Zone Scoring Offense
The Buckeyes have made 24 trips to the red zone and only come away with 13 touchdowns; a 54 percent conversion rate. They've scored some form of points on 20 of those 24 attempts (83 percent), which is good for No. 70 in America.
I'm of the opinion that the red zone play selection has been extremely questionable at times. There have been a few instances where J.K. Dobbins wore the defense out and drove the Buckeyes down the field only to have them revert to the predictable quarterback draw once they neared the end zone. It has been beyond frustrating at times.
Sean Nuernberger has attempted seven field goals thus far and he's made them all. His longest attempt has been from just 33 yards out. Against Oklahoma, the Buckeyes kicked three field goals—two from the 6-yard line and one from the 14. That didn't help their cause against the No. 5 team in the country.
The Cornerback Opposite Denzel Ward
On the defensive side of the ball, this is the single-biggest concern for me. Ward has been very good, and some of the plays that he's fallen victim to have simply been outstanding individual efforts from the receivers. His counterparts have not fared so well.
Whether it's been Kendall Sheffield or Damon Arnette, the play of the No. 2 cornerback has not been ideal. There have been some examples of Arnette specifically coming up and making big plays against the run or swing passes, but the coverage downfield has been suspect. Sheffield had a forgettable performance against UNLV and some are perhaps wondering if the "one and done" chatter was just crazy talk for the JUCO transfer.
Defending the Run-Pass Option
The run-pass option that Baker Mayfield executed to perfection was one of the many issues that plagued Ohio State on that fateful Saturday night. The Buckeye linebackers were put in a difficult spot and oftentimes failed to stick with their coverage, leading to a number of big plays. Mayfield was in the zone that night, and that made the task even more difficult.
Interestingly, the Buckeyes implemented a little more "RPO" into its offense the following week against Army. That game saw J.T. Barrett and Co. put up 586 yards of total offense.
This is hardly a strategy that all teams employ, but with opponents like Penn State and Maryland remaining on the schedule, it's something the Ohio State defense – especially its linebackers – will need to improve on.
Penalty Yards: A Real Problem
When it comes to penalty yards per game, the Buckeyes aren't doing so hot. This was clearly evident last week when they gave up five first downs to UNLV by way of penalties. Three of them were called against Kendall Sheffield who has a tendency to use his hands a bit too much.
Urban Meyer didn't shy away when asked about the penalties in the secondary:
"Very concerned, terrible. It's awful," Meyer said.
The Buckeyes were penalized 85 yards versus UNLV and 87 against Oklahoma. They check in at No. 100 in the country and are being hit with 69.3 penalty yards per game. Alabama and Clemson are the top two teams in America, and they both average 36.3 penalty yards per game—just over half of what Ohio State is averaging.
The Kickoff Struggle is Real
How about another stat that may not have quite as much impact but certainly has been on Urban Meyer's mind? The Buckeyes are No. 107 in the country in terms of yards per kickoff. They're No. 122 (out of 128 teams) when it comes to touchback percentage—3 of 29 kicks for a total of 10.34 percent.
For comparison sake, Virginia Tech already has 29 touchbacks. Two Buckeye kicks have been booted out of bounds thus far in 2017 as well.
Following the game against Army, Meyer expressed his displeasure with Blake Haubeil's kickoffs and stated he was considering giving Sean Nuernberger a shot. Not sure if the concern is about distance, hang time, or just general placement. Haubeil did continue to handle kickoff duties against UNLV, however.
