The blowout train rolled on last weekend as Ohio State demoralized Maryland to the tune of 62-14 in the Shoe.
The defense paved the way allowing just 66 yards, good for the lowest output by an OSU opponent since 1960. Meanwhile, J.T. Barrett scorched the Terps defense for 320 total yards and four scores as the offense 584 total yards.
It wasn't all rainbows and roses however as the Buckeye special teams put on a (shit) show and right guard Branden Bowen was lost for the year due to a broken leg.
Turning the page, the Buckeyes are now set to tangle with Nebraska in Lincoln on Saturday night.
Here to talk about tomorrow's game and the state of the season in general, I'm pleased to welcome a gritty, clutch former Buckeye we all love to know as Evan Spencer, alongside staffers Kyle, David and Andrew Lind.
Take it away boys..
A lot went right last Saturday against Maryland but the dismal performance turned in by the special teams and right guard Branden Bowen suffering a broken leg stood out as low points. All things considered, which are you more worried about in a big game: special teams issues, the right side of the offensive line, the pass defense or something else? Why?
Evan: When the "bullets" start flying in a big-time college football game, great teams need to depend on strength in all three phases (offense, defense, and special teams) in order to remain competitive. Last weeks performance from our third phase, special teams, leads me to have a sense of uneasiness when it comes to special-teams dependability. Ohio State is a very special place that allows us to have top quality talent at moments notice so I am a firm believer in the fact that we will firm up the right side of your offensive line with the unfortunate injury to Brandon Bowen. That being said, there is a lot of growing up that needs to take place in a short amount of time in relation to our special teams unit as a whole because we will once again be tested by a hungry Big Ten opponent come this Saturday.
Kyle: I’m still concerned about the linebackers, given the way Baker Mayfield torched them for playing such undisciplined football in week two. Unlike other parts of the team (i.e. the passing game), this crew can’t dictate what they’re going to work on against the recent competition, meaning they haven’t had much chance to fix the errors that plagued them in a live-game situation. Unfortunately, Penn State runs an offense that's very similar to Oklahoma’s, based primarily around run-pass-options, meaning Chris Worley, Jerome Baker, and Dante Booker will have their hands full in a few weeks.
David: The right side of the offensive line. For years, really the entire history of Ohio State, their teams are successful if and only if they have a strong rushing attack (See: Elliott, Ezekiel and Clarett, Maurice). Demetrius Knox, when forced into action in last year's Fiesta Bowl, did not look good. Matthew Burrell has to step up because I'm not convinced there's really anyone behind him to push him. We've seen that in a big game, it is necessary for the offensive line to hold up. This needs to continue.
Andrew: Seeing as Bowen won the right guard position rather easily this summer and Meyer was non-committal for much of the week about who would replace him, that's my biggest concern at this moment in time.
I think the special teams issues get resolved sooner rather than later — with a lot of it the onus falling upon Meyer's public lack of trust in his kicker(s) being the culprit. If and when freshman Blake Haubeil gets a few good kicks under his belt, his confidence and Meyer's trust in him will lead the special teams unit out of the hole it's currently in.
But back to right guard, we saw in last year's Fiesta Bowl the downside of a player who isn't ready being thrust into the spotlight along the offensive line. I trust that Matthew Burrell is — and the staff will have him — much more prepared than Demetrius Knox was to fill in for Michael Jordan when he went down against Clemson. But if he's not, the Buckeyes are in a world of trouble. And there isn't a whole lot of options behind him.
Parris Campbell (26) and K.J. Hill (21) continue to lead the Buckeyes in receptions but it feels like Bin Victor (14) and Austin Mack (12) are also starting to find their football and with that, earning the trust of J.T. Barrett. Victor, in particular, is becoming a force in the red zone, tied for the team lead in TD catches with Johnnie Dixon. At season’s end, who will be the team leader in TD catches and with roughly how many? In order, who will be the top three be with regard to receptions?
David: Binjimen Victor *should* lead the team in touchdown receptions. I actually predicted him to be the team's offensive MVP in the staff predictions at the beginning of the year while literally everyone else predicted J.T. Barrett. If they throw it to him enough, he's going to make plays. At 6'4, he has the perfect frame of somebody who can go up and get it and should be greatly utilized in the red zone. I predict that Victor will finish with nine touchdown receptions to lead the team. In regard to receptions, I'll go with Hill, Campbell, and Victor.
Andrew: The biggest knock on Victor since he arrived on campus was his size; not his height, but the lack of meat on his bones. How would his lanky frame hold up against physical defensive backs?
Victor has responded, though, by — as you mentioned — being a terror in the red zone. I'd argue he has the best hands on the team and can outjump any defensive back in the country. Just like the offense in general, he just needed to gain the confidence and repertoire with quarterback J.T. Barrett.
If Ohio State is going to make it back to the College Football Playoff, Victor needs to be an essential part of the offense. His speed stretches out the defense, and his ability to make defenders miss, as we saw against Maryland, can turn a short gain into a score.
Victor is already tied for the team lead with four touchdowns, and he's only going to be targeted more in the next few weeks. I don't want to put an exact number on it, but I'd be surprised if he doesn't reach double digits.
Reception-wise, I think Dixon will also begin to take on a larger role. He'll finish third to Campbell and Victor is total receptions at the end of the year.
Kyle: Victor is the odds-on favorite to lead the team in touchdown catches, given how often the ball comes his way in the red zone. Dixon’s scores have all been of the catch-and-run variety (and from the same play), meaning his home run streak is far less likely to continue at the same pace. In terms of catches, though, Campbell and Hill are such critical parts of the game plan thanks to the increased reliance on bubble screens, which are really just an extension of the running game. However, the ball ends up in their hands quite frequently thanks to their ability to pick up yards in the open field, and that’s not going to change anytime soon.
Evan: Growth in our receiver room is one of the most satisfying qualities of this season so far for me for many reasons but mainly because of my inherent bias. Paris Campbell adapting a premier leadership role within the room, I feel, will allow him to become the team's leader in touchdown receptions this year. Quantifying the number of touchdown receptions he will have by years end is a bit of a challenge due to the sheer talent that'll demand additional targets within the receiver room. Looking forward, I feel that the reception leaders at the end of the year will be Paris Campbell followed by KJ Hill and Ben Victor.
Since we’re at the midpoint of the regular season, let’s have you give out some awards. Who is your Defensive Player of the Mid-Year and why?
Andrew: I feel as if most people will say Nick Bosa, and sure, he leads Ohio State with four sacks and 10 tackles for a loss. But we knew going into the year the defensive line was going to be the team's strength. Heck, you could probably make a case for Jalyn Holmes — who's stepped seemlessly inside to make up for the loss of Dre'Mont Jones and Michael Hill — or Tyquan Lewis, last year's defensive MVP.
But I'm going to go a bit off the wall and say cornerback Denzel Ward. The Buckeyes lost three defensive backs to the National Football League following last season — including both cornerbacks — and outside of the first two games of the season (I wouldn't necessarily blame those coverage struggles on Ward), the defensive backfield looks better than expected. He's tied for second in the nation with nine pass breakups and has 15 tackles in a little over five games.
Opposing quarterbacks are starting to avoid his side of the field, and when they do throw it his way, put their receiver in harms way.
Evan: The award for Defensive Player of the Mid-Year goes to Sam Hubbard. This is not due to the fact that he shares the same number as me but rather because his consistent leadership on the defensive line has allowed the strength of our defense to remain dominant from start to finish.
David: Denzel Ward has been absolutely huge for an inexperienced unit. Even though 3/4 of the players in that unit (or 4/5 as the Buckeyes use a nickel corner in various situations) need major improvement, it is always huge to have one player you can count on every time, and that's what the Buckeyes have in Ward. Another future first round pick, Ward's leadership and ability have been huge for a unit that has struggled most of the season.
Kyle: As great as Nick Bosa has been this fall, Denzel Ward has been absolutely dominant. He’s tied for second nationally with nine pass break-ups and virtually eliminates half the field in Greg Schiano’s man-coverage scheme. While there have been plenty of excellent cornerbacks at Ohio State in recent years, Ward is having just as good a year as any of them, and could very well follow in the footsteps of Buckeye corners like Antoine Winfield and Malcolm Jenkins by bringing a Thorpe Award back to Columbus this December.
On the other side of the ball, which offensive player earns your Most Surprising Player of the Mid-Year and why? This could be a positive or negative award – it’s up to you on which direction you want to go.
Kyle: It’s got to be J.K. Dobbins, right? As highly regarded he was as a recruit and as good as he looked in the spring, I don’t think anyone expected him to displace Mike Weber in the OSU running game so quickly. Sure, he and Weber split carries this past week now that last year’s starter is finally healthy once again, but the freshman is averaging 7.6 ypc this season, and has more rushing yards than Saquon Barkley, although with fewer attempts.
Evan: The award for the Most Surprising Player of the Mid-Year offensively goes to Austin Mack. His competitiveness under the lights has been extremely impressive and his ability to make a play when his number is called has developed a dependable relationship between himself and JT.
Andrew: It should have been expected the way everyone touted new offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson's use of the tight end position, but I've been particularly surprised by Marcus Baugh and Rashod Berry over the last few games. They're not targeted much, but they make plays when they are — to the tune of 14 combined catches for 169 yards and two touchdowns.
It's not a game-changing number so far, but just another wrinkle in the Ohio State offense which seems to be hitting its stride. Especially once the team gets in the red zone, Baugh and Berry become a great third option.
I just feel as if one of them is going to have a crucial catch here soon that not only gives the Buckeyes a much-needed first down or score, but saves the season altogether. And you can point back to their scores against UNLV or Maryland as a turning point in their respective careers.
David: J.K. Dobbins. I don't think anyone thought that he would be able to have the impact he has had, rushing for 669 yards and an average of 7.6 yards/carry. For a true freshman to come in and do what he has done thus far is nothing short of remarkable.
For all the hand-wringing earlier in the season, J.T. Barrett leads the B1G and ranks 21st in the country with an average of 304 total yards per game. He also boasts a ridiculous TD/INT ration of 16 to 1 and ranks 10th in the land in passing efficiency. That said, Ohio State has gotten fat on cupcakes the last four weeks. How confident are you Barrett and the passing game have turned the corner? What have seen or not seen that makes you feel like you do?
David: I'm feeling good. I know they've played weaker competition, but to see Binjimen Victor go up and grab a touchdown, or not seeing many doinks off receivers hands in recent games, or even the emergence of Johnnie Dixon and Rashod Berry are things that can be used as milestones against any type of competition. Barrett has also played better. His throws have more zip, and he has even connected on a deep ball or two. This week's game will prove to be another test, but should give us a better marker as to where the passing game is at before the showdown with Penn State.
Evan: I am extremely confident in the fact that JT Barrett and company have turned the corner in relation to the passing game because of their newfound offensive rhythm. When I look at our passing offense now I see a comfortable quarterback standing strong in the pocket and delivering the football to predetermined locations. This allows he in the receivers to always be on the same page no matter who the opponent is. This rhythm that they have developed ultimately is the most important thing regardless of who the opponent is. When receivers and quarterbacks are comfortable and confident it allows an offense to fully capitalize on any and every momentum shift throughout the game. When you couple that with a strong running attack you have yourself an offensive that is ready to compete for a national title.
Kyle: What I’ve seen is a system designed to take advantage of his strengths (reading a lone defender, underneath passing, and taking care of the ball), instead of forcing him into something people wish he was. Sure, some people would love to see him rain deep balls behind the secondary, but that’s just not who he is – and that’s just fine. Now, instead of throwing up prayers downfield or taking a grab bag approach to play-calling each week, just to see what will work, Kevin Wilson and Ryan Day have built a true system that spreads the defense horizontally, allowing J.T. and his receivers to actually build real chemistry for the first time in a long while. For proof of concept, look no further than the Kansas City Chiefs, who have built a similar offense around Alex Smith’s strengths for the first time, finally recognizing that he has certain skills and taking advantage of them instead of wishing he was something else entirely. They seem to be doing just fine if you ask me…
Andrew: I've gone on record several times stating that the quarterback position was not the issue with Ohio State's early-season struggles on offense. No, it was a conservative game plan and receivers not getting open or making plays when they did get the ball in their hands.
Over the last few weeks, that's changed.
Sure, it's easier to throw the ball all over without the fear of a close game against Army, UNLV, Rutgers and Maryland. But the biggest difference I see is confidence. Confidence from Meyer to open it up. Confidence from Barrett that his receivers are going to be open. Confidence from the receivers that they're going to beat their man.
That's how this offense is supposed to run.
Now, is there a chance it all comes to a screeching halt against Penn State? Sure. But each week leading up to it has given the offense all the confidence in the world, and I anticipate that will only continue.
A win in a tough environment this weekend will have things clicking on all cylinders, and I think that carries over to a much-needed win over Penn State, thus ending all the talk about the offensive struggles in big games.
J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber each had exactly 13 carries last week with Dobbins going for 96 yards on 7.4 per carry and Weber for 59 on 4.5 per carry. Weber also added a 53-yard reception off a wheel route. How are you feeling about the 1-2 punch at tailback? Any chance you wish Dobbins would carry a larger load? Maybe you prefer the equal distribution? If you were Meyer, how would you attempt to manage the tailback touches?
Kyle: While Weber may be the more physical of the two, Dobbins has superior balance and is quicker laterally, making him the frontrunner to see carries late in a close game. As mentioned above, he’s been the engine in Ohio State’s offense, but without taking on too heavy a load. With the exception of the season opener against Indiana in which he carried the ball 29 times, his biggest total since was only 14 against UNLV, setting him up to be a workhorse in November, should the need arise. Though Weber might get you 4 yards on 3rd-and 2, Dobbins might get you 12, meaning he’d be my choice at tailback.
David: I LOVE the 1-2 punch. 90% of the time when people wish for a "thunder and lightning" attack, it just isn't feasible. This time, though, it is. Dobbins is obviously the faster and more electric of the backs while Weber is the ground and pound type. I really like what Meyer has done the last few games. Let Dobbins get you down the field and have Weber pound his way into the end zone. Keep it up, coach.
Andrew: Though it's more likely Dobbins is getting the bulk of the carries at this point in time because of Weber's likely still-lingering injury, I think the staff is handling the distribution appropriately. Dobbins, though he did fumble last weekend, has looked every bit the feature back I expected him to be coming out of high school. And it was absoultely needed given Weber's slow start to the year.
Now that they've established their desire to get them both on the field at the same time, defenses are going to have a hard time stopping the run. I imagine whichever has the hot hand will be leading the way on a game-to-game basis, however, more so than Dobbins or Weber getting a specific amount of carries each week. I'm fine with that in most games, but I think one needs to be “the guy” when it comes down to crunch time. And I think that guy is Dobbins.
Evan: I feel great about the 1 2 punch we have in our backfield but would counter the question and say I wish that I could see a larger load from Mike Weber instead of JK Dobbins. While I feel JK is an incredibly talented running back and has a bright future here at Ohio State but I do feel Mike Weber possesses a breakaway speed that JK is still looking to find. That being said I have a strong feeling Mike Weber's carries the last few weeks have been muted due to the fact he is still recovering from a prior injury. I expect Mike Weber to have a breakout month here in October. I don't quite know if I would say either of their attempts need to be managed closer than they are but I would say that paying close attention to riding the hot hand throughout the course of the football game is of the utmost importance.
Michigan fell at home last weekend to Michigan State pushing Jim Harbaugh’s record to 24-7 through his first 31 games including 1-4 against the combo of Ohio State and Sparty. A chief culprit for Michigan’s woes is a scoring offense currently ranked 80th in the country (27.2 ppg). Will Harbaugh get the offense fixed anytime soon? What about Harbaugh’s status overall in Ann Arbor? If you had to bet on it, would you say Harbaugh will or won’t be Michigan’s head coach in two years? Why or why not?
Andrew: Admittedly, I haven't been able to watch much of Michigan this season outside of the second half of Saturday's rain-soaked loss to Michigan State, as my photographer duties take up a lot of my Saturday afternoons. But from what I saw that evening, the Wolverines don't look like a team that's going to finish any better than third in the Big Ten East.
And, for Harbaugh, that means trouble.
Michigan has recruited very well recently, so I'm not going to say Harbaugh is on borrowed time this year. But if the Wolverines lose to Ohio State and Michigan State again next year, the administration and fans are going to be restless. They won't fire him, but he may very well bolt for a job in the NFL after that.
David: The offense is absolutely abysmal. They even struggled with Cincinnati. Without Wilton Speight, unless Harbaugh pulls a magic trick with either Brandon Peters or Dylan McCaffrey, there's no shot as John O'Korn is simply not good enough to play starting quarterback in the Big Ten. I think he's safe in Ann Arbor, simply because there's nobody out there who is good enough to replace him. If Michigan wants to hire Les Miles or bring back DJ Durkin or what not, that's fine by me. But they'd be downgrading, and they know it would be a downgrade. In two years, I believe that he will still be at Michigan. I think the NFL has seen what he's done at Michigan and been unimpressed (at least to this point) and I'm not even sure Harbaugh wants to go back and work under another NFL owner when he can be "the man" at Michigan.
Evan: Yes, I do feel that Jim Harbaugh will get his offense fixed soon and be extremely competitive by the time we play them at the end of the year. That being said though he has a severe problem at the quarterback position that he has to figure out a solution for, and one of which that might not exist. The confidence level in Harbaugh's coaching staff I feel will remain intact through the rest of the season and next as long as his football team remains competitive. If there is any slippage I fear he might join the list of great football coaches looking for a new team.
Kyle: Michigan’s ‘Pro-Style’ offense is exactly that and to a fault. There’s nothing wrong with lining up in the I-formation and running the ball (see: Badgers, Wisconsin), but right now the Wolverine offense is so focused on finding concepts that will attack the weaknesses of a particular defender or opponent, yet fail to account for the youth being asked to execute those plays. Right now, Michigan’s offense has no identity or core philosophy to hang their hat on, as they’ve rotated so many formations and tactics in out of the playbook that they’ve truly become masters of nothing. Over time, the talent may develop into the kinds of players we saw last year, who were able to take on such a demanding new task every week, but there’s no question that the honeymoon period is officially over for Harbaugh and the fans in Ann Arbor. Will he be there in two years? I wouldn’t put my money on it.
Ohio State heads to Lincoln as a 23-point favorite. Do they cover? Give us your final score and player to watch.
Kyle: Though the Huskers held serve with Wisconsin heading into the fourth quarter last week, the Badgers’ physical running game led to three straight touchdown drives that put the game away and decimated the Nebraska front seven in the process. While Ohio State certainly runs a very different system than the one that came to Lincoln last week, Meyer has to be salivating at the thought of facing a team that just gave up 353 yards on the ground. I expect big nights from both running backs and a 45-14 victory for Ohio State.
David: Yes, I think they cover. 38-14. Binjimen Victor catches two touchdowns and Damon Arnette has an interception when he returns in the second half.
Andrew: I don't see a reason why this year's game won't follow the same general template at last season's 62-3 romp in Columbus. Playing on the road is never easy, especially in what is traditionally one of the harder places to play in the country, let alone the conference.
It might take a few series for the Buckeyes to get their feet underneath them, but I think Barrett comes out throwing the ball really well and has three first-half touchdowns. The crowd is out of it by halftime, and Dobbins and Weber both top 100 yards on the ground as Ohio State coasts to a 42-17 win.
Evan: Given Nebraska's turnover issues on offense, I feel that Ohio State will cover the point spread.
