Fresh off an emotionally and physically draining come-from-behind victory against No. 9 Penn State, Urban Meyer's squad returns to the friendly confines for a homecoming tussle with the Indiana Hoosiers at 4:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
The Buckeyes enter as heavy favorites and should have little trouble provided they can avoid a letdown.
To get your mind right for the battle against the crimson and cream, I welcome 11W fixtures Kyle Jones, Kevin Harrish and David Wertheim to this week's roundtable.
Ohio State’s rushing attack managed just 119 rushing yards on 3.2 yards per carry against a blitz-happy Penn State defense, continuing a decline in ground production since the start of the season. Is there any reason to worry here? What facet is most-central to the running game’s struggles? The offensive line? Opponent’s game planning? The lack of a running threat at quarterback? Something else?
Kyle: The lack of a running threat at QB has been the biggest factor to this downturn in production. Without JTB there to pick up five yards at a time on the ground, Ohio State has not run much of the true option game to which we've grown accustomed over the years. Instead of leaving a defender on the edge unblocked to be read by the QB, many of Dwayne Haskins' reads have come before the snap, based on the defense's alignment. However, while bltizes have thrown those numbers off after the snap at times, OSU has made up much of these yards through bubble screens to the slot receiver, as we saw in the second half against Penn State. This play-calling is unlikely to change as the season progresses, although I fully expect Weber and Dobbins to receive more runs around the edges in order to get them in space.
David: I don't have anything to worry about as long as the Buckeyes are winning. Honestly, I think the main issue is that when Haskins is struggling, like he was for three quarters against Penn State, the opponents can stack against the run and force Haskins to beat them. When Haskins is on, the rushing attack will come, as the opponents will be forced to defend the pass.
Kevin: It’s not something to worry about as long as Ohio State is able to execute elsewhere. When the opponent gets aggressive and sells out to stop the run, you have to find another way to attack a defense.
Against Penn State, that was a problem in the first half. The Nittany Lions attacked Ohio State the same way they have in previous years, and the Buckeyes were similarly ineffective down the field. The biggest difference was that Ohio State didn’t have a quarterback run to help even the numbers in the box. But eventually the Buckeyes made them pay with those screen passes.
TL;DR, opponents can’t stop everything every play. If they’re trying to stop the run, that’s fine. Ohio State needs to find a way to counter.
Dwayne Haskins ended up with a pretty meaty stat line versus Penn State but there’s no question he looked like a deer in headlights for at least two quarters. Did that surprise you? Does it do anything to change your outlook, bullish or otherwise, on whether or not Haskins is good enough to lead Ohio State to a national title? We all know his strengths as a quarterback but what do you see as his greatest area of opportunity?
Kevin: Honestly, I was surprised, especially because I thought he handled himself very well against TCU and last season against Michigan. I guess Happy Valley is a different animal. I think Dwayne Haskins is a rhythm passer that likes to get the ball out of his hand quickly, and Penn State didn’t give him that luxury. I think he’s a tremendously talented quarterback, but he’s also young and inexperience. And for the first time, that showed against Penn State. But at the end of the day, he got the win and his team is 5-0.
David: I feel better about Ohio State's national championship hopes than I did before the game. Had you told me that Ohio State was going to win, but not tell me the score, I would have honestly hoped for this. Haskins looked terrible for two quarters, but it was in probably a top-3 most hostile environment in all of college football. He shouldn't be scared of anything now, and I expect him to bulldoze opponents the rest of the season. He just needs to continue to improve his mentality, and the results will continue to come. There's a reason his Heisman odds went up after that game.
Kyle: His pocket presence left much to be desired, not only because he seemed tentative and overwhelmed, but because his mechanics went out the window against pressure as well. Instead of maintaining a solid base and driving up from his feet and hips, Haskins' footwork and arm angles were all over the place, leading to a number of inaccurate throws. His longest completion of the night (Bin Victor's 47-yard catch and run) only traveled 12 yards downfield and Victor made an incredible play just to haul in a ball that was high and behind him. With the conference schedule now in full effect, opposing defenses will assuredly bring pressure of all kinds in hopes of recreating Penn State's success against a previously dominant passing game, so Haskins will have no choice but to improve in this area.
Dwayne Haskins looked shook early but rebounded with a big second half in Happy Valley.
Through the first month of the season, which player has been the most pleasant surprise based on your preseason expectations? Which player falls at the other end of that spectrum?
David: I think that the wide receiver corps as a whole have been phenomenal. Yes, we thought a coaching change could do some good, but I certainly didn't expect this. It seems like a new receiver steps up every single game, and Haskins is certainly reaping the benefits. On the other side, I think its been a really rough season for Isaiah Pryor and Jahsen Wint. They got burnt several times through the first few games, including long touchdowns vs. Oregon State and TCU, and then again at Penn State, before Pryor was ejected for targeting. It will be interesting to see how Wint does in the first half against Indiana while Pryor is forced to sit.
Kevin: I thought Pete Werner would end up as one of the most forgettable players in that vaunted 2017 class, and so far I am laughably wrong about that. I love how fast and aggressive he plays. It seems like he’s in the backfield more often than not making huge hits.
Isaiah Pryor has been disappointing to me. I expected some struggles because I sincerely believe safety is the hardest position in college football, but he’s just looked a step behind on a lot of plays and has taken a few bad angles resulting in big plays. That said, I think that reflects poorly on the entire safeties position group of he’s the clear No. 1 guy.
Kyle: Isaiah Prince improved greatly last fall, but he looked like a different player in his second trip to Happy Valley last weekend. He had one holding penalty after getting beat by a speed rush on the outside, but otherwise, he's been the most reliable member of the OSU offensive line. According to CFBFilmRoom.com, he has yet to allow a sack and has only allowed one QB hit all year, earning a team-high pass block rating of 98.1%. As opponents continue to bring the aforementioned pressure to throw off Haskins, Prince's solid efforts may be more important than initially thought.
The linebackers and one safety spot have certainly drawn the ire of fans at times this season. I’d argue the linebackers were pretty solid in the second half at both TCU and Penn State though inconsistency has been an issue. I’d also argue that the offensive line’s ability to run block could also be an issue against an elite opponent. At this moment in time, which position group still gives you the most heartburn – not just for what you’ve seen to date but for what you think the ceiling of the group may or may not be as the season wears on?
Kyle: The safety spot opposite Jordan Fuller remains a big issue. Given Greg Schiano's philosophy of man-coverage that essentially bets that his 11 will beat your 11, there remains a big gap at that deep safety position with either Isaiah Pryor or Jahsen Wint. One potential solution may be for Shaun Wade to take over the field safety spot, given how often that player must cover a slot receiver downfield, fitting the converted cornerback's skill set well. That would allow Fuller to move back to the boundary spot he manned last year in which he was so effective. However, asking a player to start at a position as versatile and demanding as the safety position just a few weeks after beginning to practice there is a tall order, and could potentially lead to even more blown assignments.
David: The linebackers. I'm not concerned about the offensive line. They've done what they need to, and a veteran group like that will figure it out. The corners are similar, although the safety spot is an extremely weak hole in the back end. The main concern for me, however, is the linebackers. We saw in the Oklahoma and Iowa losses last year how important that group is, and they haven't looked good this year whatsoever (although they did step up a bit in the second half last week). Billy Davis needs to round his group into shape now before it's too late.
Kevin: It’s the safeties. I actually think the linebackers have played much better than expected and the offensive line has been tremendously good in pass protection. But the safety position opposite of Jordan Fuller has just not been great. And I think what scares me the most is a lot of my fears come from an apparent lack of athleticism. I understand that it’s kind of ridiculous to expect Vonn Bell, Malik Hooker and Jordan Fuller back there every year, but it’s hard to watch those guys just get straight up outrun by opposing skill players.
Tusca-Lucifer and Alabama once again look damn near invincible through the early part of the season.
Going national real quick, Alabama looks like it’s at a different level than everyone else with a batch of teams including Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia, Oklahoma and LSU following behind. From what you’ve seen through five weeks, give us your top four teams, in order, and briefly support each pick.
Kevin: I'm going with this:
- Alabama – I know they haven’t really been tested yet, but they look like a damn juggernaut and there isn’t really an apparent weakness at any position.
- Ohio State – The Buckeyes have two road wins against top-15 teams including what I believe is the best win in the country so far this year.
- Georgia – I thought Georgia was one of the four most talented teams in the country preseason and the Bulldogs have done nothing to convince me otherwise.
- Clemson – I think Clemson is an extremely talented team that hasn’t really quite played up to its potential, but is still undefeated. With that defensive line, it’s hard to keep the tigers out of the top four.
David: Put me down for:
- Alabama- until they lose, you can't move them. They won the championship last year, and Tua looks really good.
- Ohio State- two of the best wins in the country already, has a tremendous group of offensive players, and a defense that could certainly improve leaps and bounds.
- Oklahoma- Kyler Murray is really good. They can score with anybody and thus beat anybody.
- Notre Dame- another team with several impressive wins already, the Irish have done it with two quarterbacks. Brian Kelly isn't messing around.
Kyle: As good as Oklahoma has looked, the four most talented and deep teams in the country appear to be Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, and Clemson (in that order). These teams have outscored their opponents by average margins of 41, 31, 30, and 22 points-per-game respectively. Outside of OSU's one-point win in State College and Clemson's scare following the injury to Trevor Lawrence, none has been pushed to the brink or truly exposed in a way that shows a real weakness. That said, Ohio State is the only team to encounter a team that is currently ranked, so this exercise may well be a fool's errand as of now. We should know a lot more about Georgia over the next month, as they face a stretch that features LSU, Florida, Kentucky, and Auburn in consecutive weeks, with the finale being the only game played at home. While matchups with LSU and Auburn will test the Crimson Tide, we may not find out much about Clemson for the rest of the year as their only ranked opponent is #23 NC State, and the Buckeyes won't see another member of the top 25 until mid-November, meaning there should be plenty of time for the Tigers and Buckeyes to iron out any wrinkles before they face a true test again.
Ohio State enters this weekend’s tilt with Indiana as a 25.5-point favorite but we were reminded last year it can be tough to get up for a lesser opponent after an emotional win. Obviously, hosting the Hoosiers is much different than going on the road but how does it play out this week? Give us your final score and game MVP.
David: I predict a 42-20 Ohio State victory (thus, not covering.) I think Haskins throws for three more TD's, two to Johnnie Dixon, earning him the MVP.
Kevin: I can’t see Ohio State allowing anything close to last season’s debacle with it still fresh in the memory. I think the Buckeyes will cruise to a 52-14 victory with J.K. Dobbins as my game MVP.
Kyle: I think the memory of the loss in Iowa City is still fresh for everyone in and around the program, and given that he's spending less time getting into the details of running the offense, I'd be shocked to see Urban Meyer let his team come out flat this Saturday. With a 4:00 p.m. kickoff, the fans should also be in fine form. The biggest wildcard right now appears to be the weather, as there is a chance of thunderstorms coming with the unseasonably warm temperatures. As long as the thunder and lightning don't play a factor, though, I see the Buckeyes coming away with an efficient 49-14 victory, with K.J. Hill continuing to impress with a pair of touchdowns.
Header image courtesy of Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports.
