"When you look at Ohio State following the loss at Purdue, they’ve had two wins, but they’re not as sharp as they were in the middle of the year. Let’s put it that way."
That was Playoff Committee chairman Rob Mullens on Tuesday night, explaining why the Buckeyes stayed at No. 10 in this week's ranking despite a 20-point road win over a ranked Michigan State opponent.
"Not as sharp," is a blanket statement he used to assess the team in its entirety, but it applies more specifically to the triggerman in Ohio State's offense.
Dwayne Haskins started the season on a historic tear. Through eight games, he averaged 350 passing yards and nearly four touchdowns a game while completing 71.1 percent of his passes. He also put together a string of three consecutive games where he eclipsed 400 passing yards, capped by a school-record 470 yards in the stunning road loss to Purdue.
That's where Haskins' Heisman march derailed. To that point, it looked like a two-man race between Ohio State's signal-caller and Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. West Virginia's Will Grier and Oklahoma's Kyler Murray were simply in the mix.
Since that loss to Purdue, Haskins' Heisman odds, and not coincidentally, his play, have dropped significantly. He's averaged just 239.5 passing yards in his last two outings to complement three total touchdowns and an uncharacteristic 59.1 completion percentage.
To be fair, one of those matchups came against the Spartans in less-than-ideal throwing conditions. But it's clear his play has declined since Ohio State's Week 9 bye. The footwork is getting sloppier, his throws feel more rushed and his accuracy and ball placement aren't as on-point as they were in the first half of the season.
Not as sharp.
There are other factors, of course. Ohio State's run game has been a major focus, both for the media trying to make sense of a slumping Buckeyes team and a coaching staff that's dedicating more practice time to getting things going on the ground.
"We didn’t do too much passing the way we should’ve done," Haskins said of the week of practice leading up to Ohio State's 36-31 win over Nebraska. "But we learned from it. We did really good in the running game so I’m happy for the line and the running backs. They deserved that game."
The running game is starting to come alive. Can Haskins do the same and recapture the Heisman-level of play he showcased to start the season?
There's likely too much separation between him and the frontrunners to actually win college football's most prestigious individual award. After spending most of the season with the second-best odds behind Tagovailoa, his chances have fallen to 100/1 behind seven other players.
Odds to win the Heisman Trophy, via @BovadaOfficial
— Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) November 12, 2018
Tua Tagovailoa 2/9
Kyler Murray 5/1
Will Grier 7/1
Shea Patterson 20/1
Travis Etienne 25/1
Trevor Lawrence 25/1
Gardner Minshew 50/1
Dwayne Haskins 100/1
McKenzie Milton 100/1
But Haskins has the opportunity to elevate his play down the home stretch. This Saturday, he'll face off against his home-state Maryland Terrapins with a chance to set Ohio State's single-season record for passing yards.
"I’m looking forward to Saturday and so close to that single-season passing record," Haskins said this week. "It’s been there for a long time, you know. It’s crazy to realize how cool that is."
Needing just 50 passing yards to set the new benchmark, that record should fall before the close of the first quarter. Maybe that will help him generate some momentum heading into the regular-season finale, where Michigan and college football's best defense awaits.
If Haskins finds his stride again, there's no doubt he could play his way to an invite to New York City for the Heisman Trophy presentation. And, not coincidentally, he'd also likely pull the Buckeyes up the ranking and into the College Football Playoff.
