For a while on Saturday, it seemed like Ohio State wouldn’t be able to penetrate Michigan State’s top-ranked run defense. The Spartans allowed about 10 rushing yards fewer per game than any other team in the country and the Buckeyes had 16 rushes for 14 yards in the first half.
The lack of success didn’t stop Ohio State from pounding the ball on the ground, though. Mike Weber believes “defenses should break” after a certain point. Michigan State’s defense didn’t crumble, but it let up just enough.
The Buckeyes averaged 3.7 rushing yards per game in the second half, and Weber pulled off a 104-yard game with most of his yards coming in the fourth quarter. After the game, Spartans defensive coordinator Mike Tressel partially attributed Ohio State’s late success to the 80-plus plays it ran on offense, with 45 coming on the ground.
The Buckeyes’ attacking, relentless run game wasn’t an accident. After their rushing yards per game plummeted each week, they had more than 220 rushing yards against Nebraska. Part of the success correlated with fewer run-pass options and more designed runs without the possibility of Dwayne Haskins pulling the ball to throw.
“I think it's better to have more straightforward runs, that way there's no confusion and there's no timidness toward it,” Weber said. “I just think if we just run at guys like we've been doing, old-style football, then it's going to work out for us”
However, some of the improved ground attack was also attributed to an altered mindset. The Buckeyes had gotten away from a punishing run style. Ryan Day said that has changed in recent weeks.
“I think there's something to be said for when you say, 'Hey, we're going to hand the ball to the tailback and you guys block for him, and if there's an extra guy in the box, there's an extra guy in the box,’” Day said. “I mean, there was an extra guy in the box last year. There's always an extra guy there. Sometimes we've just got to knock people back, we've got to run people over. I think that's what we've done. I think the running backs have run really hard. I think our offensive line has done a really good job.”
For a running back, that means “running guys over and just running right at guys,” Weber said. The offensive line has been able to tee off on defenders with fewer run plays with the option to pass.
Ohio State’s game against Maryland will be the team’s final test before facing Michigan, which possesses one of the top defenses in the nation.
“All you've got to do is run hard,” Weber said. “A lot of teams eventually fold. It was starting to happen in the third quarter, and that's what typically does happen.”
Coaches satisfied with deep balls
Dwayne Haskins didn’t complete a pass for longer than 25 yards against Michigan State on Saturday, and he threw only one pass longer than 30 yards the week prior against Nebraska. It came on a wide-open 42-yard touchdown toss to Johnnie Dixon.
Urban Meyer isn’t worried that Ohio State has not attacked defenses down the field, though. In fact, earlier this season, he believed quite the opposite.
“For quite a while, I thought we were almost doing too many deep shots,” Meyer said. “I think we've been pretty consistent throughout the games taking shots down the field.”
Day agreed with Meyer, saying the Buckeyes have had their “share of balls down the field.”
“I think Dwayne does throw a good (deep) ball,” Day said. “Some of the games where it's a little bit windy and you're going into the wind, it's not as easy. We didn't connect on the one to Johnnie (Dixon), we just didn't connect there. And then we overthrew the one to Terry (McLaurin) earlier in the game. Even going back to weeks before, I think we have done a good job of that. I think Dwayne's very accurate throwing the ball down the field, and we have some good deep threats. But again, sometimes if they're going to be playing a little further off, the underneath stuff opens up.”
Matthew Baldwin’s “unfortunate” timing
A few weeks ago, Meyer said freshman quarterback Matthew Baldwin was “about full speed now,” following surgery to repair a torn ACL that he suffered in the high school state championship game.
However, Ohio State has not fully enveloped him into the offense during practice since he returned to form in the middle of the season.
“He's just a little bit unfortunate in that he wasn't really ready to go in practice until we started to get going with the season, and then at that point, usually you get your first and second guy most of the reps. So, he hasn't been able to really do everything we want him to do in terms of preparation,” Day said.
No one expected Baldwin to play this season, so it’s not a particularly devastating injury in the short term. Dwayne Haskins and Tate Martell are the top two quarterbacks on the depth chart. The Buckeyes brought in Chris Chugunov, a transfer from West Virginia, to compete with Baldwin for third-string quarterback.
Since Baldwin was unable to participate in spring camp and much of fall practice, he’ll need to make up ground in the offseason to have a chance to compete for the starting quarterback position next year, should Haskins opt to leave early for the NFL draft.
“Obviously the bowl practice will be huge for him. Spring practice will be huge,” Day said. “I do think, when you look at where he's come physically and just learning football since he's got here, he's come a long way. But he just needs to play.”
Dante Booker sees the field
Typically, seniors are looked up to for steadiness and their experience. Dante Booker doesn’t lack anything for experience. He began both the 2016 and 2017 seasons as a starting linebacker, has played in nearly 40 games and has seven starts.
But Booker has battled numerous injuries in the past three years that have kept him off the field for large stretches, including this season. Even though he’s the sole senior on defense, he hasn’t been able to be a key part in the rotation at linebacker.
Recently, though, Booker has reemerged and played a couple early game series. He played his first defensive snaps in four weeks against Nebraska, then had seven snaps on Saturday. Greg Schiano said the possibility of getting Booker on the field more excites him.
“You've got to remember now, two surgeries this spring, both shoulders,” Schiano said. “Obviously you have to heal from those, but you don't practice, you miss time and all that. I think he's worked himself into a position where we really are going to need him down the stretch, and he's ready to do it down the stretch, which is good. So, I think we'll continue to work him in the game in certain situations.”
Booker doesn’t have a clear path to the field. Tuf Borland and Baron Browning are manning middle linebacker. The vast majority of Booker’s experience has come outside, but Malik Harrison has impressed this season and Pete Werner has played the most snaps of any linebacker on the team. Justin Hilliard and Keandre Jones are also contending for snaps at outside linebackers.
Booker, in all likelihood, won’t start another game, but any contribution to Ohio State the remainder of the season would be viewed as a positive after battling so many injuries.
“First of all, I tip my hat to him because of the way that he has worked through all of this,” Schiano said. “It's incredible. You talk about a guy that has resolve. This guy has fought through so much adversity. When you coach a guy like that, you just root for him. You want him to have success. So, I'm hopeful that he can and we can write the end of his career in a really good story.”
