A host of Ohio State players and coaches met with the media yesterday, including quarterback C.J. Stroud and receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, ahead of Saturday's night's clash with No. 1 seed Georgia in a College Football Playoff semifinal.
With Georgia sporting the nation's top ranked rushing defense, allowing under 77 yards per contest on 2.93 per attempt, but just the nation's 51st-best passing defense, it's fair to assume Ryan Day and company will lean heavily on Stroud and his receiving corps.
This reality is potentially magnified by Miyan Williams' absence from practice down in Atlanta the last few days and TreVeyon Henderson already done for the year with injury.
Stroud knows Georgia's pass defense will be looking to put up a better showing than it did versus LSU when it allowed 502 passing yards. (Of course, you can't type that without also mentioning the Dawgs won that contest by 20 points.)
We got to play Buckeye football.. So I'm pretty sure they're not going to let us drop back and do what we want to do. I'm pretty sure they've been watching film on us and make sure that's something they stop.. I'm pretty sure they'll have a plan for that, and we'll have to be on our game just as much as they are. – OSU QB C.J STROUD ON GEORGIA BEING READY FOR THE PASS
Stroud is also aware Saturday's matchup is step one in elevating a legacy of gaudy stats and Heisman finalist appearances but an 0-2 record versus Michigan.
In eight games against pass defenses ranked ahead of Georgia this season, Stroud completed completed 66% of his passes for an average of 261.3 yards per game with 21 touchdowns against five interceptions - two of those picks were tipped balls versus the Wolverines.
As much as what Stroud does with his arm, it will be interesting to see how often he uses his legs on pass plays when his receivers are covered to keep the Buckeyes on schedule.
Of course, when he does let the ball go, his top two targets will be Harrison and Egbuka.
| OPPONENT | OPP PASS YPG ALLOWED | NATL RANK | OPP YPA ALLOWED | NATL RANK | STROUD COMP/ATT | STROUD PASS YDS | STROUD COMP% | STROUD TD/INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MICHIGAN | 192 | 22 | 5.8 | 5 | 31/48 | 349 | 64.6 | 2/2 |
| NORTHWESTERN | 183 | 12 | 7.1 | 63 | 10/26 | 76 | 38.5 | 0/0 |
| PENN STATE | 213 | 49 | 5.9 | 6 | 26/33 | 354 | 78.8 | 1/0 |
| IOWA | 174 | 9 | 5.5 | 2 | 20/30 | 286 | 66.7 | 4/1 |
| RUTGERS | 207 | 36 | 6.5 | 29 | 13/22 | 154 | 59.1 | 2/1 |
| WISCONSIN | 202 | 29 | 7.0 | 55 | 17/27 | 281 | 63.0 | 5/1 |
| TOLEDO | 186 | 15 | 5.9 | 6 | 22/27 | 367 | 81.5 | 5/0 |
| NOTRE DAME | 189 | 20 | 6.6 | 35 | 24/34 | 223 | 70.6 | 2/0 |
Egbuka, after posting 1,039 receiving yards through 12 games in his first year as a starter, is embracing the challenge of competing against the defending national champs on the big stage.
I'm very confident in the talent we do have on offense, and I feel like when it comes to us playing any team in the nation, I feel confident with our guys and our ability to sling the rock.– Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka
Despite his teammate gaining notoriety nationally, it's interesting Egbuka's actually been a hair more productive than Harrison against top-50 pass defenses so far this season. That said, Harrison's talent and production can't be denied and the attention he draws has no doubt created some room for Egbuka to maneuver.
Harrison, like Egbuka, also relishes the chance to face the Bulldogs in a high-stakes showdown.
I'm glad we play them in Atlanta, kind of in their home arena. I've always liked being the villain or the underdog in these big games, so I'm excited do that. – OHIO STATE WR MARVIN HARRISON JR.
The hope is the rest of the Buckeyes share Harrison's sentiment and come ready to fight on Saturday. Pass protection will need to be sound and Stroud will be need to be a willing runner and deadly accurate with his arm as he searches for his top two guys downfield.
| OPPONENT | HARRISON REC | HARRISON REC YDS | HARRISON REC TD | EGBUKA REC | EGBUKA REC YDS | EGBUKA REC TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MICHIGAN | 7 | 120 | 1 | 9 | 125 | 1 |
| NORTHWESTERN | 5 | 51 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| PENN STATE | 10 | 185 | 0 | 6 | 53 | 0 |
| IOWA | 7 | 62 | 1 | 6 | 80 | 1 |
| RUTGERS | 3 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 70 | 0 |
| WISCONSIN | 3 | 45 | 0 | 6 | 118 | 2 |
| TOLEDO | 6 | 102 | 2 | 7 | 116 | 1 |
| NOTRE DAME | 5 | 56 | 0 | 9 | 90 | 1 |
In eight contests against top-50 pass defenses so far this season, both Harrison and Egbuka have posted three 100-yard receiving efforts. Both did so in the loss to Michigan and the blowout of Toledo while Harrison carved up Penn State for 10 grabs and 185 yards and Egbuka scorched Wisconsin with 118 yards and two touchdowns.
Overall, Harrison is averaging 5.8 catches for 79.9 yards with five touchdown catches over those eight games while Egbuka's 6.1 receptions for 82.3 yards with six touchdown grabs are a touch better.
The duo won't be the only targets for Stroud but they'll likely be the most important. How well Day and company can scheme them open - and not just laterally - will go a long way in determining whether Ohio State can spring the upset on Saturday night.
