Matt Tamanini
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The next three games are a perfect ramp-up for Ohio State’s trip to Oregon
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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The Buckeye offense will have three opportunities to get better against increasingly challenging competition.
Much to Danny Kanell’s delight, the Ohio State football team is about to experience an increase in competition levels as it works its way toward a top-10 matchup with the Oregon Ducks on Oct. 12. Through the first two games of the season, the Buckeyes have played MAC also-rans Akron and Western Michigan, giving the No. 3 Buckeyes a strength of schedule ranking of 90th in the FBS.
However, with three games to play before that highly anticipated, cross-country contest in Eugene, OSU has the opportunity to work itself into mid-season form. The Buckeyes’ three opponents between now and Oregon appear to present increasingly daunting challenges to Ohio State’s offense. Starting first with a competent pass rush from Marshall; following it up with a solid run defense from Michigan State; and then wrapping up this three-game ramp-up with the total package from Iowa.
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That escalation period begins on Saturday when the Buckeyes host the Marshall Thundering Herd. After what was essentially an NFL-like preseason schedule in Weeks 1 and 2, Ohio State gets back to action following the first off-week of its season by taking a moderate step up in competition. While Akron and WMU currently rank 128th and 113th in SP+ — no doubt hindered by their performances in The Horseshoe — the Thundering Herd comes into Saturday’s game at a slightly more respectable 91st.
While Marshall’s analytical ranking is only marginally better than the Zips and Bronos’, they do have one fairly formidable unit that could present a worthwhile test for the Buckeyes. According to Pro Football Focus’ grades, Marshall currently has the fourth-highest pressure score of any team in FBS. Given all of the legitimate concerns around Ohio State’s offensive line, this should be a well-timed test to see how the hogmollies look with two-time first-team All-Big Ten guard Donovan Jackson back in the lineup.
What’s nice about this modest improvement in opponent quality is that OSU is not in any real danger of losing the game to Marshall, but if their pass rush of Mike Green, JJ Hawkins, Jason Shuford, Chris Thomas Jr., Deeve Harris, and even cornerback Jadarius Green-McKnight can give Justin Frye, Chip Kelly, and Ryan Day an idea of how this starting five — and quarterback Will Howard — reacts to a little bit of pressure, that can only be a good thing.
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After the matchup with the Herd, OSU will turn its attention to the Big Ten portion of its schedule. Coming into the season, the Michigan State Spartans were picked to finish 16th in the 18-team league according to the cleveland.com B1G Media Poll. However, through three games, new head coach Jonathan Smith’s squad has looked surprisingly competent.
Sparty is 3-0 with a solid 27-24 road win over the Maryland Terrapins last weekend. Now, they will head to Chestnut Hill to take on a Boston College Eagles team that has turned in fairly impressive performances in the early days of Ohio State coaching icon Bill O’Brien’s tenure.
So even if Michigan State loses to BC and comes into the primetime Peacock matchup in East Lansing at 3-1, you know that Day and company will have the team focused on ramping up the intensity, focus, and execution for a competent Big Ten opponent. However, MSU also could present a very different test for the offensive line than Marshall might.
The Spartans have the 19th-best rush defense according to according to PFF’s grades. This, in my estimation, is a much bigger concern for the Buckeye o-line than pass protection. Michigan State is allowing just 78.33 yards per game on the ground, roughly one-third of the 221.5 ypg that OSU is picking up via the running game.
Ohio State’s numbers are a bit skewed because of the Akron and WMU of it all, but carrying over last year’s performance, and including the first half against the Zips, I do think there is reason to be concerned about OSU’s ability to open up holes for TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins — arguably the best tandem of running backs. However, during the last six quarters of action, the Buckeye front five have done a much better job in that respect. So, if they can keep that up against a seemingly above-average Spartan front, then that should bode well moving into the beef of the Big Ten schedule.
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Alrighty, this is where business really starts to pick up. The first four games of the Ohio State season weren’t exhibition games (as Notre Dame and Mississippi State can attest) but they were hors d’oeuvres, — an amuse-bouche, if you will — at best; the snacks you eat before you leave home just in case the food at the party is weird or overly fancy at worst.
However, the competition gets serious on Oct. 5 as the Buckeyes will welcome the Iowa Hawkeyes to Ohio Stadium. Admittedly, Herky’s defeat in the Cy-Hawk rivalry game might rob the game of a little bit of juice, but I don’t think anyone inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center — or across Buckeye Nation — is going to underestimate the Iowa defense.
Kirk Ferentz’s squad currently ranks as the fifth-best rush defense in the country, allowing a paltry 56.33 ypg. Iowa has the second-rated defense according to SP+, behind only the Buckeyes. Beyond that, the Hawkeyes are a known commodity; while the offense has been embarrassingly bad in recent seasons, there is no doubting the team’s defense. Last season, they allowed just 14.8 points per game and this year — with a far smaller sample size — that number is down at 13.7.
To make matters just a little bit more complicated for Kelly and Day, Iowa will have its first open date the week before heading to Columbus. So not only will they be fresh, but Ferentz and defensive coordinator Phil Parker will have two full weeks to prepare for OSU’s multi-dimensional offense.
While I might have hoped for incremental steps up in competition against Marshall and Michigan State, this is a giant leap forward — at least for the offense. Unfortunately, none of OSU’s three opponents before Oregon will likely show much that challenges Jim Knowles' defense. So, any opportunity the Buckeyes have to sharpen their offensive attack before heading to Eugene, the better, and this will be their toughest test yet — and potentially all season.
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Before the season began, many thought that this would be the biggest game of the college football season. An undoubtedly top-five matchup between new conference foes who have met in the regular and postseason multiple times over the past decade with Big Ten supremacy hanging in the balance.
While the hype and anticipation are still there, some of the grandeur has worn off a bit following Oregon’s back-to-back struggles with schools from the great state of Idaho. SP+ still likes the Ducks — ranked eighth overall — neither their offense nor defense has yet to feel totally congealed. Transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel found his footing against rival Oregon State, throwing for 290 yards on 20-for-24 passing and two touchdowns. However, the offense felt out of sync against Idaho and Boise State.
But with Ohio State’s steady ascent up the competition mountain, we have reason to hope that the Buckeye offense will be well-tested and thoroughly vetted by the time they get to Eugene. But Marshall, MSU, and Iowa aren’t particularly likely to put up much of an offensive fight of their own, so the OSU defense could be in for its first real challenge.
If the Gabriel we saw in last week’s Civil War is the one that shows up on Oct. 12, then the Buckeyes’ star-studded secondary will be in for its first test of the season, and honestly, I hope it is. There have been far too many seasons in recent memory in which OSU was able to coast through nearly its entire schedule only to be smacked in the face by equivalent, or even superior, talent in the rivalry game or College Football Playoff.
Now, I’m not going to be heartbroken if Oregon somehow loses to UCLA and/or Michigan State before the Buckeyes come to town, but I’d like to see what OSU looks like against a well-rounded, top-tier opponent midseason. In this new era of a 12-team playoff, one loss at that point of the year isn’t going to kill you — especially with the chance to avenge the theoretical defeat in a conference title game.
And win or lose, the Buckeyes have their second off week of the season following the trip to Oregon, so you want there to be good-on-good film to break down with matchups against Nebraska and Penn State waiting on the other side of the bye.
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The trek to the top of the college football mountain is a dangerous and arduous one. However, if you are able to break the journey down into multiple, smaller challenges, you will discover the ability to learn along the way and bet yourself for the even more daunting tests that lie ahead.
While Ohio State will undoubtedly be heavily favored against Marshall, Michigan State, and even Iowa, each one of those games presents an opportunity for the Buckeye offense to show what it is capable of against increasingly formidable foes.
If Ryan Day and his staff are able to recognize and absorb the lessons learned along the way, then the Ohio State Buckeyes should be in peak fighting condition for their battle against Oregon on Saturday, Oct. 12.
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Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Made with Google AI
The Buckeye offense will have three opportunities to get better against increasingly challenging competition.
Much to Danny Kanell’s delight, the Ohio State football team is about to experience an increase in competition levels as it works its way toward a top-10 matchup with the Oregon Ducks on Oct. 12. Through the first two games of the season, the Buckeyes have played MAC also-rans Akron and Western Michigan, giving the No. 3 Buckeyes a strength of schedule ranking of 90th in the FBS.
However, with three games to play before that highly anticipated, cross-country contest in Eugene, OSU has the opportunity to work itself into mid-season form. The Buckeyes’ three opponents between now and Oregon appear to present increasingly daunting challenges to Ohio State’s offense. Starting first with a competent pass rush from Marshall; following it up with a solid run defense from Michigan State; and then wrapping up this three-game ramp-up with the total package from Iowa.
Saturday, Sept. 21: Marshall Thundering Herd
That escalation period begins on Saturday when the Buckeyes host the Marshall Thundering Herd. After what was essentially an NFL-like preseason schedule in Weeks 1 and 2, Ohio State gets back to action following the first off-week of its season by taking a moderate step up in competition. While Akron and WMU currently rank 128th and 113th in SP+ — no doubt hindered by their performances in The Horseshoe — the Thundering Herd comes into Saturday’s game at a slightly more respectable 91st.
While Marshall’s analytical ranking is only marginally better than the Zips and Bronos’, they do have one fairly formidable unit that could present a worthwhile test for the Buckeyes. According to Pro Football Focus’ grades, Marshall currently has the fourth-highest pressure score of any team in FBS. Given all of the legitimate concerns around Ohio State’s offensive line, this should be a well-timed test to see how the hogmollies look with two-time first-team All-Big Ten guard Donovan Jackson back in the lineup.
What’s nice about this modest improvement in opponent quality is that OSU is not in any real danger of losing the game to Marshall, but if their pass rush of Mike Green, JJ Hawkins, Jason Shuford, Chris Thomas Jr., Deeve Harris, and even cornerback Jadarius Green-McKnight can give Justin Frye, Chip Kelly, and Ryan Day an idea of how this starting five — and quarterback Will Howard — reacts to a little bit of pressure, that can only be a good thing.
Saturday, Sept. 28: Michigan State Spartans
After the matchup with the Herd, OSU will turn its attention to the Big Ten portion of its schedule. Coming into the season, the Michigan State Spartans were picked to finish 16th in the 18-team league according to the cleveland.com B1G Media Poll. However, through three games, new head coach Jonathan Smith’s squad has looked surprisingly competent.
Sparty is 3-0 with a solid 27-24 road win over the Maryland Terrapins last weekend. Now, they will head to Chestnut Hill to take on a Boston College Eagles team that has turned in fairly impressive performances in the early days of Ohio State coaching icon Bill O’Brien’s tenure.
So even if Michigan State loses to BC and comes into the primetime Peacock matchup in East Lansing at 3-1, you know that Day and company will have the team focused on ramping up the intensity, focus, and execution for a competent Big Ten opponent. However, MSU also could present a very different test for the offensive line than Marshall might.
The Spartans have the 19th-best rush defense according to according to PFF’s grades. This, in my estimation, is a much bigger concern for the Buckeye o-line than pass protection. Michigan State is allowing just 78.33 yards per game on the ground, roughly one-third of the 221.5 ypg that OSU is picking up via the running game.
Ohio State’s numbers are a bit skewed because of the Akron and WMU of it all, but carrying over last year’s performance, and including the first half against the Zips, I do think there is reason to be concerned about OSU’s ability to open up holes for TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins — arguably the best tandem of running backs. However, during the last six quarters of action, the Buckeye front five have done a much better job in that respect. So, if they can keep that up against a seemingly above-average Spartan front, then that should bode well moving into the beef of the Big Ten schedule.
Saturday, Oct. 5: Iowa Hawkeyes
Alrighty, this is where business really starts to pick up. The first four games of the Ohio State season weren’t exhibition games (as Notre Dame and Mississippi State can attest) but they were hors d’oeuvres, — an amuse-bouche, if you will — at best; the snacks you eat before you leave home just in case the food at the party is weird or overly fancy at worst.
However, the competition gets serious on Oct. 5 as the Buckeyes will welcome the Iowa Hawkeyes to Ohio Stadium. Admittedly, Herky’s defeat in the Cy-Hawk rivalry game might rob the game of a little bit of juice, but I don’t think anyone inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center — or across Buckeye Nation — is going to underestimate the Iowa defense.
Kirk Ferentz’s squad currently ranks as the fifth-best rush defense in the country, allowing a paltry 56.33 ypg. Iowa has the second-rated defense according to SP+, behind only the Buckeyes. Beyond that, the Hawkeyes are a known commodity; while the offense has been embarrassingly bad in recent seasons, there is no doubting the team’s defense. Last season, they allowed just 14.8 points per game and this year — with a far smaller sample size — that number is down at 13.7.
To make matters just a little bit more complicated for Kelly and Day, Iowa will have its first open date the week before heading to Columbus. So not only will they be fresh, but Ferentz and defensive coordinator Phil Parker will have two full weeks to prepare for OSU’s multi-dimensional offense.
While I might have hoped for incremental steps up in competition against Marshall and Michigan State, this is a giant leap forward — at least for the offense. Unfortunately, none of OSU’s three opponents before Oregon will likely show much that challenges Jim Knowles' defense. So, any opportunity the Buckeyes have to sharpen their offensive attack before heading to Eugene, the better, and this will be their toughest test yet — and potentially all season.
Saturday, Oct. 12: Oregon Ducks
Before the season began, many thought that this would be the biggest game of the college football season. An undoubtedly top-five matchup between new conference foes who have met in the regular and postseason multiple times over the past decade with Big Ten supremacy hanging in the balance.
While the hype and anticipation are still there, some of the grandeur has worn off a bit following Oregon’s back-to-back struggles with schools from the great state of Idaho. SP+ still likes the Ducks — ranked eighth overall — neither their offense nor defense has yet to feel totally congealed. Transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel found his footing against rival Oregon State, throwing for 290 yards on 20-for-24 passing and two touchdowns. However, the offense felt out of sync against Idaho and Boise State.
But with Ohio State’s steady ascent up the competition mountain, we have reason to hope that the Buckeye offense will be well-tested and thoroughly vetted by the time they get to Eugene. But Marshall, MSU, and Iowa aren’t particularly likely to put up much of an offensive fight of their own, so the OSU defense could be in for its first real challenge.
If the Gabriel we saw in last week’s Civil War is the one that shows up on Oct. 12, then the Buckeyes’ star-studded secondary will be in for its first test of the season, and honestly, I hope it is. There have been far too many seasons in recent memory in which OSU was able to coast through nearly its entire schedule only to be smacked in the face by equivalent, or even superior, talent in the rivalry game or College Football Playoff.
Now, I’m not going to be heartbroken if Oregon somehow loses to UCLA and/or Michigan State before the Buckeyes come to town, but I’d like to see what OSU looks like against a well-rounded, top-tier opponent midseason. In this new era of a 12-team playoff, one loss at that point of the year isn’t going to kill you — especially with the chance to avenge the theoretical defeat in a conference title game.
And win or lose, the Buckeyes have their second off week of the season following the trip to Oregon, so you want there to be good-on-good film to break down with matchups against Nebraska and Penn State waiting on the other side of the bye.
In Conclusion
The trek to the top of the college football mountain is a dangerous and arduous one. However, if you are able to break the journey down into multiple, smaller challenges, you will discover the ability to learn along the way and bet yourself for the even more daunting tests that lie ahead.
While Ohio State will undoubtedly be heavily favored against Marshall, Michigan State, and even Iowa, each one of those games presents an opportunity for the Buckeye offense to show what it is capable of against increasingly formidable foes.
If Ryan Day and his staff are able to recognize and absorb the lessons learned along the way, then the Ohio State Buckeyes should be in peak fighting condition for their battle against Oregon on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Continue reading...