Ohio State Football will face off against a Rutgers team that is much more solid than we have seen in years past on Saturday morning.
The Buckeyes remained unblemished, as they defeated Wisconsin last weekend, but there was plenty more to be desired from their play. The Badgers are very similar to the Scarlet Knights, both of them relying on a ground game on offense and a very good defense.
For Ohio State to come out with win No. 9 on the year, they will have to do more than a few things to get there. Here are five keys that I believe will help the Buckeyes come out with another road win and continue on to a journey that can have some pretty big stakes at the end.
Kyle McCord needs to get the ball out quickly
Why it makes sense
We have seen what McCord is this year, so teams know what to expect. Many of his issues come from not getting the ball out on time or waiting too long to make a decision. Who knows if he is thinking too much, he just needs to see an opening and rip it. If McCord can do that, we’d see far fewer sacks and fumbles, along with getting our playmakers the ball.
Contain Rutgers run game
Why it makes sense
The offense the Buckeye defense will face this weekend isn’t one that poses an issue for the secondary, it’s the run stoppers that will be tested. Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt has completed only 50% of his attempts but he has only taken 7 sacks while rushing for 362 yards on 73 carries, good for 5 yards-per-attempt. Running back Kyle Monangai also averages over 5 yards an attempt, and has seen over 20 carries in back-to-back games. The Buckeyes need to stop the Rutgers run game.
Running back usage
Why it makes sense
I am all for getting TreVeyon Henderson the ball, and as many times as possible, but he needs to be fresh during the last few weeks of the season. He was a workhorse against Wisconsin, but he most likely won’t need to be against Rutgers. If Chip Trayanum is healthy, he needs to play a good amount and let Dallan Hayden loose as well.
Safety play
Why it makes sense
This goes hand-in-hand with stopping the run, as safety Lathan Ransom is out for the foreseeable future. The Buckeyes will be without one of their best backend defenders, who had 34 tackles, two passes defended and a pick. It may not seem like a lot, but he played a big part of Ohio State defensive resurgence this season. Sonny Styles will have an expanded role, which will be very interesting to see. In my eyes, he’s had an up-and-down year, but played very well against Wisconsin. This group needs to play well.
Getting other receivers involved
Why it makes sense
Marvin Harrison Jr., is on a heater, four consecutive games with a touchdown and over 100-yards. Team will try even harder to stop him, which means there will be more opportunities for the rest of the offense. Tight end Cade Stover was held without a catch last game, while the rest of the group excluding running backs caught 5 balls for 51 yards. For the supposed deepest room on the team, they didn’t show very well and need to get back on track against Rutgers.
