Questions still surround No. 2 Buckeyes
Ohio State can’t complain about being 7-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country seven weeks into the season, but the Buckeyes have shown some weaknesses that leave their fans and the coaching staff with some concerns.
The noticeable warts can be seen on defense and with the short-yardage offense.
Minnesota’s young offense gouged Ohio State’s defense for nearly 400 yards (178 on the ground) last week in the Buckeyes’ 30-14 victory in Columbus.
Gophers freshman running back Mohamed Ibrahim surprisingly rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Freshman quarterback Zack Annexstad passed for 218 yards but was intercepted twice.
Ohio State’s defense found consolation in shutting out Minnesota in the second half, but the tendency toward first-half vulnerability could become a bigger issue down the road, particularly this week on the road against Purdue (7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ABC).
The Boilermakers boast one of the best offenses in the Big Ten as well as one of the top quarterbacks this side of the Buckeyes’ Dwayne Haskins. Purdue’s David Blough ranks among the national leaders in several passing categories.
“I’m not down, a win’s a win,” Ohio State linebacker Pete Werner said. “It’s good to be here undefeated still.”
To stay unbeaten, Meyer knows the defense will have to perform better and overcome injuries that have sidelined or slowed several players, most notably All-American defensive end Nick Bosa.
“Constant evaluation of (schemes), and it’s ever-changing with personnel, when the guys get dinged and hurt,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. “And like last week, we were without five starters the majority of the game on defense. It’s hard to drastically change right now.
“We held (Minnesota) without scoring for the better part of three quarters and had three turnovers and three sacks. I see what you see, as well. We expect them to be snuffed out. But this will be a big challenge this week.”
The Buckeyes’ other lingering question mark is their rushing offense. Haskins has passed for more than 400 yards the past two weeks and is ranked in the top five nationally in 11 of 13 statistical passing categories, but Ohio State managed just 92 yards on the ground against Minnesota despite the presence of two capable running backs with J.K Dobbins and Mike Weber, each of whom has had 1,000-yard seasons.
“The offense, not everything’s going to be pretty,” Haskins said. “There’s going to be adversity no matter who we play.”
Ohio State has struggled in short-yardage situations with Haskins providing virtually no threat to run the ball. The coaching staff is evaluating how to get the ground game going and converting on third-and-1 or third-and-2 with a mobile quarterback.
“They’re loading the boxes,” Meyer said, “We’re not going to run the quarterback, so those are all things we’re looking at.”
