Offense
Ohio State has had the most frustrating, awesome offense in the country since 2015. They’ve managed to bludgeon lesser opponents with their superior talent, in some games, the offense looked as elite on the field as it did on paper. In other games, especially against good teams, Ohio State did things like lose 17-14 to Michigan State in 2015, or 31-0 in the playoffs in 2016, or, funniest of all, 55-24 to Iowa in 2017.
The duality of Ohio State’s offense, and the often baffling decisions of former offensive coordinators Tim Beck and Ed Warinner have been well documented. The hiring of Ryan Day and Kevin Wilson before last season was supposed to fix the offense, or at least improve what had been consistently dreadful and conservative playcalling.
In some ways, they did just that. After averaging 35 points a game in 2015, and 39 in 2016, the Buckeyes jumped up to 41 last season, thanks to an improved passing attack and the emergence of stud freshman back J.K. Dobbins. However, that same offense that lit up a good portion of their 2017 opponents also managed to score just over 24 points per game on average against Oklahoma, Iowa, and in the final stretch against Michigan, Wisconsin and USC.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The best way to describe is that against the best opponents, Ohio State’s offense returned to its roots, with quarterback runs and a deep fear of passing the ball. They bucked the trend against Penn State, lighting the Nittany Lions up in the final quarter with a frenzy of completions, but that was the first and only time Ohio State has done that since the end of the 2014 season, when Cardale Jones took over for an injured J.T. Barrett.
Just like that magical run nearly four years ago, Ohio State has a new face at quarterback. With J.T. Barrett off to the NFL, redshirt sophomore Dwayne Haskins is set to take over after beating Joe Burrow out in a spring competition. Haskins isn’t new to the limelight though. He was excellent filling in for an injured Barrett last season against Michigan, and his clutch performance was a huge part of what won that game for the Buckeyes.
With that great performance, however, have come some lofty expectations. Haskins has been compared to just about every great Buckeye quarterback in the last two decades this summer. Many Buckeye fans expect the first year quarterback to lead Ohio State to a title game, and while I’ll admit that I love Haskins and what he brings to the table, those expectations should perhaps be tampered a bit.
It’s certainly easy to talk oneself into this offense being spectacular though. Both running backs from last season, Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins, return, and if running backs coach Tony Alford’s history is any indication, they’ll both be even better this season. That could mean that Ohio State has the best running backs duo in the country, and if they play their cards right, they could look quite a bit like the Sony Michel and Nick Chubb of 2018.
More: 2018 Ohio State projected depth chart
The receivers are similarly experienced and likely excellent. Just about everyone is back from last year’s receiver group. Parris Campbell leads the way as the starting h-back, but Austin Mack and Binjamin Victor may steal the show this year as true receivers, and potential stars. Deep threats Johnnie Dixon and Terry McLaurin have been slowly improving through their careers, and seem ready to shine as seniors. K.J. Hill rounds out the group as the most sure-handed receiver of the bunch, and a great security player for Haskins.
Up front, Ohio State should be excellent, as usual. Tackle Isaiah Prince could be drafted in the first three rounds this upcoming draft, if not the first round. Guard Demetrius Knox is in a similar place, and center/guard Michael Jordan looks like a surefire first rounder. Throw in Thayer Munford at the other tackle spot, former JUCO standout Malcolm Pridgeon, and several possible starters in Brady Taylor and Josh Alabi and you have a line that I can’t find any reasons to worry about.
Breaking free of the norm?
Ohio State’s biggest issue since 2015 has been the same thing as their greatest strength. J.T. Barrett’s ability to run was a fantastic skill to lean on, and he more likely than not accounted for more wins with his legs than any Buckeye has done with any body part, ever. He was a phenomenal leader, and an outstanding playmaker.
He was not a force in the air, and a lot of the time, that was the biggest issue for the Buckeyes. Teams were able to completely focus on the running attack at times, because there was no concern about Barrett beating them down the field. That probably won’t happen this year, with Haskins at the helm. He’s a better passer than Barrett, and not nearly as skilled of a runner. Can Wilson and Day break away from the quarterback run, and utilize Haskins correctly?