Ohio State Football: How Buckeyes can win Big Ten East in 2018

Ohio State football boasts a potential Heisman candidate and one of the best running back duos in the country. Is that enough to win the Big Ten East?

Ohio State football had an offseason to forget. Scandal rocked the school as issues surrounding head coach Urban Meyer and former assistant coach Zach Smith clouded the program.

There was a three-game suspension to start the season for Meyer and offensive coordinator Ryan Day led the Buckeyes during the first quarter of the season. During a top-15 matchup against TCU star edge rusher Nick Bosa injured and his absence was quickly felt by the defense.

Bosa decided to leave the program and focus on the upcoming NFL draft instead of risking further injury to play in one or two games at the end of the season. The one big question mark is how the team can overcome the slow starts the talented offense has week in and week out.

Dwayne Haskins is still in contention to win the Heisman trophy but in order to win the Big 10, they will need at least two first halves with 20+ points to keep the pressure on their opponents.

The Buckeyes offense could not get anything going in the first half of a 49-20 loss to Purdue in Week 8, and lost their shot at an undefeated season.

The biggest issue for the Buckeyes is there a schedule going forward. They face Michigan State this weekend in East Lansing and the Spartans always play the Buckeyes tough.

The season ends with a big showdown against Michigan, Ohio State’s arch-rival and currently, the number four ranked team in the college football playoff. Michigan has one of the toughest defenses in the country and has playmakers at every level of the unit to slow down the Buckeyes attack.

They have one of the best players in the country in Rashan Gary and he could clog up the running lanes forcing Ohio State to become extremely one-dimensional. That game should be a very close match up until the fourth quarter, with the Buckeyes using JK Dobbins and Mike Weber to run the ball effectively and secure a late touchdown for the victory.

If the Buckeyes run the table they will be 7-1 in the conference with a matchup against possibly Northwestern, Iowa or Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game. The only way they can win the conference is if they win out, beating Michigan State on the road Saturday and Michigan in the finale.

A matchup against Northwestern will give the Buckeyes the opportunity to put 40-plus points as the Wildcats are giving up nearly 145 yards rushing yards on the ground per game.

Expect the Buckeyes to run the ball at least 35 times and they should easily pick up another Big Ten championship.

So those are the ways Ohio State can win the Big Ten in 2018. Are you excited about this weekend’s stretch of games? Comment below and let’s get ready for more football action.