Ohio State Football: 3 reasons to watch the Rose Bowl vs. Washington
By Zach Bigalke
2. Will the Buckeyes offense crack the Washington defense?
Led by Heisman finalist Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State has boasted one of the top 10 offenses in the country in 2018. Haskins leads the nation in both passing yards and passing touchdowns, as he has thrown for more than 4500 yards and 47 scores over the course of the regular season. And it isn’t merely the result of a pass-wacky attack, as he sits fourth in the FBS in passing efficiency.
The Buckeyes have relied less on the run this year than in past seasons under Meyer. But with J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber in the backfield, they still average around 175 yards per game to provide plenty of balance for Haskins. All told, Ohio State averages 43.5 points and nearly 550 yards per game. Haskins has turned the Buckeyes into one of the most dangerous offensive machines in college football over the course of his first season as the starter.
Washington, though, has been equally good defensively this year. The Huskies give up only 15.5 points and just over 300 yards per game, putting them in the top 12 in the country in both categories. They are a top-20 outfit in pass efficiency defense, and they are 16th in yards allowed on the ground. It will be a real battle will be a matchup of strength versus strength when Ohio State has the football in Pasadena.