Ohio State Football: 3 reasons to watch the Rose Bowl vs. Washington
By Zach Bigalke
3. Myles Gaskin will pose a serious challenge for the Ohio State defense
This year, Ohio State has been merely mediocre against opposing ground games. The Buckeyes rank 61st in rushing yards allowed, giving up an average of just over 160 yards per game to their opponents. But that masks just how mediocre the front seven has been against rushing attacks, as they rank 87th in yards allowed per carry.
Against the Huskies, Ohio State is going to be tested by one of the best running backs ever to play in the Pac-12. This season, Myles Gaskin became the first back in conference history to top 1000 rushing yards for four straight seasons. And he ranks third all-time in Pac-12 rushing yards behind only USC legend Charles White and Oregon standout Royce Freeman.
Ohio State’s front seven was most famously exposed against the run by Purdue in the 49-20 blowout in late October. But the Buckeyes also struggled against backs like Maryland freshman Anthony McFarland, who popped them for 298 yards and two scores in the overtime scare for Ohio State.
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If Gaskin gets going, he could go well over 100 yards. He needs 153 more yards to get to 1300 for the season, a mark he eclipsed all of his previous three years. It will be fun to see if the Buckeyes can keep him from reaching 200 yards on New Year’s Day.