Ohio State Buckeyes Breakdown: BGSU Lessons, Tulsa Plans

The Ohio State football team got off to a great start Saturday! What must be adjusted going forward to maintain their success?

After a historic performance for the Ohio State offense, there are plenty of things to look forward to as the Buckeyes prepare for Tulsa. What lessons were learned in the season opener and how can they apply those to the week ahead?

Factory of Sadness has the Buckeye Breakdown for everything you need to know about the Ohio State plan for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane!

Lessons Learned

1. J.T. Barrett is ready to run the show.

It should not surprise anyone that Barrett played well without quarterback drama or injury upheaval clouding the path ahead. Sure, the pick six in the first quarter was a putrid throw, but it’s safe to say that Barrett bounced back okay.

All Barrett did was have the single best statistical performance of his career by being responsible for seven total scores. While he only ran for 30 yards on 5 carries, he was 21 of 31 in the air for 349 yards and completed scoring passes to four different receivers.

All in all, it was a day Barrett should look at as the day he reminded everyone that there is still talent on offense.

2. The youth on offense is looking good

Michael Thomas who? No Braxton Miller or Jalin Marshall? Apparently, Zach Smith knew the group he was coaching was going to be just fine. We’ll talk about Curtis Samuel later, but Noah Brown, K.J. Hill, and Dontre Wilson stepped up in the home opener.

Mike Weber topped the century mark at 136 yards on 19 carries averaging 7.2 yards a carry. He looked strong and shifty through the hole and was more Carlos Hyde than Ezekiel Elliott in his style.

Even true freshman Demarrio McCall scored twice in mop up duty! Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is right in that this is perhaps his most talented group.

3. Samuel is the real deal

FoS has been high on Samuel all offseason, but 261 total yards and three total scores is great, even if it was against Bowling Green. Remember, they are the defending MAC champion.

Samuel simply looked uncoverable in the passing game and will continue to be a serious matchup problem in the slot. While he plays well there, bigger true receivers like Brown and Hill will occupy corners on the outside. With Samuel against a safety or a linebacker, Barrett will have a friendly match-up most games.

The best part of Samuel’s performance is that he was truly effective on the ground and in the air. His rushes were not on gimmick plays or on end arounds. Samuel lined up behind Barrett and ran the ball as a true number two back behind Weber. Meyer might have underestimated the 15 touches per game for Samuel.

What to Think About for Tulsa

1. Losing Tracy Sprinkle will hurt

It might not hurt against Tulsa. It might not even hurt against Oklahoma, who had their offensive line exposed by Houston. Still, it will hurt down the road as the grind of a full year wears on the depth chart.

After the former Elyria Pioneer on the depth chart are freshmen, save for sophomore Dylan Thompson. Either way, the lack of experience up front just got worse when Sprinkle tore his patella tendon.

Don’t think the issue is isolated on Larry Johnson’s unit either. When your best defensive player is your middle linebacker, you need defensive tackles to occupy blockers so they can make a play.

Raekwon McMillan is the best linebacker in college football, but he still needs space to operate. If anything, the loss of Sprinkle will be felt there more than in the trenches themselves.

2. Expect the pass rush to be a focus in practice

Nick Bosa did record a sack, but the Ohio State pass rush was largely ineffective against the Falcons. Already down a starter up front, it is even more critical for the pass rush to be effective.

3. My prediction that Barrett will lead the team in rushing was probably wrong

I know, don’t overreact to one game. Barrett will absolutely need to run to win big games with his legs like he did last season. Against Bowling Green, he only ran the ball 6 times for 30 yards. Weber ran it 19 times, while Samuel and Dontre Wilson carried the pigskin 13 and five times respectively.

It could be that Meyer wants his veteran quarterback to be healthy all year and take advantage of the talent around him. But looking at last year’s roster compared to the youth in 2016, it makes sense that Barrett would run MORE, not less.

Against Tulsa, it might be more of the same. The Hurricanes were 119th against the run last season, but did only surrender 53 total rushing yards in their Week 1 win over San Jose State.

Next: OSU Reloads

Barrett probably just doesn’t need to run for Ohio State to move the ball. Instead he can focus on keeping a developing receiving group progressing forward in preparation for bigger games down the road.

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