Ohio State football: 5 reasons the Buckeyes will beat Army

4. Army will not be able to make up for a deficit if they get down early.

Army’s tendency to run the ball in every play of every game will be their curse against the Buckeyes on Saturday. If the Bucks happen to hop out to an early lead, the Black Knights won’t be able to stretch the field and make big plays happen in a hurry.

The Buckeyes will gladly suffocate Army with stout defense and a taste of their own clock dwindling run game. Everything that Army can do, the Bucks can do better. Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins will slowly grind out possessions as the Bucks control the clock and pace of the game.

As evidenced by their mere 54 total team receptions last season, Army is not accustomed to throwing the ball. The Buckeyes’ stout defensive front will key in on this and stack the box. It will be incredibly difficult to move the ball effectively when facing a stacked box for most of the game especially when it’s against a defense as stacked as the Buckeyes’.

First and foremost, the Bucks have to attain a lead in order to maintain one. All of this may sound like a good plan but if Barrett and company can’t move the ball on Saturday then everything goes out the window. This fact may be particularly cumbersome considering the current state of the Buckeyes’ offense.

This talented Buckeyes defense should have no problem limiting Army’s already limited offensive capabilities. As long as they show up to play, the Bucks’ tough run defense should easily handle Army’s attack. It will be the offense that decides how easy the victory will be on Saturday.