Ohio State Football: What to watch for versus Army

Ohio State will look to get back into the win column on Saturday but how will that be done?

It’s pretty easy to tell you what you won’t see: Army passing the ball. Now that we have that out of the way, Army has the misfortune of facing an Ohio State Buckeyes team looking to bounce back after an embarrassing home loss to Oklahoma.

We broke down what to watch for against Army.

The Army triple-option ground attack

The strength of the Ohio State defense is along the defensive front, so a run heavy team should be a welcomed sight for the worst passing defense in the country after Week 2. Army has attempted 10 passes all season and relies heavily on not just the ground game, but the triple-option to move the ball up and down the field.

In 2016, the Black Knights had eight different players run for over 250 yards and all but one ball-carrier averaged at least 4.5 yards per carry. Last season, Army averaged 339.6 rushing yards per game and have picked up the pace to 417.5 yards per game on the ground in 2017.

While 2016’s leading rusher, Andy Davidson, is gone, quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw returns. He was second on the team in rushing in 2016 and leads the team so far in 2017 while averaging over nine yards per carry on the year.

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It may just be Army and it may be a rushing offense, which at first glance means Ohio State’s defense should dominate. But the option is a different animal.

It’s hard to practice cut blocks and that type of backfield action with a scout team. It’s also an offense that relies on misdirection and stretching a defense horizontally. Last week’s game film saw Oklahoma pick apart the Silver Bullets with lateral movement and misdirection plays.

Remember, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield only averaged 11 yards per attempt en route to 386 passing yards. Army’s offense has the same type of movement that will force Buckeye defenders to read and react very quickly. It could be an interesting test for a defense seeking redemption.

What about the Buckeyes’ ground game?

For all that is good and wonderful in this world, please run the ball. Ohio State does not need to be Army and abandon the pass, but this site has already covered why Ohio State needs to lean on the running backs to carry more of the load. Against what should be a lesser opponent, the opportunity is there to do just that.

Again, this is easier said than done. Army’s offense will grind the clock down and limit the opportunities for the Buckeyes offensively. There may not be the time or the patience to pound the ball on the ground, which would only help Army by keeping the score closer for longer without a series of big plays.

Additionally, Army’s run defense has been relatively stout this season. They limited Fordham (I know, Fordham….) to only 1.9 yards per carry in Week one. Buffalo managed 119 yards at a 5.2 yards per carry clip, but they needed a 75 yard touchdown run to get there.

Ohio State Buckeyes Football

For all that calls for J.T. Barrett’s starting job, we aren’t going to go through that argument here. Barrett gives this team the best chance to win.

His leadership and abilities are better than the critics think and he will be an asset as the team marches towards a Big Ten championship. So, enough of that.

Where there is likely to be some changes are in the other skill groups. Marcus Baugh has been fine at tight end, but Luke Farrell and Rashod Berry are likely to see snaps this week.

Trevon Grimes, Jaylen Harris, and Demario McCall could also see an uptick in snaps. All of this is not directly attributed to the opponent being Army, but to Urban Meyer and Kevin Wilson needing to find some type of jolt for a passing attack that has simply be unacceptable.

K.J. Hill, Johnnie Dixon, Paris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, and Binjimen Victor will continue to be the core group that see the bulk of snaps at receiver, but it’s not like they’ve done a bang up job thus far. Even if the score isn’t out of hand early, there is nothing to lose in a very winnable game by mixing things up at the position to see who provides a spark.

In fact, it might even be necessary to jolt the current starters into thinking their jobs aren’t safe.

Who exactly runs the offense for Ohio State?

Wilson was a good soldier all week in dealing with the press, taking responsibility for his play-calling and for not making the necessary adjustments. That is how a professional responds to a bad game and handles the adversity with class.

There is still plenty of doubt whether Wilson is actually calling the shots on the broader offensive game plan in Columbus or if he is just picking off of Meyer’s play sheet.

Wilson wasn’t hired to be any nominal assistant. If that were the case, Zach Smith or Greg Studrawa could have just stepped up and been the OC. Instead, Meyer brought Wilson on board to change gears from the Tim Beck – Ed Warinner scheme that under-performed against top teams.

Wilson’s Indiana squads routinely gave Ohio State fits and were among the more efficient offenses in the Big Ten without the talent pool that the Buckeyes enjoy.

With Army in town, why not hand the keys to the car all the way over to Wilson? Much like the shake up of personnel, what is there at risk? While Army isn’t just going to roll over, there’s no reason Ohio State shouldn’t dominate this game.

Meyer should let Wilson call his plays from his scheme, relying on running backs to move the ball and exploiting the quick pass to get fast receivers open in space. We’ve already seen it once this year against the same Indiana team that Wilson guided for years. This game will be a key look into how Meyer plans to let Wilson coach the offense the rest of the season.

Game Prediction:

Ohio State should and will control the game from the get-go. Army’s offense will lend itself to some early gains until the defensive front gets settled. But when that happens, look out. I also expect there to be some significant changes to the offense after the absolute dud against Oklahoma.

Army will use a ton of the clock, but still struggle to put points on the board.

Meanwhile, J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber pace the Buckeyes utilizing the Indiana game plan. With two truly healthy lead backs, Ohio State uses it’s advantage in the trenches to move the ball on the ground.

Next: OSU needs their ground game

Final score: Ohio State 35, Army 7

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