Ohio State football: 5 reasons the Buckeyes will destroy UNLV

3. The Buckeyes’ defense will make quick work of the Rebel’s rushing based offense.

The Rebel’s offense will bring much of the same of what the Bucks saw just last weekend. This is great news considering the Buckeyes are better at stopping the run than the pass. The Bucks ranked 20th in the nation against the run last season.

Army ran the ball 58 times last weekend while passing just eight times. This plan of attack resulted in just seven points total. Apparently Army didn’t get the memo that running the ball wasn’t a key to success when facing the Bucks.

Last season, the Rebels ranked 29th in rushing attempts per game. Not much has changed this season as their 50 rushes per game so far puts them at 14th in the nation. The Rebels will be in trouble if they get behind in down and distance.

It will be very difficult for the Rebels to rebound if the Bucks come out to a fast start. That was a point of emphasis last week as Army found themselves in a hole without a shovel. Running the ball frequently while behind actually ends up helping the opposing team as it keeps the clock ticking. The inability to throw the ball will come back to hurt them in the long run.

This is especially true considering that one of the Bucks’ most glaring weaknesses is their passing defense. The Bucks have let up the second most passing yards in the Big Ten and the most passing touchdowns. So unfortunately for the Rebels, their offense will have to take the long way against the Bucks as their offense is a poor match up for a Buckeyes defense that is also rushing oriented.

The Rebels will have their hands full trying to run the ball against a Buckeyes’ front seven that is being touted as being one of the very best in the nation. Though they haven’t lived up to the hype yet, this unit keeps getting stronger with each game. Expect the Rebels’ offense to be kept in check on Saturday.