Ohio State football: 5 reasons the Buckeyes will beat Michigan State

2. The Buckeyes will get back to playing their own game.

Both of the Buckeyes’ losses have been because of self-inflicted issues. Whether it be turning the ball over on offense or not playing their own game, there hasn’t been many times where they have lost when they were at their best especially offensively.

Ohio State has been able to flex their strength in the passing game in the past few weeks but that is not going to be their identity when it comes down to it. Primarily passing the ball works for the Buckeyes when facing an inferior team, but that has failed against top tier opponents.

Yes, Ohio State was able to get away with passing the ball almost 40 times in their victory over Penn State but that took a Herculean effort in order to do so. If they hadn’t burnt themselves up so badly on special teams, then all of that passing would not have been necessary. Therefore, the game would have gone much smoother for the players and fans alike.

This offense is built to be highly productive through the air as much as the ground this season but it still cannot operate in that fashion. There was serious belief that Barrett could finally attain consistent value as a productive passer but the train ran off the rails once again last weekend. This just proves that if the Ohio State gets away from their bread and butter for too long, then they stand a chance at collapsing.

To remedy this, the Buckeyes must at least get a decent lead to begin the game before going all pass-happy. Even if they get behind, they should not panic and immediately abandon the run or else a repeat of last game will certainly occur.

For the Buckeyes, getting the running backs consistent touches will always be a key to success. Expect them to reclaim their groove on Saturday.