Ohio State football: 5 reasons the Buckeyes will crush Oregon State
By Alec Hartman
4. Dynamic duo at RB
One of the most exciting aspects of this Buckeyes’ team is the sheer potential packed within their offense. The Buckeyes are returning many starters with the skill players looking great in particular. All it takes is one look at the depth chart to understand just how much this team has in store.
The return of J.K. Dobbins, who was a star as a true freshman last season, and his running mate, Mike Weber, have the attention of the nation. They ran for over a combined 2,000 yards with each averaging over 6.0 yards per carry. If one or the other got every rep in the backfield and didn’t have to share, then they’d easily be in the discussion for the Heisman.
The Beavers ranked an atrocious 119th in the nation in run defense. This is not great news for them considering the Buckeyes have one of the most prolific rushing attacks in the country that ran for 244 yards per game on average last season.
One thing the Beavers have done prior to this season has been making changes on their defense.
The unit will look different this season as they are returning just four starters. This is usually not a great sign for a team but in this instance, it’s definitely a step in the right direction. After winning just one game last season and being dead last in the PAC-12, more change can only be positive.
It will be imperative for the Beavers to keep the game close or find a way to take an early lead in this game. That way, the Beavers can put the Buckeyes in more passing situations instead of letting the Buckeyes do what they do best which is dictate the game flow through running the ball. Expect the Buckeyes to run all over the Beavers’ inferior defense.