Ohio State Football: 2018 Buckeye offense a blast from the past?
When the Ohio State football team takes the field this season the offense will look different. With Kevin Wilson’s past successes it should be explosive.
Now the quarterback situation for the Ohio State football team appears to be settled. With Joe Burrow transferring Dwayne Haskins will almost certainly be starting the first game of the 2018 season.
A look at the past when offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson had pro style quarterbacks like Haskins to work with should indicate what the Ohio State will look like this year.
When Wilson was the OC at Oklahoma, he guided a quarterback to a Heisman Trophy winning season. Sam Bradford threw for 4,720 yards and 50 touchdowns in 2008. That year the Sooners averaged over 50 points per game.
Landry Jones also threw for over 4,700 yards during the 2010 season, Wilson’s last at Oklahoma. It’s obvious coach Wilson likes to throw the ball around often when he has a quarterback capable of doing so.
However, as I mentioned when looking at Urban Meyer’s options at quarterback, I think the Buckeye offense will look more like coach Wilson’s Indiana offense in 2015.
That season Nate Sudfeld threw for 3,573 yards and 27 touchdowns. Coach Wilson also had two 1,000 yard running backs as Devine Redding and Jordan Howard each exceeded that mark.
The Hoosiers averaged over 500 yards per game even though the roster was loaded with two and three star recruits.
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Now coach Wilson has a gunslinger behind center and two outstanding running backs in J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber who have already had 1,000 yard rushing seasons. Also. the entire receiving corps is coming back and it’s an extremely talented group. Just how explosive will this Ohio State offense be?
Haskins has proven to be decent at running the football, but not great, so his carries will probably be far less than J.T. Barrett’s. Not to worry, Tate Martell will be able to carry the load in the quarterback run when it is needed.
Anybody who watched the Ohio State Spring Game saw how talented he is with the ball in his hands. And every Buckeye fan remembers all to well how Urban Meyer used freshman quarterback Tim Tebow in a part-time role in 2006. I think he and coach Wilson can find a way to put some packages in for Martell.
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However things play out during the 2018 season it will definitely be a new look Buckeye offense. If the past is any indication, it will feature an aggressive passing attack, two running backs getting plenty of carries, and a freshman QB coming off the bench to throw a wrinkle into the offense. If that’s the case, it will be a nightmare situation for opposing defensive coordinators.