Ohio State Football: More questions than answers for Buckeyes in Week 7
Even though the Ohio State football team is 7-0 after the win on Saturday, there are plenty of unanswered questions for the Buckeyes entering week 8.
The Ohio State football team pulled out a 30-14 win against the Minnesota Gophers but the Buckeyes certainly have issues that need addressed.
There are questions to be answered on both sides of the ball for Ohio State but first let’s take a look at some positives.
Dwayne Haskins Jr. played another stellar game and the defense got back on track in the second half not allowing a single score from the Gophers offense. Haskins was on track to break the single game passing yardage mark for the second game in a row.
The QB ended up with 412 yards through the air and 3 touchdowns even though he was still dealing with pressure as the offensive line struggled to provide any protection. Isaiah Prince struggled for the majority of the game giving up two sacks to Carter Coughlin.
KJ Hill was Haskins main target with 9 receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns. This was good for seventh all-time in a single game by a wide receiver in Ohio State history.
One of Hill’s receptions was a beautiful grab with one hand for a touchdown that got Michael Thomas all pumped up on the sidelines.
The run game continued to struggle with the leading rushing Mike Weber only gaining 51 yards on 13 carries. Weber seemed to be battling some sort of an injury for most of the game. J.K. Dobbins didn’t add much more to the run game with 10 rushes for 35 yards.
The defense gave up some big plays early on. Minnesota freshman running back Mohamed Ibrahim ran all over the Buckeye defense, rushing for a career-high 157 yards and two touchdowns.
The defensive struggled to cover the middle of the field as Minnesota took full advantage of slower linebackers by running slants consistently throughout the game.
Kendall Sheffield and Isaiah Pryor both had interceptions to stop drives that looked to be headed towards scores for Minnesota. Jordan Fuller led the team in tackles with twelve, nine of those being solo tackles.
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In the second half, the defense made great adjustments to help stop the Minnesota offense. Minnesota’s offense was held scoreless in the second half but still had some big plays. Justin Hillard made big play by deflecting a couple of passes at the line of scrimmage.
After three straight games of averaging nine penalties, the Buckeyes cleaned up their act and only had five penalties for a total of 36 yards. This is a huge improvement, but a few penalties extended drives for Minnesota that led to points.
It should also be noted that Sean Nuernberger did not play due to a small strain. It is still unclear how serious this injury is as he was still walking around the sidelines with his helmet on.
Sophomore Blake Haubeil came in and hit both field goals, including a 47 yarder in the third quarter, and all three extra points.
Next. Buckeyes lead B1G power rankings after Week 7. dark
Overall, the Buckeyes came out with a win but will have a lot of work to do this week in practice as they prepare to go on the road three of their next four games.