Ohio State Football vs. Rutgers: Three keys to victory
By Ryan Stano
2. The Ohio State football team needs to establish the run
One of the things the Buckeyes did best against Wisconsin was get creative in the running game. Xavier Johnson had a few end-arounds that kept the defense honest. That allowed them to pound TreVeyon Henderson up the middle and even break a couple of big runs.
Running the ball as well as they did also helped settle down Kyle McCord after he turned the ball over a few times. Having a strong running game keeps the offense balanced and makes them extremely hard to stop. They need to have a strong running game again on Saturday.
Henderson should have another big game. After missing three games with an injury, he came back with a vengeance last week, gaining 162 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. He also caught four passes for 45 yards. Henderson is a great weapon to have.
Running the ball early and often will take pressure off of McCord and allow him to find his rhythm early. It also will keep him from feeling like he has to carry the team like he did at points early in the year. Henderson and Chip Trayanum should get about 35 touches between the two of them.
The final key for the Buckeyes to beat Rutgers is fixing something that they had issues with last week at Wisconsin.