The Ohio State football program should have perhaps the best offense in the country. Their passing game alone will be deadly for other defenses to deal with. With Julian Sayin slinging the ball to Jeremiah Smith, the Ohio State Buckeyes should be hard to stop on that end of the field.
Running the ball will become more important this season with Arthur Smith as the new offensive coordinator. Smith has proven that he can scheme up some good running plays while he was coaching in the NFL. He was able to make holes open up, which makes things easier for the running game.
Yet, despite the fact that the Buckeyes have Smith calling the plays and a solid running back in Bo Jackson, they don't get the respect they deserve. In fact, one national list has Ohio State's running game suspiciously low, which shows the disrespect that their running game has.
CBS Sports rates Ohio State's running game very low
According to Blake Brockermeyer of CBS Sports, the Buckeyes have just the ninth-best running game in the country. In the top 10, only Georgia is listed lower than Ohio State. Brockermeyer has Texas and Missouri rated ahead of them, which seems disrespectful.
While the Longhorns did run the ball effectively against Ohio State last year, it wasn't enough to win the game. Texas scored just 14 points and lost the game. By the time the end of the year rolls around, Ohio State is going to have a much better running game, especially with Jackson taking a leap as a starter.
It's tough to argue that they should be rated in the top five in terms of the running game. That's especially true with Julian Sayin not being a running quarterback. Still, they should at least be in the top six. That's especially true with four offensive line starters returning.
Ohio State doesn't need a full-fledged running game to win a title
Even if the Buckeyes don't end up with the best running game in the country, they can still win a national championship. Their passing game should be good enough, with no one being able to stop Smith. Defensively, Ohio State should be tough to score against, as well.
Ryan Day has always been committed to having a strong running game. Smith has proven that he can scheme up plays to have an effective ground game. The question is whether or not the offensive line has improved enough to really give them a dangerous running game all year long.
The Buckeyes have had their best offenses when the running game has been going at full capacity. That shouldn't change when this season starts. Jackson will be fully healthy after missing all of Spring with an injury. Now, he should be ready to go for practice and for the entire year.
It wouldn't be totally shocking if Ohio State finished with a top-five run game in the country by the time the season ends. It truly depends on how Jackson is able to perform.
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