Ohio State Football: Buckeyes Brace For Broncos In Week Two

"When you watch the film, you're seeing them play a Big Ten opponent which gives us a little bit more of a barometer of what we're dealing with. They played Wisconsin strong. They play physical up front and they do have some really good skilled players. It looked like a Big Ten style of game overall and there was a point where that game was in balance. I know that has our guy's attention." ~ Ohio State head coach Ryan Day on playing Western Michigan

Complacency is always something that coaches have their eyes and ears open for with their teams, and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is no exception to that trait. Coming off a 52-6 win over Akron that had its moments of frustration and relief, the Ohio State coaching staff had plenty of areas that they would be able to point to with their players in film study for needing improvement. Having a team such as Western Michigan, fresh off a challenging 28-14 loss at Wisconsin will help the coaches make sure they have their players' undivided attention and focus.

Below are Three Things To Watch From Western Michigan when the game kicks off on Saturday night at 7:30pm ET from Ohio Stadium, televised by The Big Ten Network. For those of you going, it looks like a beautiful day for football, but dress warmly, as the temperatures will be in the mid-40s by the time the game concludes.

1. The Ohio State Running Game Versus The Western Michigan Run Defense

Eventually, the Ohio State running game was able to get going versus the Akron Zips, winding up with a total of 170 yards on the ground, averaging 5.2 yards per carry, and 2 touchdowns. Western Michigan gave up 196 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground at Wisconsin.

Considering Ohio State co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Chip Kelly's preference to wear down an opposing defense with a physical running game, as well as the aforementioned struggles that Ohio State had with Akron in game one, I will be interested to see how much better the Ohio State running game, especially the offensive line, play after a week of coaching and fine-tuning.

Projected starter at left guard Donovan Jackson may still be withheld from playing in this game, or have his playing time reduced, so it could be another opportunity for Austin Siereveld to start along the offensive line.

2. Backup Player Rotation:

Along the same mindset of playing Austin Siereveld, it will bear watching to see how much the backups are playing in this game. Last week versus Akron, the Ohio State defense was routinely rotating players throughout the lineup, especially along the defensive line.

Ohio State did not get as many backup players from the offensive unit into the game, which was a by-product of the lack of overall offensive production. If Ohio State can get a big lead as the second half begins, look for how well the coaching staff manages player rotation and substitution.

3. Continued Strong Special Teams Play: Brandon Inniss certainly made the most of his opportunities as Ohio State's punt returner last week versus Akron, with 4 punt returns for 60 yards, averaging 15 yards a return. Inniss certainly seemed like he was poised to break one for a touchdown, so I will be watching this area with great interest, whenever Ohio State's defense forces Western Michigan to punt the ball.

As written up above, the coaching staff should be able to take last week's results versus Akron and improve upon them, while also being able to have the players take this game versus Western Michigan seriously, which may not have been the case if Wisconsin had decisively beaten Western Michigan in their respective season openers.

Night games at Ohio State are always an exciting affair, and I believe Ohio State will come out methodically versus the Broncos, establishing a strong running game, as Chip Kelly would prefer. I have it Ohio State 42, Western Michigan 14.