What the Ohio State football team's 2024 Marshall Plan is

Following World War II, General George Marshall helped to develop The Marshall Plan in an effort to provide foreign aid to Western Europe. It has been historically hailed for helping Western Europe with rapid reconstruction and economic revitalization.

Playing off of the name of the Ohio State football team's next opponent, the Marshall Thundering Herd, what are Ohio State's plans on how to handle their third opponent of the 2024 season? After all, Ohio State had two games where the Buckeyes scored at least 50 points, and are now coming off their first "Improvement Week".

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day certainly seems anxious to see how the Buckeyes look after the "Improvement Week". Day's goals for the Buckeyes seem fairly straightforward when he states, "We just want to continually be the most physical, intense, hardest-playing team in the country.".

Below are Three Things To Watch From Ohio State vs Marshall, when the game kicks off at 12pm ET on FOX.

1. The Ohio State Running Game vs. The Marshall Run Defense

So far this season, Quinshon Judkins has rushed for 163 yards, TreVeyon Henderson has rushed for 131 yards, and James Peoples has rushed for 81 yards, with a combined 7 touchdowns, and all players averaging better than 5 yards per carry. The probable return of senior Donovan Jackson to the offensive line may also boost the effectiveness of the Ohio State running game.

Considering how Virginia Tech was able to rush for 208 yards in their dominant 31-14 victory over the Thundering Herd on September 7th, this is going to be the first area that I will be looking at to determine what kind of day the Thundering Herd may be in for in Ohio Stadium.

2. Will Jeremiah Smith Continue To Impress?

This is somewhat tied into the first point, as opposing teams will have to figure out how they want to try to defend Ohio State's offense. Load up the box to try and stop Ohio State's run game, and you are putting your secondary players in one-on-one matchups against a very talented Ohio State wide receiver group. Jeremiah Smith had his moments to dazzle in the first two games versus Akron and Western Michigan, and it will be interesting to see how Marshall tries to defend the talented freshman.

3. The Marshall Running Game vs. The Ohio State Rush Defense

Marshall's running game is led by RB A.J. Turner, who has had two impressive outings versus Stony Brook (8 carries for 119 yards, 1 touchdown) and at Virginia Tech (6 carries for 103 yards), averaging better than 15 yards a carry.

In each game, Turner had some long runs that seem to indicate that once he is in the open field, he is a legitimate threat to take it to the house. For an Ohio State defense that has not yet given up a touchdown this season, clamping down on A.J. Turner will be among the highest priorities.

This game represents the last of Ohio State's non-conference opponents for 2024 before Big Ten play begins at Michigan State on September 28th. Like Ohio State, Marshall had an off week, so they also come into this game well-rested. Unlike Ohio State, Marshall does not seem to have the depth throughout their roster to keep pace with this Buckeye team. I have it Ohio State 42, Marshall 10.