After a week of turmoil and frustration in Columbus, Ohio State gave over 100,000 fans something to cheer for in Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes beat Kent State 59-3 on Saturday afternoon, and as soon as the game ended, the focus shifted forward to Big Ten conference play. The Buckeyes play in the best conference in college football and have a tough conference draw. What are some strengths they can rely on, and weaknesses they need to improve upon?
Strength: Jeremiah Smith
Jeremiah Smith officially became Ohio State's all-time leading receiver on Saturday, breaking the record previously held by Michael Jenkins. There isn't much more that can be said about college football's best player that hasn't already. He is Ohio State's single biggest advantage in any game. If they accomplish all of their goals this season, Smith will be the reason why.
Weakness: the lack of another wide receiver
Outside of Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State is weaker than it has been in some time at receiver. I don't think they could still be talented enough. They aren't as talented as some of the receiver rooms of the recent past, although that is a nearly impossible standard to uphold; I still think they're talented enough to be a strength of the team.
The reason they are a weakness is that it doesn't appear that any of the other receivers have a strong chemistry with Julian Sayin. We've seen that in every game so far, especially the loss at Texas. You can never throw the ball to Smith too many times, but someone else is going to have to emerge for this Buckeye team to reach their full potential.
Strength: The interior of the offensive line
Ohio State has movers in the middle. With Austin Siereveld and Luke Montgomery flanking center Carson Hinzman, the Buckeyes have shown the ability to consistently get a push in the interior run game while keeping defensive tackles off Julian Sayin in the passing game. Being able to get a push from the interior helps keep Ohio State's offense on schedule and ahead of the sticks.
Weakness: Short yardage and red zone offense
Ohio State has had issues in short yardage going back a few years now. Last week against Texas, they failed to convert a key fourth-and-two deep in Longhorn territory that could've helped them put the game away, which was just one example of the Buckeyes' inability to convert in the red zone, as they continuously settled for field goals.
Against Kent State, Ohio State had back-to-back drives where they turned the ball over on downs. One was on a drive that started at the Kent State 13, and the other was a situation where Ohio State had second and one and couldn't convert. This is an issue that can be solved by using different formations and being a little more creative than the Buckeyes have typically been in those spots. Those are the types of plays that can swing big games.
Strength: Young depth
The Buckeyes have a good mix of youth and experience on their roster. The experience gives them an extremely high floor, while the youth gives them a national championship ceiling. As long as the youth can develop over the course of this season, there is no telling how high this Buckeye team can climb.
Weakness: Uncertainy at key positions
The drawback of that depth is that it seems like Ohio State doesn't always know who its best players are. At some point, they can't keep rotating as much as they have at pretty much every position. If you don't know who you want to play, it is much more difficult to gameplan. The Buckeyes have tough opponents coming up when the calendar flips to October. I would hope they can really find their identity as they get closer to the middle of the season.
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