Ohio State has just one blemish on its record four weeks into the season. They blew a 20-point lead to Texas in the fourth quarter, leading them to a one-point loss. However, other than that quarter, the Buckeyes have looked like a pretty dominant team. Still, there are some concerns.
As the Ohio State Buckeyes prepare for their big game at Iowa, there are some things that they still have to fix. There are three stats that are concerning heading into this game at Kinnick, with the first of them dealing with the defense.
1. 114 yards per game
That is how many yards per game the Buckeyes allow defensively. That's good for 45th in the country. That is coming on the heels of giving up 199 yards on the ground against Illinois. Running the ball and controlling the clock is how the Hawkeyes want to win games.
Iowa is coming off an upset victory at Michigan in which they won on the last play of the game. Ohio State couldn't even stop the run against Ball State, so having a rush-first team like Iowa go against them is a little scary. Matt Patricia has been working on that issue all week long.
This is perhaps the biggest issue that Ohio State faces heading into this weekend. If Iowa is allowed to rush for almost 200 yards on Saturday, it will lose the game. Getting the Hawkeyes off the field offensively is the key to winning this game.
2. 76th in the country
That is where Patricia's defense ranks in terms of sacks. They have recorded just seven sacks through four games this season. Their lack of ability to get to the quarterback is very concerning, even if Iowa doesn't throw the ball as much as other teams they will face.
Still, Iowa went 91 yards in under two minutes in the final drive of the game against TTUN. They showed that they can clearly move the ball quickly when they need to. Getting pressure on Hank Brown will be key in order to keep them as a one-dimensional team. The return of Zion Grady could help with that.
3. 156.8 yards per game
Ohio State only runs the ball for 156.8 yards per game. That is only good enough for 76th in the country, which is far from where they thought they would be with Arthur Smith calling plays. Smith was supposed to help the run game, considering that's what he did in the NFL.
This season, the Buckeyes have yet to have a player run for more than 100 yards in a game. Bo Jackson was supposed to be taking a big step this year in his second year as a starter. Instead, things have not gone that way. He might not even be the best back on the roster right now.
Figuring out a way to get the running backs to have more explosive runs is something that Smith needs to focus on. If Ohio State is going to win a national championship or this game against Iowa, the running game has to be a bigger factor in the game plan.
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