The Ohio State football team has a lot riding on this game on Saturday night against Tennessee. It is a game that could decide the fate of not just Ryan Day, but some assistant coaches too. Despite that looming over them, this team can still win a national championship.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have one of the most talented rosters in the country. Even after that crippling loss to Michigan, they can beat anyone on a given day. They haven't put together a complete game yet, which gives them hope that they can still win a national championship.
Tennessee comes up from Knoxville, ready to beat the Buckeyes. The winner of this game will go to the Rose Bowl to take on Oregon. Ohio State is still the team that has played the Ducks the toughest so far this season. In order to get that rematch, they have to beat the Volunteers.
In order to do that, the Buckeyes have to do several things. There are three things that the Buckeyes must do in order to win this game and avoid getting upset at home. The first thing that the Buckeyes need to do to win the game has to deal with the running game.
1. Ohio State must find more creative ways to run the football
In order for the Ohio State football team to win this game, they have to run the ball better than they did against Michigan. One thing about Tennessee's defense is that their defensive line is very similar to what TTUN has. We saw how poorly Ohio State ran the ball when they tried to run it up the middle.
The Buckeyes have to find more creative ways to run the football against the Vols. Running it up the middle is going to be a problem. They'll have to do that a little bit, but they have to get to the edge as well. They have to find a way to get Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Hendeson in space.
Using those two running backs isn't the only way that they should want to run the ball. They need to get some receivers involved and get Will Howard involved in it, too. However they are able to run the ball, it gives them balance offensively. It opens up the passing game.
Ohio State will not fall into the same trap as they did against TTUN. They will make sure they get Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka more involved early in the game. That is the key to making sure this offense runs as efficiently as they can.
The second key for the Buckeyes to win this game has to do with their defense.
2. The Ohio State football team must stop the run
Just as it was against TTUN, the primary game plan for Ohio State's defense needs to be to stop the run. The ground game is how the Vols move the ball and sustain drives. Dylan Sampson is certainly a problem. He has run for almost 1,500 yards this season and has 22 rushing touchdowns.
So far, the Buckeyes have done a pretty good job stopping the run. They have the best defense in terms of points allowed and total yards allowed. They are second in passing yards per game and they are seventh in rush yards per game. Defensively, this team is still stout.
The defense was not the problem against Michigan. The Buckeyes just have to get past the first drive. They have had issues all year long against scripted opening drives. After that, they have been lights out. Caleb Downs is going to be a key player in this game.
He had one of his best games of the season against Michigan, recording his only interception of the year. Expect to see him all over the field on Saturday night, including on some blitzes. Ohio State is going to get funky on defense to confuse Nico Iamaleava.
If they can stop the run and force Iamaleava to beat them with his arm in a hostile environment, the Buckeyes are going to be in a good spot. It's going to be very hard for a freshman quarterback to go out there and win this game.
The final key for the Ohio State football team to win this game is a very simple intangible.
3. The Ohio State football team must play fast and loose
Tightness has killed the Buckeyes over the years. They have played tight against Michigan in each of the last three seasons, and it has cost them. They've lost all of those games. This year's loss was the worst case of the Buckeyes being tight that I have seen in a very long time.
If they come out and play tight against the Volunteers, they will lose this game. Ryan Day came out and made everyone feel tight, right down to the assistant coaches. Chip Kelly called a tight game because he felt that the team had to win the rushing battle in order to win The Game.
Kelly needs to come out and call plays that help the Buckeyes play fast and loose. The defense hasn't been tight since the Oregon game. You know they are going to bring the intensity and play great. Day needs to make sure that the offense does the same thing.
Ohio State was able to play loose offensively against Georgia, and it almost allowed them to play for a national championship. It remains one of the best games that Day has called offensively. It was just another bad effort from the defense in a season full of allowing big plays.
The defense has fixed those problems since their trip to Eugene this season. It's up to the offense to hold up their end of the bargain. If Howard finds his weapons on the outside, then this team is going to be in a great spot to win this game.
If Howard turns the ball over early in this game, he could start playing tightly again. That can't happen under any circumstances.