Despite Certain Struggles, Ohio State Buckeyes Control Their Own Destiny

An ugly win over the Penn State Nittany Lions should allow the Ohio State Buckeyes to be smooth sailing until the final week of the season.

Given the team's all-around offensive performance Saturday, one would think the Ohio State Buckeyes still have a lot left to prove.

The run game didn’t work against Indiana, Maryland, Notre Dame, or Penn State on Saturday. Yet the Buckeyes still came out with wins in all four.

Does that say something about the passing game’s ability to produce? Or that opposing defenses have been poor?

Considering the Nittany Lions have the No. 1 overall defense in the country, we can eliminate the latter. Not to mention they also have the top rush defense in the Big Ten and have been phenomenal at containing and pressuring quarterbacks.

In terms of passing, Ohio State junior quarterback Kyle McCord looks like he’s found his groove. Despite a slow start, and a few missed opportunities, McCord looked comfortable in the pocket… at least when targeting junior receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. or fifth-year tight end Cade Stover.

The Buckeyes were also without junior receiver Emeka Egbuka.

With the best-receiving corps in the country, McCord was put in a situation to flourish. He has certainly taken advantage of his situation, posting 286 yards and a touchdown - including 162 to Harrison against one of the top secondaries in the nation Saturday.

On the other side of the ball, the Buckeyes’ secondary has locked up opposing receivers and allowed the defensive line to pressure the quarterback at high rates. They only allowed 181 pass yards Saturday to a team that averages 223.3 per game, a good portion of which came in garbage time.

That said, the line has not been holding up its end of the bargain — they rank 13th in the Big Ten in sacks and have allowed 109.2 yards on the ground. Nevertheless, the Buckeyes remain unbeaten, with a pair of top-10 wins. 

Moving forward, there is still plenty to improve on both sides of the ball. 

But if the defensive line can stay intact and stop the run, especially against a top offense like Michigan’s, for example, they will be in prime position for a Big Ten title and a berth in the College Football Playoff.