Three Storylines To Watch For When Ohio State Buckeyes Host Marshall

Here are a few storylines to track as the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Marshall Thundering Herd Saturday afternoon in Columbus.

Aug 31, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back James Peoples (20) celebrates a touchdown with tight end Gee Scott Jr. (88) during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Akron Zips at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 52-6. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes are back in action this week as they host the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday at 12 p.m.

Here are three storylines to watch for in the Buckeyes upcoming matchup.

How Are The Buckeyes Off A Bye?

Head coach Ryan Day and his squad are coming off the team's first bye of this season.

Last week, Day changed the name "bye week" to "improvement week" to learn and grow from the first two games of the season. Many teams have started games off a bye slowly, which is concerning for the Buckeyes who struggled in the first half of Week 1.

While it may not be important this game, Ohio State's second bye comes on the week of Oct. 19, right after the team's tough road game against No. 9 Oregon. The Buckeyes will have to come off the bye and face No. 22 Nebraska (which looks as good as it has in many years), so Ohio State needs to prove it does not let a bye impact how it starts a game.

Better Discipline With Penalties

Ohio State has completely dominated on both sides of the ball in the first two games this season, outscoring opponents 108-6.

Clearly, the Buckeyes won in most statistical categories against Akron and Western Michigan. However, the team is continuing to struggle with penalties. Through two games, OSU has accumlated 13 penalties for a total of 103 yards.

The lack of discipline can be overshadowed by enormous victories, but both units will have to clean up the penalties against Marshall.

More Work For Freshman Duo

In the Week 2 victory over Western Michigan, both freshmen running backs James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon combined for 91 rushing yards on 13 carries. Everyone talks about the dynamic, explosive tandem of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, but the two freshmen backs may see some time on Saturday.

Despite the duo's efforts coming during garbage time, it's important to monitor the depth at the running back room with how the Buckeyes' offense is structured. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has show to use multiple backs in the rotation.

Expect Peoples and Williams-Dixon to see an increased workload this week against the Thundering Herd, as OSU is heavy-favorites.