Ohio State Buckeyes Defined By These Critical Stats Through Week 4

Here are some of the key stats to take away from the Ohio State Buckeyes' first three games of the 2024 season.

Sep 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes take the field before the game against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Ohio Stadium on Saturday. / Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the win over Marshall in Week 4, the Ohio State Buckeyes are now officially through a quarter of the team's 2024 schedule. Even though head coach Ryan Day and his team have yet to be battle-tested, the stats through the three-game stretch can illustrate how OSU will look moving forward.

Here are some key stats to know as the Buckeyes head into conference play this week.

552.0 Total Yards Per Game

Ohio State's average of 552 total yards per game proves how good this offense can be when firing on all cylinders.

While the competition was not close to what the Buckeyes will encounter for the rest of 2024, the offense still ranks fifth in total yards per game amongst all FBS teams. To simply put it, Ohio State is doing what they are expected on the offensive side of the ball.

9.05 Yards Per Carry

The dynamic duo of running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson may be the best rushing duo in all of college football, as the two have averaged 9.05 yards per carry.

Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has clearly shown how much the run game matters for the Buckeyes through the first three games. A hefty 62.8% of the offensive play calls have been a run so far, which is nearly identical to last season's pass-to-run ratio. However, the ground game has been more efficient in 2024, as Ohio State is averaging 6.2 yards per carry compared to 4.2 in 2023.

368 Receiving Yards

Freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has surpassed all expectations in his first three collegiate games and is only 368 yards away from breaking Cris Carter's record of receiving yards by a true freshman.

There's a good chance Smith will shatter the legendary wideout's record this season, despite being featured in a run-heavy offense. The former five-star recruit is averaging an absurd 20.1 yards per reception, which ranks 19th amongst all FBS pass catchers with 10+ receptions.

180 Total Yards Allowed Per Game

Just like the total yards per game, the Buckeyes' 180 total yards allowed per game is still the second-lowest amongst FBS totals.

It can be hard to judge where the Buckeyes stand in terms of the team's defense due to the weak schedule at the beginning of the season. But the unit has given up an impressive 6.7 points per game, proving that they can be completely dominant against teams outside the power four.

6 Penalties Per Game

One of the few negatives from this season has been the lack of discipline with penalties.

Throughout the first three games, the Buckeyes have averaged six penalties per game, which has resulted in a total of 157 yards given up due to penalties. OSU can get away with these mistakes when playing against teams outside the power four, but the team will have to clean up the penalties during conference play.