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Ohio State vs. Bowling Green Preview: Three Keys to Victory
Sep 26, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Raekwon McMillan (5) celebrates his first quarter sack with teammate Tommy Schutt (90) versus the Western Michigan Broncos at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 38-12. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
If Ohio State can do these three things well, the young team will be off to a fine start.
The off-season is officially over for Ohio State as it prepares for its first game of the 2016 season against Bowling Green on Saturday in Ohio Stadium.
The baton was passed a season early for most of the new starters and it is time to find out if the they are ready to handle the pressure and spotlight.
Bowling Green enters the game with a new coach seeking an upset over the No. 6 Buckeyes to kick off what will likely be a one-year stint with the Falcons.
Coach Urban Meyer may praise the school that gave him his first head coaching gig, but he does not want to give them any hope in knocking off his young team.
Here are three keys to ensure a Buckeyes’ victory:
Stack the Box and Stop the Run
Don’t blame coach Mike Jenks if he thinks Meyer got off easy in terms of personnel losses.
Gone from the 2015 Falcons’ team are MAC Player of the Year Matt Johnson who threw for 4946 yards and 46 touchdowns, their leading back Travis Greene who rushed for 1324 yards and 15 touchdowns and four out the top five receivers.
Despite the losses, Jenks does have a quarterback with experience. James Knapke (6-foot-2, 228-pounds) started most of the 2014 season after Johnson was injured and he finished with 3173 yards passing with 15 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Few expect Knapke to engineer the production from last year when the unit averaged 547 yards-per-game and 42.2 points-per-game, but this is Bowling Green and Jenks hails most recently from Texas Tech. Anything can happen.
Knapke also has the luxury of playing behind an offensive line that returns four guys who have started a total of 140 games. With unproven skills, odds are high that Jenks attempts to establish a running game early despite the temptation to frequently test the Buckeyes’ young secondary.
To counter, expect the defensive coaches to stack the box and force Knapke to keep the Falcons in the game with his arm.
Putting the corners on an island and forcing the safeties to make split-second decisions about defending a run or filling in for pass protection are both risks worth taking as they need the work in preparation for the game against Oklahoma coming up in a couple of weeks.
Gareon Conley is fully capable of locking down one receiver and cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs needs to find out who is better, Marshon Lattimore or Denzel Ward. This a good game to experiment with the rotation.
By making the Falcons’ offense one-dimensional, the defense takes control by the end of the first half.
Fast Start for the Offense
The only way Bowling Green keeps this game close is if the offense plays poorly. It was painful to watch the inconsistent offense last year keep vastly inferior teams in games. That won’t happen against the Falcons.
Of course it is first game so there are bound to be a few kinks and some sloppy plays, but finishing off the first drive with a touchdown and playing well early in the game will go a long way in getting the 2016 season off in the right direction.
There should not be any debate between the coordinators about what to do to get the unit humming quickly. Old school smash-mouth football.
With an offensive line averaging close to 310-pounds going against a defensive line averaging about 270-pounds, it is time to unleash the magic of the Heisman candidate behind the work of the Slobs.
Obviously there needs to be balance and ball distribution among the skills, but this season rests on the offensive line getting in sync and dominating the trenches.
This game, at least the first half, is about establishing the tone and getting Barrett in rhythm with the boys up front.
Third-down and Red Zone Efficiency
Sustaining drives and finishing off drives. The offense did not do either very well for most of 2015 so it is not shocking that the average points-per-game dropped by nine compared to 2014.
Getting in manageable third-down situations seems so simple. It requires execution on first down by minimizing negative-yardage plays and avoiding self-inflicting penalties.
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Clearly this offense is more dynamic than relying on running the ball up the middle, but Barrett, Mike Weber and Curtis Samuel are built to get a minimum of three yards on most plays. Take the size advantage against the smaller Falcons front on first down and open it up on second and third down.
In the red zone, there was dramatic improvement once Barrett assumed the starting role last year. There are multiple reasons for this progress, among them are his ability to play with tempo and make quick decisions.
This year’s red zone offense should be scripted and ready to execute without huddle. Barrett should be on cruise control inside the 20 and ready to deliver daggers against an undermanned Falcons’ unit that finished No. 62 in the nation in red zone defense and No. 84 in scoring defense in 2015.
Keeping the walk-on kicker on the sidelines and finishing drives with touchdowns will put this game out of reach before the second half.
Prediction
A first game of the season against the one of the better teams from the Mid-American Conference usually means a closer than expected outcome. Not this year.
This team is hungry and ready to deliver. Meyer will do everything possible to get Barrett rolling early. He’ll put up big stats in a rout. Buckeyes cruise to a 48-20 win.
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