College Football

Why Ohio State's offense is about to get even scarier

Updated Oct. 21, 2022 2:51 p.m. ET

By Michael Cohen
FOX Sports College Football Writer

There is plenty of football to be played between now and the Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis, but it’s beginning to feel like a four-team race toward Lucas Oil Stadium.

In the Big Ten East, No. 4 Michigan and No. 2 Ohio State are the class of the conference for the second consecutive year. The possibility of both programs being blemish-free when the Wolverines travel to Ohio Stadium on Nov. 26 is steadily increasing.

In the Big Ten West, No. 18 Illinois is the season’s biggest surprise, with second-year head coach Bret Bielema imposing his will on the weaker side of the league. Both the Illini and the Boilermakers of Purdue control their own destinies in pursuit of a berth in the conference title game.

Iowa vs. No. 2 Ohio State preview

Joel Klatt previews the Iowa-Ohio State game, a matchup featuring the best scoring offense (Ohio State 48.8 PPG) vs. the No. 3 scoring defense (Iowa 9.8 PPG).

Here’s the Week 8 scouting report in the Big Ten:

The matchups

Iowa (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) at No. 2 Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten)
Game time: Noon ET on FOX
Odds: Buckeyes favored by 30 (per FOX Bet, as of Thursday afternoon)

Indiana (3-4, 1-2 Big Ten) at Rutgers (3-3, 0-3 Big Ten)
Game time: Noon ET on Big Ten Network
Odds: Scarlet Knights favored by 3

Purdue (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) at Wisconsin (3-4, 1-3 Big Ten)
Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Odds: Badgers favored by 2.5

Northwestern (1-5, 1-2 Big Ten) at Maryland (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten)
Game time: 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network
Odds: Terrapins favored by 14

Minnesota (4-2, 1-2 Big Ten) at No. 16 Penn State (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten)
Game time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Odds: Nittany Lions favored by 4

Game of the week

Ohio State and Iowa both return from bye weeks for a showdown between the league’s best offense, which resides in Columbus, and arguably the league’s best defense, which resides in Iowa City.

The Buckeyes lead the country in scoring offense (48.8 points per game), rank second in total offense (543.7 yards per game) and are tied with Tennessee for the most plays gaining at least 30 yards, with 24.

Ohio State’s backfield is expected to be at full health with TreVeyon Henderson (436 yards, four TDs) and Miyan Williams (497 yards, eight TDs) returning from undisclosed injuries, according to coach Ryan Day.

It’s unclear whether wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba (hamstring) will be available after Day originally linked his young star’s recovery timetable to Saturday's game. Receivers Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. have combined for 1,191 yards and 15 touchdowns in Smith-Njigba’s absence.

By contrast, Iowa will arrive in Columbus on a two-game losing skid against Michigan (27-14) and Illinois (9-6) that underscored the team’s offensive ineptitude. The only thing preventing the Hawkeyes from careening off the rails is an outstanding defense led by long-time coordinator Phil Parker.

Iowa ranks seventh nationally in total defense, allowing just 264.7 yards per game, and sits third in scoring defense at just 9.8 points per game. The Hawkeyes have allowed fewer 30-yard gains than any team in the country (three) and they’re the only team in FBS yet to allow a 40-yard gain. Stout defense and takeaways represent the only path to success against the Buckeyes.

Player to watch

Conversations about Maryland’s offense generally gravitate toward quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa or any of his three NFL-bound receivers — Jacob Copeland (20 catches, 313 yards, two TDs), Rakim Jarrett (25 catches, 289 yards, two TDs) and Dontay Demus Jr. (12 catches, 142 yards, one TD) — who snag the attention of scouts on a weekly basis.

But none of those players lead the pass-happy Terrapins in receiving despite their respective stockpiles of potential. That distinction belongs to redshirt sophomore tight end Corey Dyches, who tops Maryland’s stat sheet in all three major categories with 25 catches for 346 yards and three touchdowns. No other Big Ten tight end has more than 310 receiving yards this season.

Dyches was an in-state prospect from Oxon Hill, Maryland, roughly 25 miles south of the Terrapins’ campus. He committed to Maryland as a three-star wide receiver in head coach Mike Locksley’s 2020 recruiting class and then converted to tight end. He measured 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds while playing at Potomac High School, according to 247Sports, and is currently listed at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds.

At Maryland, Dyches’ role expanded from two snaps as a true freshman to 274 snaps as a redshirt freshman and 240 snaps through the first seven games in 2022. He enjoyed the best game of his young career in a narrow loss to Purdue earlier this month by catching four passes for 106 yards and two scores.

Corey Dyches burns Purdue

Corey Dyches scored his second TD of the game to bring Maryland within two of Purdue during their contest this season.

Unsung hero

Interior defensive linemen are rarely afforded the same spotlight as edge rushers who sack the quarterback or defensive backs who intercept passes. There’s selflessness to manning the trenches, as they're often asked to occupy double teams to clear paths for teammates to pursue the ball.

For Purdue, redshirt senior defensive tackle Branson Deen is finding ways to marry the grunt work of the position with some impressive production of his own. Deen ranks second in the Big Ten and tied for ninth nationally with 28 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, which matches his total from 2021. His rate of one pressure every 6.9 pass-rushing snaps is significantly improved from last year’s mark of one pressure every 10.1 snaps.

Deen’s presence in the backfield has been steady for the Boilermakers. He has posted four games with at least five quarterback pressures this season — led by a career-high six in Saturday’s win over Nebraska — and has never finished with fewer than two in a game. Purdue has five games remaining, and Deen is already within ½ sack of his career-high total of three last season. He also ranks second on the team with four quarterback hits thus far.

Numbers game

41: The number of times Iowa punter Tory Taylor has been called into action this season. His average of 6.8 punts per game is the most among Power 5 schools and reflects the Hawkeyes’ prolonged offensive woes.

5: The number of carries gaining at least 30 yards for tailbacks Braelon Allen of Wisconsin, Roman Hemby of Maryland and Nicholas Singleton of Penn State. Those three running backs are tied with Montrell Johnson Jr. of Florida for the most runs of 30-plus yards among FBS players in 2022.

3: The number of FBS players this century to record at least 400 rushing yards and 400 receiving yards through the first six games of a given season: RB Rodney Stewart of Colorado in 2011; RB/WR Curtis Samuel of Ohio State in 2016 and RB Evan Hull from Northwestern this season.

10,000: The number of total yards surpassed by Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford (10,027 yards) in last week’s loss to Michigan. He joins former Nittany Lions quarterback Trace McSorley (11,596 yards) as the only players in school history to cross the 10,000-yard milestone.

21.92%: The percentage of third downs opposing offenses convert against Minnesota’s defense. The Gophers have the best third-down defense in the country ahead of Alabama (25.2%), Marshall (25.6%), Illinois (26.5%) and Oklahoma State (26.9%).

Read more:

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter at @Michael_Cohen13.

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