It’s finally here! Week 0 gave the college football nation a taste of what’s to come and Ohio State at Indiana kicks off the season in the Big Ten. There will be plenty of household names lining up for the Buckeyes but it’ll be the new names in the depth chart that will have to make an impact.
Throughout the history of Ohio State football, the Buckeyes have faced off with the Hoosiers 95 times, the third-most matchup in Ohio State history. They own a dominant 78-12-5 record and they haven’t lost to Indiana since dropping back-to-back games in 1987 and 1988. Ohio State comes into this game as heavy favorites but they cannot afford to overlook Indiana. Despite dropping 28 in a row, Indiana tends to play Ohio State tough despite the eventual final score.
In order to take the pressure off of the quarterback — Kyle McCord is slated to start but Devin Brown is also set to play— the Buckeyes must dominate the trenches on offense and lean on the rushing attack.
The Trenches and Rushing Attack Are the Keys to a Buckeye Victory
Indiana is, unfortunately, low-hanging fruit in the Big Ten East. They managed just four wins last year and were atrocious at just about every turn. The Ohio State secondary will have to deal with Cam Camper who is a solid receiver in his own right. But, as a whole, this is not going to be a competitive team in 2023.
It would be easy to just say throw the ball to the two first-round talents out wide. It would be easy to say the Buckeyes’ secondary has to step up and get back to BIA levels. These two things are certainly true but getting the first Big Ten win of the year as comfortably as possible will hinge on Ohio State’s physicality.
Set the Tone Up Front
As was the case with the defense, the Buckeyes were able to thoroughly dominate lesser teams but got bullied by like or better teams last year. Despite suiting up three new starters on the line, Ohio State shouldn’t have much of an issue with the Indiana defensive line.
In terms of sheer size, the Buckeyes outclass the Hoosiers. On average, Indiana’s defensive line is just over 6-3 and 282 pounds. Ohio State? Just under 6-5 and 311 pounds. The “smallest” Buckeye lineman is center Carson Hinzman at 6-4 and 300 pounds. Indiana’s biggest starter will be nose guard Patrick Lucas, Jr. at 6-3, 317 pounds. Obviously, sheer size does not win football games but it certainly makes it easier.
Last year’s offensive line was just okay at run blocking. Objectively, it stacked up well against most of the nation. Considering the five-and-a-half yards per carry it posted was the worst since 2012 (5.2 YPC), there is reason for concern with so much turnover. Last year’s performance can be explained away due to the inconsistent usage of running backs. Ohio State had three separate running backs attempt over 100 carries. Considering this offense is not run-first, that is concerning. Running backs are like quarterbacks in the sense that offensive lines need to get into a rhythm. The way one back runs is vastly different than the other.
An example of this is if the offensive line is getting used to the ground-and-pound, downhill style of Miyan Williams and all of a sudden TreVeyon Henderson is in. He has been adept at that one cut to bounce outside. A tackle who is used to Williams may get hit with a holding call if his man tries to get outside to make the play.
This year’s starting offensive line from left to right is set to be Josh “Jimmy” Simmons, Donovan Jackson, Hinzman, Matthew Jones, and Josh Fryar.
Making Sense of a Crowded Room
If there is a unit that could compete with the wide receivers for the deepest on the Ohio State roster, it’s the running backs. It’s very possible that there will be five running backs to get in the game for Ohio State at Indiana.
Henderson will lead the way after an injury-riddled season a year ago. When healthy, Henderson is among the best. He burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2021 with 1,248 yards and 15 touchdowns, narrowly missing the single-season rushing mark for a freshman. He did, however, break the single-game rushing record with 277 yards in a win over Tulsa. Last year, it was obvious there was something wrong. He was not nearly as decisive or explosive in his play. Henderson managed just 571 yards and six touchdowns.
In his absence, Williams stepped up. He is a great change of pace from Henderson as Williams is more of a downhill, power rusher. He’s not afraid of contact and is more than willing to deliver a blow. He set a new career best with 825 yards and 14 touchdowns. Five of those touchdowns came against Rutgers, tying the single-game record. If given the opportunity, Williams could be the every-down back for any offense.
Henderson and Williams will get the majority of opportunities for as long as the game remains semi-competitive. If there’s one thing Ryan Day loves to do, it’s rotate his running backs. Henderson will get the first series, then Williams for a series, and then back to Henderson. However, behind those two, there is a wealth of talent worth paying attention to.
Running Back Depth
If Ohio State at Indiana is going to be as uncompetitive as the experts believe, there will be plenty of carries to go around. Chip Trayanum, Dallan Hayden, and even Evan Pryor have the ability to make garbage time worth watching.
Down the stretch in 2022, Trayanum decided to get back to his natural role as a running back after spending time as a linebacker. People forget Trayanum rushed for 692 yards and 10 touchdowns with Arizona State in two seasons prior to transferring in. With the season on the line, Day turned to Trayanum. For the first nine games, he ran the ball just once. Then, he carried the ball a whopping 14 times against Michigan and was one of the few aspects on offense that was working.
Meanwhile, Hayden was a true freshman last year and made his mark He ran for a total of 553 yards and five scores. On the year, he ran for over 100 yards three different times and scored three times in the win over Maryland in a game that was far too close for comfort. Heading into the year, there was an overhanging fear that Hayden would hop into the transfer portal for greener pastures.
Not unlike Hayden, Pryor could have left as well. However, the hype around him is all projection as he has only recorded 21 carries from 2021. He missed all of 2022 with an injury after stealing the show at the Spring Game.
Make the Quarterback’s Job Easier
Aside from having the opportunity to throw the ball to (at least) two eventual first-rounders, having a strong offensive line and rushing attack makes whoever plays quarterback look better. Indiana is a team that likes to blitz out of their 4-2-5 base defense and they’ll want to both stifle the rush and rattle the new quarterback. Ohio State will have to attack right off the bat and keep the Hoosiers honest.
Henderson and Williams bring their own strengths with them. Both can lead this Ohio State offense and both have home-run capabilities.
Both quarterbacks will play in this game. Day would do well to lean on his veteran, experienced running backs.
Photo courtesy: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
