After starting 3-0, the Ohio State Buckeyes sat back and watched the Week 4 slate from home. Now that the first bye week has passed, the Buckeyes get to fly out to Seattle for the first time since 2007 to face off with a surprising 3-0 Washington squad. The road back to the College Football Playoff truly begins on Saturday as Ohio State kicks off Big Ten play. The last time the Buckeyes and Huskies faced off, it was Urban Meyer’s final game as a college coach in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day in 2019.
There’s an interesting vibe leading into this game. Ohio State is currently favored by just over a touchdown as the number-one team in the nation against an unranked foe. While the Buckeyes should be able to take care of business, Washington will be no pushover.
Ohio State Hits the Road for a Solid Test Against Washington
Contain, Contain, Contain
To this point, the Buckeyes have faced their fair share of decent-to-good quarterbacks. Arch Manning and Parker Navarro can play. In games against non-Ohio State opponents, Navarro has amassed 776 yards and five touchdowns through the air while completing 68.5% of his passes. He has also shown he can get it done on the ground with 252 yards and one score in those three games. The Buckeyes were able to stifle his dual-threat abilities; they’ll have to do the same this weekend.
Washington’s Demond Williams Jr. is developing into a star right in front of our eyes this season. Last year, he was primarily the backup, but he appeared in every game while starting the final two games of the year. In those two starts (against Oregon and Louisville), Williams threw for 575 yards and five touchdowns. Most impressively, he completed 82.7% of his passes. This year, it’s been more of the same with 778 yards and six touchdowns, completing 73.5%. To this point, he has not thrown an interception.
The key will be to let Williams burn the defense with his legs. He can pick up yardage on the ground and extend plays, potentially resulting in broken coverages. Last year, he averaged 3.4 yards per carry on 83 attempts. This year, he’s improved to 6.5 yards per carry on 34 carries.
Containing Williams will allow the Buckeye defense to continue its top-end play to start the season. Look for Matt Patricia to continue installing confusing looks to disrupt what the talented youngster will want to do.
Kill the Vibe
Husky Stadium is one of the premier venues in college football. They don’t call it “The Greatest Setting in College Football” for nothing. Needless to say, the backdrop of the Cascade Mountains is a view unlike what the Buckeye faithful are accustomed to in Columbus, Ohio.
The home atmosphere for Washington is going to be electric. The fans are going to be as raucous as humanely possible…to start. Brian Hartline and the Buckeye offense need to take the crowd out as soon as possible.
This isn’t the same team as the Meyer era; however, Ohio State fans have some serious PTSD when it comes to away games against sneaky opponents. This isn’t 2017 Iowa or 2018 Purdue, considering Washington is expected to be good.
The Washington defense has not been tested. To this point, it has shut down UC-Davis (FCS) and Colorado State while making Washington State one-dimensional. Of course, the Huskies haven’t faced an offense with the firepower of Ohio State’s. Coming out of the gate, Hartline and Julian Sayin will need to connect on a fast start.
This could be a good game. Washington could easily keep this one close enough to be a real fight deep into the second half. It would do the Buckeyes well to eliminate the crowd as early as possible.
Establishing the Run
Both of these quarterbacks can throw the ball. However, this game is going to be won on the ground.
For the Buckeyes, the run game hasn’t been quite what it was a year ago. To this point, CJ Donaldson leads the way with 33 carries and two touchdowns. However, true freshman Bo Jackson has been the one turning heads. Despite only appearing in the last two games and only toting the rock 18 times, he leads the way with 217 yards and one touchdown. He is averaging over 12 yards per carry thanks to a few chunk plays. Buckeye fans have lauded him for his impressive vision and burst, while he may not have the track speed that, say, TreVeyon Henderson had.
Last week, Washington held Washington State to a meager 26 yards on 27 carries. The Cougars’ lone rushing touchdown on the day came on a one-yard quarterback keeper. The Wazzu running backs combined for 16 yards on 15 carries. Obviously, the Ohio State running backs will need to have a little more success.
Conversely, Washington’s rushing attack has been great to start the year. Jonah Coleman is one of the best running backs in the Big Ten and is incredibly difficult to bring down. The stud senior leads the way for the Huskies with 347 yards off 51 carries for an FBS-best nine touchdowns. Of course, he was held to 59 yards (and two scores) last week, so most of his productivity is thanks to two weak non-conference matchups.
Forcing Williams to be one-dimensional at quarterback will be difficult, but limiting Coleman’s impact would free up the Buckeye defense immensely.
Don’t Trip
Washington is a formidable foe for the Buckeyes. Texas may be the best team on the schedule to this point, but Washington is no slouch despite not having a number next to its name. In reality, the Huskies should be ranked. Even if it has been beating up on bad teams, who hasn’t?
Ohio State should be able to leave Seattle with the win, but there are plenty of ways this matchup could go awry. Williams and Coleman are a great duo with Denzel Boston (no relation to Buckeye great, David Boston) out wide. The defense will challenge Sayin and the Ohio State offense, led by a solid linebacker group.
As is the case for the majority of the games on the schedule, Ohio State should win this game on paper. In the Ryan Day era, we have seen that games are not played on paper. Ohio State should be able to kick off its Big Ten slate with a big win over what looks to be a rising Washington squad. Don’t be surprised if Ohio State pulls out this win and we look back at this game impressed as the Huskies claw their way to nine or 10 wins.
Ohio State fans, if you’re looking for even more intel on Washington, our Nick Lemkau does a fantastic job in coverage.
Main Image: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
