Is Ohio State’s defense the best in the playoff era? Can the Buckeyes running game improve?

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State picked up another ranked victory Saturday, this time on the road against then-No. 17Illinois. The Illini have since faded from the AP poll, but the win is still a good win for a team that has won six straight games and continues to do so with ease.

The Buckeyes won 34-16 despite not playing their sharpest game on offense and giving up their first red zone touchdowns of the season.

To some extent, the fact that Ohio State can win by multiple possessions despite not playing shows how good it can be, but Ryan Day’s expectation is perfection. So there are some things to discuss after this game before Saturday’s trip to Wisconsin. Let’s go.

Can Ohio State’s running game be fixed?

Ohio State’s running game has been average this season. The Buckeyes are averaging 160 yards per game and 4.73 yards per carry, both in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten statistically. That would be the second-lowest per-run average in the Day era. According to TruMedia, Ohio State averages 1.75 meters tall Before contact per carry, which ranks 77th in the FBS, and 3.13 yards After contact, which ranks 73rd.

The Buckeyes averaged 4.43 yards per attempt against Minnesota and 4.38 against Washington, but on Saturday against an Illinois run defense that gave up six yards per carry against Purdue, Ohio State ran just 2.86, the second-lowest of the season.

Is Ohio State doomed to have a bad game this year? I don’t think so.

Looking back on each carry of this game, there are some common themes that lead me to be a little more optimistic.

First, the offensive line is really good.

Day made a comment after the game that he thought the offensive line played well and moved the Illinois defense when they wanted to run. On second review, I agree, especially on the left side of the line.

Left guard Luke Montgomery has been the most consistent lineman on the roster this season. Mix him with Austin Siereveld, except for his missed block on Jeremiah Smith’s backhand, and you have a cohesive duo that keeps things going on the left.

As for the right side, I think Ohio State is still experimenting with things. Tegra Tshabola is the starting right back, but I don’t think he’s improved enough from his inconsistency last season to keep that spot, regardless of how he performs. I wouldn’t be surprised if Josh Padilla continues to take pictures of himself. He played 13 snaps Saturday, according to Pro Football Focus.

Still, I don’t think the offensive line is the problem, nor do I think it’s entirely up to the running backs. Bo Jackson’s ankle injury hurt as he’s the most explosive of the trio with CJ Donaldson and James Peoples, although I think they’re fine. Would you like to see them make more tackles and make people miss? Yes, but I thought they hit the right holes, for the most part, on Saturday.

For me, the mistakes were a mix of poor play decisions and poor targeting by some of the shooting tight ends and offensive linemen.

We could use the failure of Siereveld and tight end Max Klare as an obvious example, but this was about more than just one play.

It was a creative play to get the ball into Jackson’s hands and the Buckeyes fooled the Illinois defensive line with it. You can see the whole line following the backhand, but second level players read it well. That’s where you want your linemen to step up to the second level and block, and Ohio State had the numbers to do that.

Tight end Will Kacmarek misses his block and both linemen pull the same player, while the next two defenders get a free throw on Jackson. This could have been an explosive play if the blocks lined up.

It’s important to note that sometimes the opponent is going to make a play, so it’s never going to be perfect for the Buckeyes, but it seemed like they were one step away throughout the day.

I wasn’t a big fan of the play Calling either.

Ohio State ran the ball well in the first quarter, totaling 59 yards on 12 carries. This kept Illinois off balance, because the linebackers were so worried about being covered that they gave up on the run early. Ohio State performed well, even against heavy fronts.

As the game progressed, Ohio State became a little more predictable and the Illini began to pull the run.

This is a good example.

Ohio State loves to come out of the pistol formation when the running back is lined up right behind the quarterback. This will sprinkle in some play action, but on this one, linebacker Miles Scott read the run to the end. He timed the snap count well and immediately knocked right tackle Phillip Daniels off the ball.

Illinois also got some nice turnovers from their defensive line, but they were reading the running game well, especially in the third quarter when Ohio State had just 2.6 yards per carry on 12 carries.

In the first quarter, 33 percent of Ohio State’s runs came against eight-man boxes, according to TruMedia. The rest of the game: 64 percent. For the season, 44.1 percent of Ohio State’s rushes came against more than eight players in the box, the eighth-highest rate in the FBS.

This weekend will be a big one for the Buckeyes as they face what is capable of being a formidable Wisconsin rushing defense. The Badgers are allowing just 97 yards per game, although they have weakened the last two games against Michigan and Iowa. The play-action game should be there if Ohio State wants it.

This year’s Ohio State team needs to establish the passing game to establish the running game because of how dangerous they are on the outside. That’s not to say the running game can’t be good. The offensive line is good enough to create holes, but can they target players better than against Illinois and become a little less unpredictable?

How good can Ohio State’s defense be?

Ohio State has arguably the best defense in the country, and it has to be compared to some of the best of the era.

I’m more and more impressed with this defense every time I watch it.

Sure, the 16 points Ohio State allowed to Illinois was the most this season, and the 295 yards were the most since the season-opening win over Texas, but it was still an impressive performance. The Buckeyes forced three turnovers, limited an explosive Illinois passing play to a long 20-yard pass and, for the sixth straight game, did not allow a touchdown in the first half. They have allowed a total of 12 first-half points in six games.

Ohio State also dominated again on third down, holding the Illini to a 28 percent conversion rate. He is second in the FBS at 21.8 percent for the season.

We no longer compare this defense to last year’s group; it’s better than that and can lead this team to a deep playoff run. The conversation will focus on how this ranks among the best defenses in the College Football Playoff era.

So far, his 41 points allowed are the fewest in the FBS this season and the sixth-most in six team games since 2014, according to Stathead. Personally, I think the conversation starts with the 2021 Georgia team, but there are also teams like 2018 Clemson and 2016 and 2017 Alabama to think about.

Let’s stick to Georgia 2021 for now.

That year, the Bulldogs gave up just 10 points per game and finished second with 267 yards per game. Georgia also gave up more than two touchdowns just once that season, in the SEC title loss to Alabama. They were the only team to allow fewer than 20 touchdowns that season. Ohio State could be around that mark.

The Buckeyes have allowed just four touchdowns in six games and 229 yards per game.

There will be some tough games ahead, especially with the expanded playoffs and a likely Big Ten title bid, but it’s possible for Matt Patricia’s defense to reach those heights if it stays healthy and maintains the same sense of urgency.

Ahead of our midseason check-in on the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, fill out our Hope-O-Meter survey below: