Two weeks ago, Kyle McCord stood on the field at SHI Stadium and answered questions about Ohio State’s offensive inconsistency.
Ohio State had beaten Rutgers 35-16 that day, but it had trailed the Scarlet Knights at halftime and scored 28 points in the final two quarters to pull away. Nine games into the season, it had become a familiar story: The offense struggled in the first half, got going in the second half and left the game with an easy win.
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But that’s not the standard at Ohio State. Everybody inside and outside of the program expects the offense to start and finish hot. Ohio State finished second in the FBS in scoring and top-10 in total offense last year.
In the two weeks since Rutgers, Ohio State has returned to form. While not the same as the offense C.J. Stroud led a year ago, the Buckeyes are finding their identity and have scored 75 points in the last two weeks.
After another blowout win, 37-3 against Minnesota, Ohio State can turn its focus to the Michigan game. It’s back in the same position it was a year ago: 11-0 and preparing to play an 11-0 Michigan for a spot in the Big Ten title game.
This year, however, the stakes seem a bit higher. Although Ohio State made it into the College Football Playoff through the back door last season, it’s unlikely both teams can make the top four this time around. And then there’s the extra drama of Jim Harbaugh’s suspension and the NCAA’s ongoing investigation into the Wolverines’ scouting and sign-stealing scandal.
The storylines are obvious, but Ohio State has kept quiet about Michigan. No player has commented on the team or the investigation since it began and neither has head coach Ryan Day, who of all people could receive a mulligan for commenting with as much as his name has been brought up.
Instead, Ohio State has focused on itself and is now playing its best football entering the biggest game of the season.
“We feel very confident,” defensive end Jack Sawyer said. “We have a mentality that we’re going to win games on defense, and we’re carrying that the whole season building each game and each practice.”
There’s no debating that Ohio State’s defense is elite. The Buckeyes entered the weekend second in scoring defense, just behind Michigan, fourth in total defense and second in top rate, having lost shutouts on a 54-yard field goal on Saturday and a 53-yard field goal last week. That’s six points allowed in two games.
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This is not last year’s defense, which stumbled into the Michigan game; this is a hard-nosed group. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles saw it in the season opener against Indiana when the Buckeyes were forced to adjust to the Hoosiers’ option game.
But the biggest difference in Ohio State right now is the offense.
Everybody has been waiting on the Buckeyes to wake up on the offensive side of the ball. This is a program that is used to scoring 40 points per game. Despite the inconsistencies on offense, the Buckeyes came into Saturday averaging the most yards per game in the Big Ten at 428.8. That average will go up after the 434-yard performance on Saturday.
But there was a time this season when it didn’t look like there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Injuries piled up, the offensive line struggled and McCord didn’t look comfortable.
Ohio State couldn’t find a rhythm without its full complement of skill players. Running back TreVeyon Henderson missed three games after the Notre Dame win, and by the time he was back, standout receiver Emeka Egbuka was sidelined for three games. By the time he returned, All-Big Ten tight end Cade Stover was out.
Last weekend’s game against Michigan State was the first time the Buckeyes were together and healthy since Week 3’s 63-10 win against Western Kentucky. They have produced 964 total yards and 75 points since that game kicked off. For the first time this season, Ohio State has put up more than 400 yards in back-to-back games against Power 5 competition.
“We’re here now,” Day said. “There’s always things we want to get better at. I think you’re starting to see the identity that we’re looking for. You’re seeing the run, pass and explosiveness. We’re 11 games in, time to go play.”
The identity of this offense seemed unknown for much of the season. The offensive line was a weakness, and although the unit has improved, it still has some inconsistencies. That put McCord in some tough situations, and he didn’t look comfortable. Other times, Ohio State committed to the ground game, running the ball 43 times against Wisconsin.
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But in the last two weeks, we’ve seen balance and efficiency from the offense. Ohio State ran the ball 35 times on Saturday for 224 yards. It also threw the ball 32 times for 219 yards. That mix is keeping Ohio State ahead of schedule and helping McCord settle in. The last two weeks have been his best as the starter.
“You see him get into some rhythm and making some big-time reads down the field,” Day said. “I thought he played well today, when his feet are in rhythm like that, you can see it. We have the weapons, and he has the talent.”
McCord thinks his improvement has come alongside growing confidence.
“You can get as many practice reps as you want, but nothing is quite like game reps,” McCord said.
Regardless of what has improved the most, it’s obvious to anybody that the offense has made strides. Add in an elite defense, and it’s no wonder why Ohio State is confident.
“I think we’re more familiar with the scheme,” Sawyer said. “We know it, there’s no thinking. We’re playing downhill and fast.”
Meanwhile, the offense is reaching the potential everybody thought it had entering the season.
“This is what we’ve been talking about all year,” McCord said. “I feel like we’ve been making strides. … There were times this year when everything was clicking and we were looking really good, but now we’re being more consistent, and the challenge now, with the opponent coming up, is how can we continue that? Continue to elevate our game.”
Everybody knows Ohio State’s defense is elite, and although they have something to prove after last season’s debacle against Michigan, it’s McCord and the offense that’ll need to be the difference in Ann Arbor.
(Photo: Jason Mowry / Getty Images)
