I think this game is a race to 20 tbh.
For as talented as Ohio St is, offensively the key is entirely 3 things - Shut down the run game, Stop Jeremiah Smith, Stop Carnell tate. That's the entirety of this offense. They are surprisingly NOT a very explosive offense. We have to be extremely committed to stopping the run. And We have to emphasize guarding outside the numbers when Tate is lined up to the left, and stopping Jeremiah Smith everywhere, but between the numbers especially. This is a game I'd want Fitzgerald playing a lot of single high safety. Idk man I'm really quite confident in our Defense in this game. Sure Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate could beat us, but that's gunna be a lot of just good against good with our CBs+S+Nickel against those 2. If they win that way, hey they earn it. But one thing we have to ensure is we shut down their run game with our Dline. And when we get to the QB no excuses but to bring him down.
Offensively This game comes down to 4 things. 1. Dawson calling a good game. Can't have too many wasted plays, and most importantly when we get in the redzone we need TDs not FGs 2. Brockermeyer vs Mcdonald particularly in the run game. 3. Beck PLAYING TO WIN. and 4. ANY of our WRs outside of Toney to be productive and generate some explosive plays. WE need to attack the intermediate-deep part of the field. If we just allow their Safeties and Downs to attack downhill against our run game, then it'll be a long day and we'll constantly be in 3rd down pass situations where we have struggled all year. Otherwise we are going to have very little chance of successfully running all that much imo. Need a big day out of Toney of course, but I think what Daniels, Trader, Marrion, Moore, and Tony Johnson do may be the deciding factor. They MUST be a threat to give us the ability to run the ball with any success. The strength of Ohio Sts defense is their Run Stuffing DT, their LBs, and Downs.
