Ohio State Buckeyes: Notable numbers from the 2020 season

Ohio State finished No. 2 in the AP writers and USA Today coaches polls, and the Buckeyes ranked No. 2 in SP+ advanced rankings via ESPN.

They were No. 4 in Football Outsiders F+ with the No. 2 offense and No. 24 defense by that measure, which combines SP+ (a measure of efficiency and explosiveness derived from play-by-play data) and FEI+ (a measure of success by drives).

Here are 10 numbers to know from the season and a handful of notable national rankings from traditional stats:

.702

Justin Fields broke the Ohio State record for single-season completion percentage. Dwayne Haskins Jr. had the record before at .700 in 2018.

7.1

Chris Olave averaged 7.1 catches per game. That tied David Boston’s Ohio State single-season record set in 1998. Boston caught 85 passes for 1,435 yards in 12 games. Olave caught 50 passes for 729 yards this season in just seven games.

7.5

Trey Sermon averaged 7.5 yards per carry, the most for Ohio State’s leading rusher in 70 seasons.

Walt Klevay averaged 7.9 yards per rush in 1950, the last prior to Woody Hayes being hired and remaking the offense.

Both Sermon and Klevay shared the backfield with a dual-threat player the offense was designed to showcase.

In 1950, that was Heisman Trophy winner Vic Janowicz. A single-wing halfback who also punted, kicked off and played defense, Janowicz threw for 561 yards and 12 touchdowns while running for 376 and four more touchdowns in 1950.

This season Fields ran for 383 yards and five touchdowns while throwing for 2,100 yards and 22 touchdowns.

7.88

Ohio State averaged 7.88 runs by the quarterback per game, almost the same as last season (7.86). That includes designed runs and scrambles but not sacks. By comparison, Ohio State average 12.99 quarterback runs per game under Urban Meyer. Not counting the 2018 season when the largely immobile Haskins was quarterback, Ohio State quarterbacks averaged 14.3 runs per game under Meyer.

5.85

Ohio State opponents average 5.85 yards per play, the most in school history. That surpassed the 5.8 yards allowed per play in 2018 in 14 games.

.909

Fields is 20-2 as a starter, a winning percentage that trails only All-American and College Football Hall of Famer Rex Kern in Ohio State history. Kern was 25-2 (.925) from 1968-70 and won two national championships. Both won a pair of Big Ten titles.

25.8

Opponents scored 25.8 points per game, breaking the record set two years ago when Ohio State opponents averaged 25.5 points per game. Opponents averaged 13.7 points per game last season.

26

Ohio State allowed 26 touchdowns in eight games in 2020 after allowing 23 in 14 games last season.

57

Ohio State ran the ball 57 percent of the time (after adjusting for sacks). That is slightly lower than last season when the Buckeyes ran 59 percent of the time. Both figures are far higher than 2018 when Ohio State ran on only 48 percent of its plays, the lowest since at least 2001 and likely ever.

304

Ohio State allowed 304 yards passing per game, by far the most in school history. Opponents completed 66 percent of passes, also a record. Previously the most yards per game allowed were 273.2 in 1981 when Ohio State played 12 games (and Nick Saban coached the secondary) while the high mark for completion percentage was 61.8 in 2013.

Also of note: Ohio State finished in the national top 10 in third down offense, completion percentage, rushing defense, rushing offense, passing efficiency, total offense and turnover margin.

On the flip side, the Buckeyes finished in the bottom half of the country in pass defense (122nd), red zone offense (100th), sacks allowed (91st), kickoff returns (126, or next-to-last), put returns (72nd), punt return defense (123rd), tackles for loss (71st) and pass efficiency defense (87).

Fields finished in the national top 10 in completion percentage (sixth), passing efficiency (10th) and points responsible for (ninth).

Sermon finished eighth in yards per carry.