Let’s examine five areas of interest for the Buckeyes this week as they prepare to play host to an Iowa team looking for a signature win:
1. Caleb Downs has been “activated.”
The sophomore safety who transferred to Ohio State after an All-SEC season at Alabama could be the ace in the hole for Knowles.
He calls the free safety position Downs plays primarily the “Adjuster,” but the Georgia native showed he can be a fixer Saturday when he had a team-high six tackles.
That included one for loss on the first play of the third quarter that set the tone for a second half in which the Buckeyes allowed 60 yards and no points after giving up 186 and seven, respectively, in the first.
“I think for the first couple of games, the game got a little bit lopsided later on so you don’t see them playing a full game, but that’s here now,” head coach Ryan Day said. “And Caleb made some huge plays, especially in that middle eight (minutes of the game).
“His preparation is remarkable, and just the amount of work he puts in and his ability to play really fast certainly is part of his makeup.”
2. Ohio State wants to start faster on defense
The Buckeyes’ last two opponents both came out looking sharp on offense.
Marshall went 75 yards for a touchdown on its first possession and tacked on seven more just before halftime two weeks ago while Michigan State reached the red zone three times in the first half (not counting when the Spartans got the ball at the Ohio State 12 after a turnover).
Neither opponent did much after halftime, but Knowles would prefer not to have to wait that long to turn off the spigot.
To do that, he stressed the importance of drilling as many potential looks as they can during the week and getting better at showing the offense different pre-snap looks to keep them off balance.
“You have to look at those plays where we failed and say, ‘Why?’” Knowles said. “And when it comes to the game, that comes to me. It’s just continuing to be exact about how we’re training, what we’re training, what I’m showing, how predictable are we. If they know what you’re in, they can take advantage of it.”
3. On the other side of the ball, slow and steady seems to be the aim of the Buckeyes.
Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly agreed quarterback Will Howard is still developing within the Ohio State offense in his first (and only) season since transferring fro Kansas State.
He has moved the offense and put up good numbers but also made a few throws he would probably like back.
“I think Will’s done a nice job,” Kelly said. “I think he’s gotten better from week one to week four. I think he has a better grasp just because he’s got live reps.
“The toughest position to play in football is quarterback just because they don’t get hit in practice, so I think they can get a false sense of security no matter where you go. In college and professional football, the quarterback doesn’t get touched in practice, so the game is so much different for the quarterback than it is for any other position, but I admire Will’s toughness.
“He stands in the pocket. He can see things. Very rarely does he make the same mistake twice.”
4. Progression is also what the staff is looking for from the offensive line.
Three starters returned from last season, but center Carson Hinzman has been replaced by Alabama transfer Seth McLaughlin and All-Big Ten guard Donovan Jackson missed the first two games with an injury.
Jackson’s return means Ohio State has three guards for two spots so sophomore Tegra Tshabola of Lakota West and redshirt freshman Austin Siereveld of Lakota East will continue sharing snaps on the right side.
“They both graded out similarly, so when that happens, we feel like if we can parse out the reps, then that helps both of them play better and stronger in the game,” Day said. “So we’ll see how the preparation goes this week and then decide as we get closer to the game.”
5. Skill players blocking was a big theme from last week’s win at Michigan State.
Running back TreVeyon Henderson had multiple key blitz pickups to give Howard time to make important throws, and senior receiver Emeka Egbuka threw multiple key blocks in the running game — including against a linebacker on one play.
That versatility not only gives Ohio State more options when it comes to scheme but shows something Day finds very valuable this season.
“It’s the effort. It’s the hard work. It’s the dirty work. It’s all that stuff that’s a sign of good team and a team that’s playing hard and playing physical,” said Day, who also noted McLaughlin buried one of his blocks into the end zone.
“That’s the stuff that we would constantly watch with our guys on Sundays (in the film room).”
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