Analysis: What's wrong with Ohio State's offense?

Two weeks ago, Ohio State was on top of the world after a thrilling overtime victory over an excellent Wisconsin squad.

Two weeks later, the Buckeyes are not inspiring much in the way of confidence. Following a puzzling 24-21 loss to Penn State, Ohio State’s offense struggled to find its rhythm consistently against a feisty Northwestern defense. Favored by 26 points, the scarlet and gray’s offensive inconsistency made this game much closer than most thought it would be, as Ohio State won 24-20.

Both games illustrated the Buckeyes’ offensive struggles.

Offensive-line concerns

The problems begin up front, as Ohio State’s offensive line is still developing cohesion. A great illustration of the unit’s struggles is the Penn State game. The Nittany Lions unleashed a relentless pass rush, where they pressured J.T. Barrett 26 times in 51 dropbacks. Because the offensive line has been unable to provide adequate protection constantly, the Buckeyes’ passing game has struggled to find the tempo it needs.

Keeping defenders out of Ohio State’s backfield has been a recurring problem for its offensive line. Entering the Northwestern game, the Buckeyes were fifth in the country in tackles for a loss allowed, averaging 3.86 per game.

Lack of receiver depth

Blocking isn’t the only area hindering Ohio State. The Buckeyes have failed to develop wide-receiver depth the past two seasons. While the trio of backs in Curtis Samuel, Mike Weber, and Dontre Wilson have provided Barrett with other targets, the failure of the receivers as a whole to generate separation from defenders has been a big problem.

Play-calling

The other issue concerns play-calling. Ohio State’s offensive staff has fallen into a predictable pattern, as evidenced by the Penn State game. On first-down plays against the Nittany Lions, the Buckeyes ran the ball 12 of 14 times. This made it easy for Penn State to defend because it knew what was coming.

Conversely, the Buckeyes flipped the script against Northwestern during their opening drive, calling two passing plays initially. This opened up the running game, leading to a 14-yard scamper for Weber. It kept the Wildcats’ defense guessing, allowing Ohio State’s offense to march down the field for the game’s first touchdown. This progression shows the coaching staff is able to make adjustments.

As the game progressed, though, the Buckeyes struggled to maintain that momentum. During the midway stretch of the game, Ohio State punted on five consecutive drives. While Northwestern’s defense deserves the lion's share of the credit for holding the Buckeyes in check, Ohio State wasn’t able to generate consistent push up front, receivers dropped passes, and Barrett missed open targets.

This is par for the course for a young team.

However, what was promising for Buckeye faithful was the way this unit ended the game. Tied at 17 apiece, Ohio State orchestrated a beautiful, six-play, 63-yard drive that culminated in Samuel’s touchdown run. This drive not only gave the Buckeyes the lead, it displayed their mental toughness on a day when things were not going their way.

This unit might be flawed and inconsistent, but it's also battle-tested. The Buckeyes are growing through these pains, and as that growth comes, so should consistency. Ohio State’s offense is far from a finished product - at times it’s hard to watch - but by fighting its way back against a good Northwestern defense, it showed resiliency.

This success inspires confidence, something this unit needs more than anything.