This miniseries will look at Ohio State's effect on its opponents through the first 10 weeks of the season. It's always interesting to see if there are any trends in Ohio State's play. Tonight we will look at the effect the Silver Bullets had on their opponent's total rushing yards and total passing yards gained.
Below you will see what Ohio State's defense has done to opponents and their Offensive Rushing stats in 2015. The teams are listed in the order the Buckeyes played them.
Note:
Negative (-) numbers are good for Ohio State.
Positive (+) numbers are bad for Ohio State.
3 Things Opponent's Offensive Rushing Stats
- Ohio State had the largest difference against Illinois (- 124.3) and Minnesota (- 122.1).
- The Silver Bullets held 70 percent of Ohio State's opponents under their season rushing yards average.
- If the average holds true you can expect teams to rush for 35 yards less than their average against Ohio State.
| TEAM | AVG. BEFORE OHIO STATE | RUSHING YARDS AGAINST OHIO STATE | DIFFERENCE | RANK BEFORE | RANK AFTER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIRGINIA TECH | 147.9* | 128 | - 19.9 | ||
| HAWAI'I | 100.0 | 80 | - 20.0 | 100th | 118th |
| NORTHERN ILLINOIS | 219.5 | 110 | - 109.5 | 44th | 66th |
| WESTERN MICHIGAN | 93.3 | 169 | + 75.7 | 122nd | 113th |
| INDIANA | 236.5 | 176 | - 60.5 | 21st | 30th |
| MARYLAND | 162.6 | 253 | + 90.4 | 84th | 62nd |
| PENN STATE | 157.3 | 195 | + 37.7 | 86th | 76th |
| RUTGERS | 199.2 | 104 | - 95.2 | 32nd | 45th |
| MINNESOTA | 155.1 | 33 | - 122.1 | 87th | 102nd |
| ILLINOIS | 144.3 | 20 | - 124.3 | 98th | 112th |
| AVERAGE | 161.6 | 126.8 | - 34.8 | 75th | 76th |
*2014 Average
| TEAM | SEASON AVG. WITHOUT OHIO STATE | RUSHING YARDS AGAINST OHIO STATE | DIFFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIRGINIA TECH | 165.8 | 128 | - 37.8 |
| HAWAI'I | 107.8 | 80 | - 27.8 |
| NORTHERN ILLINOIS | 231.9 | 110 | - 121.9 |
| WESTERN MICHIGAN | 212.2 | 169 | - 43.2 |
| INDIANA | 200.3 | 176 | - 24.3 |
| MARYLAND | 160.0 | 253 | + 93.0 |
| PENN STATE | 137.4 | 195 | + 57.6 |
| RUTGERS | 166.1 | 104 | - 62.1 |
| MINNESOTA | 152.7 | 33 | - 119.7 |
| ILLINOIS | 144.3 | 20 | - 124.3 |
| AVERAGE | 167.9 | 126.8 | - 41.1 |
To this point, Ohio State's defense has held opposing offenses to 126.8 yards per game. Three times this season the Buckeyes have held opponents to at least 119 yards below their season rushing yards average.
Running the ball is not as sexy in today's football. However, if a team cannot run effectively that team will likely lose.
Below you will see what Ohio State's defense has done to opponents and their Offensive Passing stats in 2015. The teams are listed in the order the Buckeyes played them.
Note:
Negative (-) numbers are good for Ohio State.
Positive (+) numbers are bad for Ohio State.
3 Things Opponent's Offensive Passing Stats
- Ohio State had the largest difference against Northern Illinois (- 194.5) and Hawai'i (- 122.1).
- The Buckeyes have held 80 percent of their opponents to under their season passing yards average. Only Minnesota (+ 71.4) and Illinois (+ 1.0) threw for more than their season average.
- If the average holds true you can expect teams to pass for 65 yards less than their average against Ohio State.
| TEAM | AVG. BEFORE OHIO STATE | PASSING YARDS AGAINST OHIO STATE | DIFFERENCE | RANK BEFORE | RANK AFTER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIRGINIA TECH | 217.4 | 192 | - 25.4 | ||
| HAWAI'I | 202.0 | 85 | - 117.0 | 77th | 114th |
| NORTHERN ILLINOIS | 274.5 | 80 | - 194.5 | 9th | 39th |
| WESTERN MICHIGAN | 327.7 | 169 | - 158.7 | 18th | 28th |
| INDIANA | 285.8 | 226 | - 59.8 | 30th | 31st |
| MARYLAND | 169.8 | 133 | - 36.8 | 103rd | 106th |
| PENN STATE | 187.0 | 120 | - 67.0 | 99th | 106th |
| RUTGERS | 249.7 | 189 | - 60.7 | 48th | 54th |
| MINNESOTA | 209.6 | 281 | + 71.4 | 82nd | 74th |
| ILLINOIS | 240.0 | 241 | + 1.0 | 49th | 48th |
| AVERAGE | 236.4 | 171.6 | - 64.8 | 57th | 67th |
*2014 Average
| TEAM | SEASON AVG. WITHOUT OHIO STATE | PASSING YARDS AGAINST OHIO STATE | DIFFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIRGINIA TECH | 210.0 | 192 | - 18.0 |
| HAWAI'I | 209.9 | 85 | - 124.9 |
| NORTHERN ILLINOIS | 248.3 | 80 | - 168.3 |
| WESTERN MICHIGAN | 290.1 | 169 | - 121.1 |
| INDIANA | 274.4 | 226 | - 48.4 |
| MARYLAND | 170.4 | 133 | - 37.4 |
| PENN STATE | 217.1 | 120 | - 97.1 |
| RUTGERS | 205.2 | 189 | - 16.2 |
| MINNESOTA | 219.8 | 281 | + 61.2 |
| ILLINOIS | 240.0 | 241 | + 1.0 |
| AVERAGE | 228.5 | 171.6 | - 56.9 |
To this point, Ohio State's defense has held opposing offenses to 171.6 yards per game. Four times this season the Silver Bullets have held opponents to under 150 yards passing.
In today's pass-happy game the Buckeyes have not allowed an opposing team to throw for 300 yards. I like the Buckeyes' chances to repeat if they continue to shutdown the opposition's passing game.
