Five Things: Key Numbers Behind Ohio State's Spectacular 8-0 Start

By Chris Lauderback on November 3, 2019 at 10:00 am
Ryan Day's squad is clicking on all cylinders.
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There's no shortage of superlatives to encapsulate Ohio State's perfect 8-0 start to the season. 

Ryan Day's troops have run over, through and around the competition to the tune of a 40-point average margin of victory thus far. 

Chase Young looks like the best player in college football, an argument could be made for J.K. Dobbins as the best running back in the nation and first-year starting quarterback Justin Fields has been the straw that stirs the drink. 

The defense is dramatically improved and the offensive line is at its best in the run game. 

Overall, there appear to be extremely few chinks in the armor. Numbers for stats such as scoring offense, total offense, scoring defense and total defense certainly back up that claim. 

Beyond those more widely-discussed stats, here are five more stats that jump off the page as key to Ohio State's success through the first eight games. 


POINTS OFF TURNOVERS MARGIN

Would you believe Ohio State has allowed just three points to be scored off its six total turnovers? 

OSU NET PTS OFF TO MARGIN SINCE '14
SEASON NET PTS OFF TO
2019* +73
2018 +49
2017 +31
2016 +93
2015 +60
2014 +57

Meanwhile, the Buckeyes have scored 76 points off 17 opponent turnovers giving Ryan Day's team a +73 edge in points off turnovers through eight games. 

The three points surrendered came in the second quarter of the season opener after J.K. Dobbins lost a fumble at the OSU 25. The defense stood tall allowing 15 yards on six plays before Florida Atlantic's Vladimir Rivas hit a 25-yard field goal cutting Ohio State's lead to 28-3. 

The Buckeyes ranked No. 8 nationally with 17 total takeaways heading into yesterday's action to help fuel the huge margin here. Seven defenders have at least one interception led by Jeff Okudah (3) and Jordan Fuller (2). Pete Werner and Malik Harrison have each recovered two fumbles. 

With the defense cranking out turnovers, the Buckeyes are +9.13 turnover points margin per game. That number stacks up favorably to the 2016 Ohio State squad that finished +93 in turnover points margin and +7.15 turnover points margin per game. 

RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS ALLOWED

Ohio State's opponents, through eight games, have tallied exactly two rushing touchdowns on 288 carries. 

OSU RUSH TD GAINED/ALLOWED SINCE '12
SEASON GAINED ALLOWED
2019* 23 2
2018 23 26
2017 34 13
2016 33 8
2015 39 10
2014 41 24
2013 45 9
2012 37 14

Larry McCammon from Florida Atlantic (3-yard run) and Nebraska's Dedrick Mills (9-yard run) are the only two opponents to find the end zone on the ground thus far. 

Just two rushing touchdowns allowed through eight games stacks up favorably to any historical Buckeye defense including the 2016 (8 rush TDs allowed) and the 2013 teams (9). The two scores also slotted Ohio State at No. 2 nationally before yesterday's games (Georgia: 0). 

For further comparison, last year's defense gave up 26 rushing touchdowns; the most in school history. The 2018 team was also the first in school history to allow more rushing touchdowns than the offense generated (23). 

Of course, last year's defense also gave a program-worst 4.52 yards per carry. This season's unit is giving up just 2.54 yards per carry which ranked No. 3 in the country heading into yesterday's slate. 

PENALTIES PER GAME

Ohio State typically ranked toward the bottom half of the country in penalties per game and penalty yards per game during the Urban Meyer era. 

Last year's team hit rock bottom ranking No. 125 in the country with 8.3 penalties per game and No. 127 averaging 75.4 penalty yards per game. 

It's been a totally different story this year however as Day's troops average just 4.9 accepted penalties per game, good for No. 13 in the country before yesterday's games. 

Similarly, penalty yards per game are way down. Through eight games, Ohio State is yielding only 42.9 penalty yards per contest, good for No. 19 before yesterday's games. 

Both numbers are on track to better any season marks during the Meyer era. 

REDZONE TOUCHDOWN PERCENTAGE

Ohio State has been on fire scoring touchdowns in the redzone behind Day's expert playcalling and the fact the Buckeyes have a dual-threat quarterback once again in Justin Fields. 

Through eight games, the Buckeyes have scored touchdowns on 85% of their red zone trips which slotted No. 4 in the land entering yesterday's schedule. 

OSU RED ZONE TD PERCENTAGE SINCE '12
SEASON RZ TD% NATL RANK
2019* 85% 4
2018 61% 66
2017 66% 36
2016 65% 44
2015 65% 38
2014 72% 13
2013 84% 1
2012 76% 2

Over the last two games, against Northwestern and Wisconsin, the Buckeyes are a perfect 9-for-9 scoring touchdowns in the red zone. 

Thirty-three of Ohio State's 35 scores in the red zone have been touchdowns. 

The Buckeyes have also shown a very balanced attack, tallying 16 rushing and 17 passing red zone touchdowns. 

If Ohio State can hold on to the 85% touchdown rate in the red zone, it would be the highest percentage since at least 2012. 

Meyer was no stranger to scoring touchdowns in the red zone when Braxton Miller was under center as Ohio State ranked No. 1 nationally in red zone touchdown rate in 2013 (84%) and No. 2 in 2012 (76%). 

Over the last four seasons however, Ohio State had fared no better than a 66% touchdown rate (2017) in the red zone. 

SACKS PER GAME

Turns out, having Chase Young on your team is good for your sacks per game. 

OSU SACKS PER GAME SINCE '12
SEASON SACKS/G NATL RANK
2019* 4.25 3
2018 2.93 15
2017 3.21 10
2016 2.15 58
2015 2.92 9
2014 3.00 13
2013 3.00 7
2012 2.50 29

Ohio State ranked No. 3 in the country entering yesterday's action averaging 4.25 sacks per game. That tally is also blowing away any per game average of any squad since at least 2012. 

Young has 13.5 sacks meaning he's averaging 1.69 sacks per game all by himself. Hell, those 13.5 sacks were more than 38 other teams entering yesterday's games. 

Malik Harrison ranks second on the team with 3.5 sacks and 11 other defenders have at least one sack so far this year. 

With Young and company churning out sacks at a program-record rate, opposing offenses are frequently knocked off schedule. As a result, heading into yesterday's games, Ohio State ranked No. 1 nationally in scoring defense (7.9 ppg), No. 2 in total defense (224.3 ypg) and No. 4 in opponent third down conversion percentage (26.5%). 

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