O-line struggles at the forefront of Ohio State offensive rut

OSU redshirt junior offensive lineman Pat Elflein (65) and senior center Jacoby Boren (50) guard during a game against Northern Illinois on Sept. 19 at Ohio Stadium. Credit: Samantha Hollingshead / Photo Editor After scoring 20 points in its victory over the Northern Illinois Huskies, the Ohio State football team convened Monday morning, and the recurring theme of the day was the team’s lackluster offense through three games this season. Currently ranked 53rd in the nation in points per game, a lot of scrutiny in recent weeks has fallen on the offensive line, which coach Urban Meyer called a focal point of the OSU football program prior to the game against the Huskies. Senior Taylor Decker, the starting left tackle and team captain, opened up on the offensive line on Saturday following the Buckeyes’ 20-13 victory. “Everybody is going to play odd against us now, we’ve showed that we struggle against it. And that kind of takes away our double teams, which is what we like to do and run the ball up the middle,”  Decker said. Running the ball up the middle was junior running back Ezekiel Elliott’s signature play in 2014, but he has not looked like the same guy who rushed for over 200 yards in all three of OSU’s 2014 postseason victories. The St. Louis native is averaging just 5.4 yards per carry, a full 1.5 yards less than last season. Remove his 80-yard touchdown run against Virginia Tech on opening night and his average would drop to 4.1, which would rank 119th in the nation. “You prepare for one defense and they come on another one,” Decker said…

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