Ohio State offense lacking big plays since opener

Updated Sep 24, 2015 at 11:28a ET Aside from quarterbacks, the biggest topic of Ohio State football conversation this week has centered on explosive plays. More specifically: how Buckeyes have lacked them for most of this season. Ohio State has 13 plays from scrimmage of 20 yards or more this season. That average of 4.3 per game is down from the 6.1 of last season when the Buckeyes won the national championship, but there is more to it than that. Ten of Ohio State’s “explosive plays” this season came in the season-opener at Virginia Tech, when Ezekiel Elliott had an 80-yard run and Braxton Miller had a 53-yard run, both for touchdowns. Miller also caught a 54-yard touchdown pass from Cardale Jones, who had a 20-yard run and connected with Johnnie Dixon, Curtis Samuel and Michael Thomas on passes of 20 yards or more. Backup quarterback J.T. Barrett came off the bench to produce a 40-yard run and a 26-yard touchdown pass as well. Since then to say the well has run dry would be an understatement. Jones’ 24-yard pass to Jalin Marshall was the only scrimmage play that went for more than 20 yards against Hawaii in week two, and the only plays of such length last week against Northern Illinois were both turned in by Thomas, who caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Barrett and a 25-yard pass from Jones. …

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