After Ohio State put the finishing touches on a 63-38 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers Saturday night, it didn’t take long for many people around the country to start pondering whether a 12-0 finish was in store for the Buckeyes this year.
Even Ohio State starting cornerback Bradley Roby admits to thinking about an unblemished regular season, “We’re trying to go 12-0,” Roby said after the Nebraska game (h/t Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer). “Win every single game.”
Saying it is one thing. Doing it is another.
The Buckeyes are over the hump after beating two of the better teams in the Big Ten—Michigan State and Nebraska—in consecutive weeks. With six more opponents separating Ohio State from protection, here’s what the Buckeyes will need to do to finish the season 12-0.
Keep Braxton Miller Healthy
This is obvious, but nothing is more important to Ohio State than keeping its star quarterback healthy.
Miller carried the ball a combined 39 times against Michigan State and Nebraska, and in both games, Miller was briefly forced to the sideline to recover after taking a hard hit out of bounds.
It’s no secret that Ohio State’s offense lives or dies depending on how often Braxton runs the ball. The Buckeyes offense has looked the most anemic this season when the coaching staff has limited his running opportunities (against Cal, UAB and during the first quarter of the Nebraska game).
Still, Urban Meyer and offensive coordinator Tom Herman need to find a way to limit the amount of hits he takes.
Continue reading at Bleacher Report – Big Ten Football
