Western Michigan vs. Ohio State: Complete Game Preview

Ohio State enters its Week 4 matchup with Western Michigan as the country's top-ranked team, but it has looked mediocre in back-to-back victories against overmatched opponents.

It started in Week 2 against Hawaii, when the offense tallied just 363 yards in a 38-0 shutout that was much closer than the final score would indicate. A week later against Northern Illinois, the Buckeyes gained just 298 yards in an uninspired 20-13 victory.

Can the Buckeyes get back on track against the Broncos this Saturday? 

Date: Saturday, Sept. 26

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

Place: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio

TV: ABC/ESPN 2

Radio: Ohio State Football Radio Network, Bronco Radio Network

Spread: Ohio State (-27), via Odds Shark 

Ohio State Keys to Victory

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Dominate Up Front

Ohio State returned four starters to an offensive line that dominated down the stretch of the 2014 season. Against Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon, the Buckeyes ran for an average of 298 yards per game, averaging 6.2 yards per carry.

But in the last two weeks against inferior opponents, Ohio State averaged just 172 rushing yards and four yards per carry. 

The Buckeyes need to rediscover their edge up front, because the players who dominated last year are the same ones who are struggling now. 

Find a Deep Threat

One of the biggest issues with Ohio State's offense is the lack of a reliable deep threat in the receiver corps.

Devin Smith provided that element for the offense last year, as he developed into one of the best big-play receivers in the country. According to cfbstats.com, Smith ranked No. 1 in the country in yards per reception, averaging 28.8 yards per catch. He got in the end zone consistently, too, as the 12 touchdowns he registered averaged 39.1 yards.

But through three games, no receiver has stepped up to replace Smith, who was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the draft last May. 

Braxton Miller got behind the Virginia Tech defense for a big 53-yard touchdown in the first game, but that was the longest passing play of the season by a wide margin. Against the Warriors and the Huskies, J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones averaged just a hair over five yards per attempt. 

Whether it's Parris Campbell, Jalin Marshall, Corey Smith or Miller, the Buckeyes need one of their wideouts to turn on the burners. 

Western Michigan Keys to Victory

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Get Zach Terrell Going

Western Michigan has a dynamic passing attack that's led by quarterback Zach Terrell, and the coaching staff will have to get him going against an Ohio State defense that has been absolutely dominant so far this season.

The Buckeyes secondary is playing at a high level, allowing just 119 passing yards per game, which ranks fifth nationally. The pass rush has also been dominant, averaging four sacks per game, which ranks fourth in the country. 

If Western Michigan wants to keep this game competitive, it'll need to get Terrell into a rhythm early. 

Generate Interior Pressure

The Buckeyes haven't handled pressure at the line of scrimmage well this season, especially over the last two weeks against undersized defensive fronts. The Broncos should look to duplicate some of the schemes Hawaii and Northern Illinois ran until Ohio State proves it can beat them.

Western Michigan has a number of disruptive defenders, as 12 different players have registered a tackle for loss. The Broncos faced Michigan State in the season opener and played admirably in a 37-24 loss, and the defense prevented the Spartans' explosive run offense from breaking a run of more than 25 yards. 

It'll need to bring that intensity to Columbus on Saturday. 

Ohio State Players to Watch

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The Quarterbacks

It's becoming more and more evident that the quarterback dance between Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett is affecting the offense. 

Jones has been pulled in each of the last two games after turnovers, as the staff wanted to see if Barrett could provide the offense with some life. But neither signal-caller has been able to advance the ball with any regularity, leading to two of the most inefficient performances of the Urban Meyer era. 

Clearly, something needs to change, and it starts with the quarterbacks. Meyer has to make a decision on who his guy will be, and he needs to stick with that decision and let his offense develop some consistency.  

Sam Hubbard

Joey Bosa has the pass-rushing skills to become a top-five pick in the NFL draft next spring, and Adolphus Washington has been an incredibly disruptive force at defensive tackle. But the Buckeyes have been so effective defensively because defensive line coach Larry Johnson has freely rotated big guys throughout the game. 

The biggest beneficiary of that heavy rotation is defensive end Sam Hubbard, who has been a breakout star for the Buckeyes through three games. The redshirt freshman is tied for the team lead with 2.5 sacks and ranks second on the team with three tackles for loss. 

Western Michigan Players to Watch

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Corey Davis and Daniel Braverman

Western Michigan has one of the best one-two punches in the country at wide receiver with Corey Davis and Daniel Braverman. The two broke out in 2014, combining for 164 receptions, 2,405 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. 

So far in 2015, the pair of wideouts are on pace to eclipse the insane numbers they put together a season ago.

Braverman leads the team with an incredible 40 receptions for 398 yards and three touchdowns, while Davis has hauled in 18 receptions for 309 yards and three scores. The two will challenge Ohio State's dominant secondary this Saturday. 

Caleb Bailey 

Ohio State's struggles offensively will continue if it doesn't game-plan for linebacker Caleb Bailey. The redshirt sophomore has anchored Western Michigan's defense, leading the team with three tackles for loss so far this season.

Bailey is starting to find himself in the Broncos defense, and he showcased that by leading the team with eight tackles in an impressive 52-20 victory over Murray State last Saturday. 

What They're Saying

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Urban Meyer was disappointed by the play of his team last week, and he expects the Buckeyes to play at a higher level moving forward.

"I always get sick when I start talking [about how bad we played] because you take away from a great effort by an opponent,” Meyer said, according to Patrick Murphy of The Ozone. “It’s a very good effort by an opponent, but we expect a much, much higher execution than what we’re having right now.”

Western Michigan struggled offensively in its first two games but got on track last week against Murray State. Coach P.J. Fleck talked about the turnaround, according to the team's official website.

"

The first two games we were worrying about other people not us and we weren’t playing our style of football.

We were able to get up early and become balanced. We are at our best when we are balanced and that’s the biggest challenge for the coaching staff every week.

Tonight they played with the how, they were a lot more physical than we were in the last two games and it had nothing to do with opponents, it’s about how we play.

"

Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott talked about the struggles on offense, via Eric Seger of Eleven Warriors. 

"

We’re a power running team with the inside zone then we take shots down the field. Plus, we establish the run. The thing is, on our drives, we’re not starting out well. Then we get behind and we’re not able to run the type of offense that we’re used to running. That’s a problem. We just gotta pay attention to detail, not shoot ourselves in the foot, and come out there and play Buckeye football.

"

Prediction

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After two weeks of struggling offensively, Ohio State will get back on track as it posts a season-high 45 points against Western Michigan. 

J.T. Barrett will get the start and put together the most complete game of the season, throwing for 275 yards and three touchdowns against one interception. Ezekiel Elliott will complement the passing attack with his best game of the year, running for 140 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. 

The Broncos will struggle against the Buckeyes' emerging defense, gaining just 250 total yards. Ohio State will get two interceptions from Zach Terrell, one of which will be returned 40 yards by Gareon Conley for a touchdown. 

Ohio State 45, Western Michigan 17