The 5 Most Telling Stats for Ohio State This Season
The Ohio State Buckeyes are 11-1 and ranked sixth in the latest College Football Playoff standings. And by most people's standards, the 2015 campaign was a big disappointment.
The Buckeyes entered the season as the clear-cut favorite to repeat as national champions, but they struggled offensively and looked uninspired during their title defense. A stunning 17-14 loss to Michigan State two weeks ago will likely keep them out of the playoff.
What went right? What went wrong? These are the five most telling stats from Ohio State's 2015 season.
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Joey Bosa's Slumping Sack Numbers
Joey Bosa was the most dominant force in the conference this year and was named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year on Monday. But his sack numbers took a significant dip after a breakout sophomore campaign a season ago.
Last year, Bosa ranked fifth nationally with 13.5 sacks despite losing his counterpunch at weak-side defensive end, Noah Spence, before the season began. That set the stage for a huge junior year with Ohio State's single-season sack record in play.
But with the regular season over, Bosa fell well-short of that record after notching just five sacks. And while that number would suggest his play has slipped, that's certainly not the case. Opposing offenses have routinely double- and triple-teamed Bosa, opening up huge opportunities for Ohio State's other linemen. Defensive tackle Adolphus Washington and weak-side defensive end Tyquan Lewis have benefited the most, combining for 20 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.
The Dominant Pass Defense
Two years ago, Ohio State's pass defense cost it a shot at a national title.
The Buckeyes were riding a 24-game winning streak when they faced Michigan State in the Big Ten title game in 2013, but an overmatched secondary was a big concern. Connor Cook and the Spartans blew past the Buckeyes with 304 passing yards in a 34-24 upset.
That pass defense ranked 112th nationally, which prompted the hiring of Chris Ash to be Ohio State's co-defensive coordinator. And over the last two years, he's completely overhauled the secondary and made it one of the most dominant units in the country.
After 12 games this season, Ohio State's pass defense is up 100 spots from where it was two years ago, ranking 12th in the country, allowing just 176.2 passing yards per game. The secondary has benefited greatly from a stifling pass rush that ranks 16th in team sacks. But Ash's revamped secondary has been a big reason for Ohio State's defensive success this year.
Ezekiel Elliott's First-Half vs. Second-Half Numbers
Ohio State's rushing attack was one of the most punishing and productive in the country, ranking 12th with 241.9 yards per game. A big part of that success belongs to Ezekiel Elliott, who ranks fourth nationally with 1,672 rushing yards and second with 19 touchdowns.
But the key to Elliott's success this season was his surge in the second half of games.
| First Half | 120 | 624 | 5.2 | 9 |
| Second Half | 142 | 1048 | 7.4 | 10 |
Elliott only had three games in which he ran for less yards in the second half than he did in the first, the most notable being Ohio State's only loss of the season, against Michigan State. In the second half against the Spartans, Elliott ran just twice for three yards, leading to his postgame outburst regarding the play-calling.
But looking at the numbers, he had a point. Elliott and the rushing attack consistently picked up steam and wore down opposing defenses down the stretch of games, but he wasn't given the opportunity to do the same against Michigan State.
The Third-Down Inefficiency
With all the talent back on offense this season, many people expected Ohio State to be one of the most explosive and productive teams in the country.
The Buckeyes set or tied 74 school records in 2014, many of them on offense, and the unit returned seven starters and two championship-caliber quarterbacks in '15. But the production slumped drastically this year despite all that talent, and a big reason for that was Ohio State's inefficiency on third down.
Last year, the Buckeyes converted on 52 percent of their third downs, which led the Big Ten and ranked third nationally. This year, that number dipped to 38.9 percent, which ranked seventh in the conference and No. 73 overall.
The Bottom-Dwelling Passing Numbers
With Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett behind center, Ohio State was supposed to have a dynamic and explosive passing attack.
Those expectations were never met, though, as Ohio State struggled all year to throw the ball.
The Buckeyes weren't torching the sky by any stretch in 2014, but Barrett (during the regular season) and Jones (during the postseason) brought excellent balance to Ohio State's devastating rushing attack. Last year, Ohio State averaged 247.1 passing yards per game, ranking 52nd nationally. This year, that number has bottomed out to 187 yards per game, good for 104th overall.
That lack of production prevented Ohio State from attacking opposing defenses with a balanced offense, and as a result, teams loaded the box and dared Ohio State to throw. That cost the Buckeyes against Michigan State, and likely, a chance to make their second appearance in the College Football Playoff.
David Regimbal is the Ohio State football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.
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