1) Protect The Pigskin – No Turnovers! OSU is not good enough where they can cough up the football and give the Spartans extra possessions or a short field. So “Protect The Pigskin”!
2) Unplug The Pressure Cooker – If the Buckeyes can score early, maintain the lead into the second half to take the crowd out of it, then they’ll have a chance late to win a close game.
3) Avoid Burnt Toast – OSU’s secondary can’t give up the deep ball and get burnt deep by Tony Lippett for long touchdowns. Lippett averages 21 yards per catch and has 9 touchdowns. QB- Connor Cook will look for him early and often and will test a secondary that he torched last season in the Big Ten Championship game.
4) Protect and Create – Urban Meyer’s offensive line must play it’s best game keeping J.T. Barrett clean and healthy while creating holes for Ezekiel Elliott, Jalin Marshall, Dontre Wilson and Curtis Samuel to run through.
5) Release and Create – When Tom Herman calls pass plays, OSU’s wide receivers must avoid getting jammed at the line of scrimmage, run precise routes and then create yards after the catch. It’s time for Michael Thomas, Dontre Wilson, Evan Spencer, Devin Smith and Jeff heuerman to make some big plays in the passing game against a quality opponent.
6) Watch For the Fake – Mark Dantonio likes to gamble on special teams, so Ohio State’s special teams coach, Urban Meyer must be ready anywhere on the field for Sparty reaching into their bag of tricks on punts, field goals or extra points.