The Ohio State Buckeyes are having their worst season in a long time, and it may not get better.
As long as Luke Fahey is starting in place of Julian Sayin, and as long as the defense is struggling to get stops, it’s hard to see how OSU can close this campaign with a flourish.
But there’s one other place worth looking that hasn’t been discussed much: Bo Jackson.
Jackson took the country by storm last fall as a true freshman. He was an exciting RB from Cleveland’s Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School who shared a name with a legend (no relation) — Bo’s first name is actually Lamar (also no relation to the NFL star).
This season hasn’t been as good for Jackson, though, and it quietly tells a lot of the story.
Bo Jackson Stats Decline
Jackson still has a clearly bright future, but his numbers are down across the board this season.
As a freshman, Jackson ran for 1,090 yards on 179 carries — 6.1 yards per carry.
This season, Jackson is at 685 yards on 139 rushes — 4.9 yards per carry.
He does already have six touchdowns, just like last season, but that’s the only notable positive. Jackson is getting more goal-line work with CJ Donaldson now in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints.
Jackson is also averaging 7.3 yards per catch, compared to 10.5 last season — although he has out-caught his freshman self 20 to 19 already.
The main point is in that running efficiency. When Jackson touches the ball, he’s gaining less ground.
How This Tells Ohio State’s Story
Ohio State is just less dangerous across the board this season.
The passing attack has relied more completely on Jeremiah Smith — who is amazing and dominant, but doesn’t have Carnell Tate opposite him anymore.
Defenses could focus more on stopping Jackson with no WR2 to worry about. And once Sayin was hurt, the intensity to stop the running game could grow even more.
Maybe some of it is on Jackson, too — that’s harder to quantify. But his decline also forces Ohio State’s defense to be on the field a bit more, too, which can’t help.
The fact that Bo hasn’t lived up to his freshman season is a clear problem. It’s not all the running back’s fault, but it’s in line with how the rest of this year has gone for Ohio State.
The Buckeyes could do a lot of things better down the stretch. One might be simply giving Jackson a bit more room to operate and shine.
Ohio State’s Bo Jackson Problem Quietly Tells Whole Story