Ohio State's Rushing Attack Will Be the Difference on Saturday, One Way or the Other

Ohio State's inability to run the football consistently this year is a storyline that is going to become more prevalent as the Buckeyes work their way into late October and the back half of the year.

The Buckeyes are averaging 4.83 yards per carry, excluding sacks, this year. This ranks them 87th in the country, a spot behind Ball State and a spot ahead of North Carolina. 

The Louisville Cardinals lead the country with a per-carry average of 7.02, which is an amazing mark. Georgia slots in at number 2 with 6.64, and the Indiana Hoosiers are third with 6.04 yards per carry.

Now, while the Buckeyes are ranked 87th in the country, their mark of 4.83 yards per carry is more than enough to be a capable offense. A lot of these numbers at the top of the country need some context to their number. Both Georgia and Indiana are heavily weighted towards big games against way inferior opponents.

All of that is to say that this is where the game will be won or lost on Saturday afternoon. Indiana does have a potent rushing attack to go along with two elite pass catchers and an above-average quarterback.

The Buckeyes certainly are trending in the other direction with their run game. On Wednesday, it was announced that they will be down their right tackle, Austin Siereveld, and their No. 2 running back, Ja'Kobi Jackson.

Jackosn's injury, whatever it might be, seems to be very significant as he even took to social media on Thursday to post a really heartfelt post about having to fight through the situation he is in. 

No matter the case, the Buckeyes will be down two of their most important players on Saturday against one of the best teams in the country. 

There will be several storylines on Saturday that will determine the outcome of Saturday's matchup, but the team that controls the line of scrimmage will certainly have the inside track.

For the Buckeyes, they are going to have to get creative in the backfield without Jackson. Running mate Bo Jackson will take firm control of the vast majority of carries on Saturday to be followed by Isaiah West, and then maybe get some Legend Bey action as well.

They will have to piece it all together on Ohio State's side, but whatever they do, they can't rely totally on the pass game to win on Saturday, so they are going to have to get it figured out.