Three things the Ohio State Buckeyes football must improve on during their bye week

After a 7-0 start, Ohio State has seven reasons to feel confident about its championship aspirations, but three keys could hold it back.

But despite being ranked No. 1 in the nation, the Buckeyes must address the issues if they want to secure another national championship.

Finding the right running back rotation

Heading into the season, James Peoples was projected to be the feature back, and CJ Donaldson was expected to serve as the 1B power option.

That order has not been the case at all.

Freshman running back Bo Jackson entered the fray, putting together a historic stretch with the Buckeyes in his first two games, rushing for more than 100 yards in both.

His display of agility, explosiveness and power were all factors in him earning the role as the 1A in the backfield.

Jackson’s 433 rushing yards on 68 attempts lead the team, averaging 6.4 yards per carry and three total touchdowns.

For someone who was not even mentioned in the preseason as having a real chance at the starting role, Jackson has excelled as the top rusher.

Donaldson has remained the second part of the duo, primarily receiving short-yardage and goal-line work.

Peoples has not received double-digit carries since Ohio State’s Week 1 win over Texas, and Isaiah West showcased his skill set with 42 yards and a touchdown against Wisconsin.

He has punched the ball in six times on the ground, averaging 4.2 yards per carry.

Even with the efficiency of the running back committee, the Buckeyes rank 10th in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game with 151.7.

The point being that although the passing attack has been stellar up to this point, finding clarity in the depth chart will provide consistency in must-win games.

Jackson is still the guy, but if we have seen anything this season, that can change in an instant.

Adversity in the second half

The Buckeyes have trailed for a total of zero seconds in the second half of games this season.

That’s a tremendous statistic that every team in college football strives for, but there is a downside that could hurt Ohio State later on in the year.

This could just be nitpicking, but given the limited track record of quarterback Julian Sayin’s young career, the speculation feels valid.

At some point, especially as the season progresses, the Buckeyes will face closer games as the competition ramps up.

They very well may just beat every team while staying ahead, behind a scoring defense that allows 5.9 points per game, but if not, it will be a position they are not used to.

Figuring this out during the regular season or the conference championship would be better than during single-game elimination in the playoffs.

Ohio State has the coaching and personnel to play fast or slow, and there is a chance it dominates throughout the season and into another title run.

Special teams

It’s tough to win without a serviceable special teams unit.

The Buckeyes hold the third-worst yards per punt average in the conference with 41.3, only ahead of Washington (40) and Nebraska (39.3).

The bright side of this is that they have only punted 15 times this year, which ranks them 15th in the conference.

Long drives and punching the ball in are a massive part of the nation’s No. 1 team, but when needed to punt, the field-position game has often put them at a disadvantage.

When long drives stall but leave them within field goal range, the Buckeyes have left meat on the bone.

Senior kicker Jayden Fielding has converted eight of 10 field goal attempts this year, matching his career high with an 80 percent field goal percentage.

His two misses came at Wisconsin (38 yards) and Minnesota (53 yards).

Although the efficiency has been serviceable, Ohio State will need Fielding to keep his numbers steady.

Special teams not only can limit/generate points, but also the chance to make or break a group’s season.

Ohio State will have time to rest on its bye before hosting the free-falling Penn State Nittany Lions on Nov. 1.