The ultimate preview of the 2022 College Football Playoff

Key story: Can Ohio State win if things get physical?

There is plenty of statistical evidence that Ohio State is elite on both sides of the ball. The Buckeye offensive line ranks seventh nationally in rushing yards created per carry and Football Outsider, while its defensive line ranks 16th^th in the same category as the nation’s fifth-best PFF pass rush class. Five-star recruits are spread across both units, so you can expect these units to take over in critical situations. Instead, they have crumbled.

The Buckeyes have lost three times in the past two seasons, twice to Michigan and once to Oregon. Here are some key stats from these games:

Opponent Yards Per Rush: 7.2
Opponent Rushing Yards per game: 272.7
Opponent TFLs per game: 4.6
Rushing Yards Per Game: 3.4
Rushing Yards Per Game: 111.7
Opponent’s second half result: 77-38

A dominant passing attack and superior skill set has made Ohio State impossible to play for most teams in recent years. But when facing teams with somewhat comparable talent and pride in their physicality, the Buckeyes have worn down as the games have gone on.

And here comes Georgia.

In almost any way, the Bulldogs use an elite offensive and defensive line. They are a program built on top of an identifier of physicality. Georgia’s offensive line dominated the SEC with a 1.1 percent sack percentage (3rd^rd nationally) while paving the way for a rushing attack that averaged 5.53 yards per touchdown (7^th nationally). And while the Bulldogs don’t generate much defensive pressure — Georgia tends to rush by the four on most downs — nobody can run them with a 2-yard average scrimmage that ranks second nationally. The Bulldogs’ defensive front is deep and talented, it doesn’t wear down as the game progresses.

In many ways, Georgia is the perfect foil to test Ohio State’s perceived weakness. And Ohio State head coach Ryan Day knows it.

“When you’re in games like this, every yard is a battle,” Day said. “Every first down, every point is going to be like this. So we’ve prepared like this. We’ve been practicing like this and we’ll continue to do it all week because we know what a challenge we have here.”

Those comments aren’t new from Day, but echo things he’s been saying ever since last year’s loss to Oregon. Can Ohio State match the physicality of the moment this time? It will determine whether the Buckeyes have a chance.