The Buckeyes have a lot to consider after their 49-20 loss at Purdue. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- There's a chance for change. Ohio State's loss to Purdue leading into the Buckeyes' one off week this season means Saturday night's 49-20 upset has extra time to linger, but it also means Ohio State has extra time to assess and adjust.

Urban Meyer said he doesn't know if the idea of blowing things up during this extra time is the right way to think of it, "but there are some serious shortcomings right now and we've got to get them fixed," Meyer said.

It may not be easy. But it may be necessary. Meyer knows consistent issues with running the ball, defending big plays and scoring in the red zone have been dogging this team for weeks.

More of the same, with better execution, probably won't cut it. Change is afoot.

"The bye week gives you a little bit of time," Meyer said, "but Week 8, 9, you're into it now. The No. 1 thing, you've got to find out about the health of your team. That's hard to do right now, to make drastic changes when you're dealing with a banged-up football team."

Don't expect Ohio State to make all these changes. But expect Meyer to consider them. In these situations, a coach almost always changes less than fans want.

It doesn't seem like Meyer can ignore reality, though.

Here are five drastic moves Ohio State's head coach should consider this week. And he should actually adopt at least one or two of them, or ideas like them.

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1. Move away from run-pass options

The Buckeyes are going to throw the ball. It's what Dwayne Haskins does, and it's what this offense does best.

But constant run-pass options in the game plan, or RPOs, have thrown off the rushing attack in a fundamental way. Ohio State should dial back those calls and when they run it, just run it.

Ohio State is obsessed with what the Buckeyes call evening up the numbers. That means keep the quarterback involved in the run game, so he doesn't become a handoff machine and the offense isn't forced to play 10 on 11.

But offenses have been playing 10 on 11 for years, and you just need to find a way to block it.

There are two issues with the RPOs.

One is that Haskins, given a choice in the middle of the play to read a defense and make a decision, is going to throw it a lot. That's what he likes to do. But that prevents the run game from providing balance and getting in rhythm. Ohio State has admitted that Haskins often throws it when he could hand it off.

Ohio State's imbalance of 73 passes to 25 runs Saturday was affected by this reality.

The second is that the offensive line has no confidence and aggression, but it doesn't often enough get to pound the ball and run block without thought. That old-fashioned football has always gotten the Buckeyes going when they've been in holes. You remember drives over the last seven years when they march down the field with a 12-play drive where 10 or 11 of them were runs.

They do it when they need it.

They need that now.

The issue might be real enough to take RPOs out of the playbook completely, at least for the Nebraska game. Throw when you throw, and run when you run. Try play-action passes. try more variety in the run calls. But dedicate yourself to the run, without a quarterback choice, and see what happens.

If that doesn't work either, switch at halftime against Nebraska, or hope you can overmatch the Huskers anyway and adjust back before Michigan State.

But this run game has lost its way. It needs a change.

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Ohio State needs to find a way to give running back J.K. Dobbins a chance to get going. (Marvin Fong , The Plain Dealer)

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2. Change the interior of the offensive line

The Buckeyes aren't getting a push in the middle of the line. We suggested possible personnel changes before, but they really might make sense now.

Running out left guard Malcolm Pridgeon, center Michael Jordan and right guard Demtrius Knox may not be the best they can offer. There aren't obvious candidates as backups at tackle, and that's not the primary issue anyway.

But there are candidates inside.

One move would be to shift Jordan, an all-Big Ten guard, back to guard. He was moved to center out of necessity this season, and it has weakened the entire line. Jordan is better at guard than center. And no guard is as good as Jordan.

That would mean starting redshirt freshman Josh Myers, the backup center. He's a big-time recruit who should be ready. Give him a shot.

At right guard, the Buckeyes could go to Branden Bowen, the starter a year ago before breaking his leg. He's back practicing and could reasonably be ready after the week off.

It not, try redshirt freshman Wyatt Davis, who, like Myers, is another huge recruit who is going to start eventually.

An interior line of Jordan-Myers-Bowen, Jordan-Myers-Davis, or at the very least, Pridgeon-Jordan-Bowen, is worth a shot.

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Malik Harrison has been Ohio State's best linebacker, but the coaches needs to give the linebackers better chances to succeed. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

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3. Completely adjust linebacker responsibilities

All season, Ohio State linebackers have been creeping up to the line of scrimmage, their primary job to help stop the run, according to defensive coordinator Greg Schiano.

The result is a group often unable to make plays, because the play gets to them so quickly, they aren't able to read and react to what's going on.

I think the position coaching of the linebackers has been a problem for two years under second-year linebackers coach Bill Davis. But they're also not being put in positions to succeed by the scheme.

Rely more on the defensive line, have the linebackers slide back, and see if they can help more in the pass game, and make more plays in the run game, if they aren't so tight to the line.

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4. Play more zone

The Buckeyes have been dedicated to a press-man coverage scheme since 2014. The switch helped win them the national title. But they don't have the players to do it this year.

They've been backing away from that as their every-down defense more and more this season. You saw them give up some throws by playing off coverage in a Cover 2 scheme on Saturday.

But especially with cornerback Damon Arnette out, and Kendall Sheffield and Jeffrey Okudah playing the entire game as a result Saturday, the Buckeyes could have used a switch.

After the season, Ohio State can decide if an overall defensive scheme adjustment would make sense. Right now, there's no reason to lean on your principles when it isn't working. Back off, switch up coverages, try to confuse the QB and see what happens.

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Ohio State should ponder the best way to deploy cornerback Kendall Sheffield and the secondary. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

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5. Use Tate Martell

This is last for a reason. We've been pushing the backup quarterback as a wrinkle all season, and after playing a first-half series in three of the first four games, he has vanished.

He's not a magic pill. But after going 0 for 6 on red-zone touchdowns the last two weeks, Ohio State must try something new in the red zone.

We aren't suggesting Martell as the full-time red-zone quarterback. But try him for a play or two here or there as a regular part of the red-zone package of plays.

With Martell, the Buckeyes can run the zone-read and use the quarterback as a run threat, which is what they're used to and what really works near the goal line. This doesn't mean Haskins should never play inside the 20.

This means it's time to get creative. And remembering you have a shifty backup QB as an option would be part of that.

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