We keep waiting for someone to give a stiff test to Ohio State, and after a blowout in Evanston against Northwestern, we’re still looking at the watch and clearing the calendar.
The Buckeyes avoided a dreaded let-down like we’ve seen in year’s past when they went on the road at night (Iowa and Purdue anyone?). Simply put — OSU dominated from the time it stepped off the bus and onto the grass at Ryan Field.
Turns out, it was Ryan Day’s field on a Friday night.
Ohio State took its first possession of the game and scored a touchdown and never looked back in a 52-3 route. As we do after every game, we provide you with five things we think we learned from the public flogging of the Wildcats.
Quarterback Justin Fields makes it look easy
I often wonder if Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields doesn’t get more Heisman publicity because he’s too smooth. A guy just coming into the program this year shouldn’t be so composed and have such command of an offense he’s had to absorb in about nine months.
He runs with ease, makes throws with ease, and scores a bushel of touchdowns — you guessed it — with ease. He leads the country in touchdowns responsible for and he should be getting more credit than what he does.
Next … The offense is off the charts
The Ohio State offense is next level
Balance. Explosiveness. Toughness. This Ohio State offense has all kinds of tools at its disposal and it shows. There have now been multiple defensive game plans and styles concocted to try and stop the Buckeye offense. Not one single team has been anywhere near the same zip code of doing so.
Michigan State was supposed to provide some resistance and all the Buckeyes did was put the game out of reach after the second quarter. Against Northwestern, it was supposed to put a clamp on the big plays. A halftime score of 31-3 tells you all you need to know about how well that went.
There’s unbelievable balance and production in this offense and you have to wonder who can slow them down. Wisconsin gets its shot next week.
Next … The Ohio State in-game adjustments
Ohio State’s coaching staff knows its stuff
Ohio State again owned the second quarter of this game. It scored 24 more points in the second stanza, continuing a trend that says quite a bit. Depth has a little to do with it, but so does the coaching staff’s ability to make in-game adjustments.
You don’t have to wait until half-time to figure things out, and Ryan Day and company are a case in point. Each game it seems the opposition comes out with a little wrinkle or two and moves the ball on the defense a little. It also plays with aggression on defense and at least puts a speed bump in the way of the OSU offense.
Then, the coaching staff figures out what the opposing team is doing and counteracts it. Game over.
Next … Next week!!
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin should be a hoot
Picture this. Ohio State’s unbelievable offense against the nation’s best defense (at least prior to Saturday’s games). Something has to give right? But who wins out?
The Badgers have been awfully stingy — especially against the run. Ohio State will undoubtedly try to get things going on the ground, but it may need to ask Justin Fields to do more than he’s had to all year. He might have to do damage through the air and when plays break down with his legs.
Then there’s the Jonathan Taylor aspect. Can Ohio State’s rush defense limit the Wisconsin running back and make the Badgers throw the ball against a great secondary? Man, it’s going to be a whale of a game.
Next … What happened to Northwestern?
This isn’t Northwestern of last year
Man, what a difference a year makes. I know the Wildcats have been a little banged up, and I know it lost one heck of a quarterback in Clayton Thorson. But there’s still a lot of returning talent from the team that won the Big Ten West last year.
Things start on the offensive end for Northwestern. If it can’t move the ball and keep its defense off the field, it has no shot of keeping the guys fresh on that side of the ball. The defense plays hard, but it tires out and there’s no way Pat Fitzgerald’s crew is going to outscore teams.
Add it all up, and it’s hard to win games.
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