Ohio State went to Indianapolis, got punched in the face, and had to punch back. It was really the first time this team has had to play from behind with a ton of adversity.
Nothing seemed to be going right for the Buckeyes in the first half, and many left this team for dead. But it didn’t matter. Ohio State stayed within itself and made the necessary adjustments to reel the game back in and take full control late to enjoy all the confetti falling.
At the end of it all, the program secures its third-straight Big Ten title, and likely punched its way to a top two seed in the College Football Playoff.
All credit to Wisconsin for playing tough and having a great game plan, but it wasn’t enough. Here’s three things we learned from what we saw Saturday night in Indianapolis.
The Ohio State defense is not completely unflappable
This is now the third week in a row where we saw some leaks in the Buckeye defense. Things won’t always be perfect of course, but there are ways to move the ball against this team, and you’ll see other try to replicate some things Wisconsin, Michigan, and Penn State did against what had been the best defense in the country all year.
Now, it’s still a very good defense that’ll make stops, but there’s a little bit of concern on some communication and tackling issues that need to be addressed. It was great to see that unit buckle down in the 2nd half, but there needs to be a little improvement before the College Football Playoff hits.
Next … Dobbins the grinder
J.K. Dobbins isn’t just a flash and dash guy
I’m not sure what J.K. Dobbins has to do for more respect, but the kid has so many things in his tool chest. We all know how explosive he is with the speed and cutbacks he possesses, but he grinded things out today and he needed to.
Dobbins lugged the ball a whopping 33 times for a total of 172 yards (5.2 per carry) and was really the player that allowed Ohio State to control things in the second half. Justin Fields may have won MVP of the game, but the Buckeyes don’t win this thing without the exploits of Dobbins.
He’s durable, quick, and a guy that’s got a good chance at being a first round pick in next year’s NFL Draft. Unless, that is, he comes back for his senior season (tongue in cheek).
Next … Adjustments
The coaches made great adjustments at halftime
If you were like us here at Buckeyes Wire, there was definitely some concern about what we saw in the first half. Wisconsin looked like it had a great game plan, was executing, and had a lot of motivation and emotion behind what it was doing. On top of that, it didn’t look like the Buckeyes had any answers for what was going on.
But that all changed in the 2nd half. The defense shortened up its depth on the zone to take away quick slants, the offense got back to pounding and wearing out the Wisconsin defensive front, and the offensive line cleaned up some blocking assignments to give Justin Fields more time to throw.
It resulted in a 27-0 second half that rescued the Big Ten Championship and perhaps the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. Kudos to head coach Ryan Day and staff for turning the fortunes around.
Next … Justin Fields the warrior
Justin Fields is one tough man
I’m not sure we really know the full extent of how much pain quarterback Justin Fields is in, or the extent of how banged up that knee is. He elected to go with a bulky protective brace in this one, and it looked like he was clearly hobbled out there.
He would never make an excuse for it, but some throws were high, he wasn’t as elusive on the ground, and was a step or two slower than what we’re accustomed to seeing.
Yet he still battled, gutted it out, and won Big Ten Championship MVP honors with 299 yards and three touchdowns through the air. He’s got the respect of this team as a first year player, and you can see why.
Next … Hello College Football Playoff
Will it be the No. 1 or No. 2 seed
This is the first year you can sit and watch the final College Football Playoff rankings and not be on edge because of whether Ohio State gets in or not. No, it’s a done deal that the Buckeyes get in. Where it gets interesting is whether or not OSU gets the nod as the top overall seed, or whether the committee rewards LSU for its dominant win over Georgia and flips the two.
If Ohio State is No. 1, it likely gets Oklahoma. However, fall to No. 2, and the Buckeyes’ likely opponent is Clemson. You have to go through these teams anyway, but there sure seems to be a big dropoff after the top three teams.
We’ll all find out where and who Ohio State is playing around 12:30 PM or so Sunday.
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