Well, that was fun.
Ohio State looked like it had a bit of a letdown early in the game against the Miami Redhawks, but that flat start turned into a mountainous terrain of offense that was hard to keep up with.
As we do after every game, we give you five takeaways from a game 76-5 final that had to turn heads across the country.
Ohio State might just be even better than last year
All the lasers and missiles former Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins launched last year were worth the price of admission, but the defense often made you shake your head. That’s not the case this year.
The offense might be every bit as dynamic, just in a different sort of balanced way. Justin Fields can make you pay by land, sea, air, or space flight, and that’s hard enough to deal with. Throw in a defense that’s playing fast, angry and downhill, and there’s not too many holes in this team thus far.
It’s still early, and there are much, much more stiff challenges ahead, but this team seems to be built for more impressive things than just being Big Ten and Rose Bowl champions.
We shall see.
Next … The QBs tune should be sung louder
Justin Fields should be getting more Heisman love
Has anyone ever done as much as the Ohio State quarterback with as little fanfare? Don’t get me wrong, Justin Fields has had plenty of highlights making the play in the national media, but he hasn’t gotten into the Heisman conversation like you’d expect.
So far we’ve heard everyone pound the drum for Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence, but not many are giving a serious look at Fields in that team picture.
Fields is leading the country in touchdowns responsible for, has command and poise and has done damage in multiple ways, yet there’s still a wait and see approach for some reason.
There’s a night game in prime-time in Lincoln on tap, so maybe he can show a little more to the national writers and audience to help boos that perception next weekend.
Next … The beast on the end
Chase Young is always in beast mode
It’s one thing to get all the hype in the preseason as a potential top five NFL Draft pick, it’s another to put all that hype on film to back it up on the season. Enter stage left Ohio State defensive end Chase Young.
At 6-5, 265 lbs. Young is a man-child that can use his leverage and strength to outwork the man opposite him on the offensive line. But the thing that really sets him apart is the ability to get off the edge with so much quickness for a guy his size.
He got around edge several times against Miami’s offensive line and caused some real issues with tackles for loss and turnovers. He’s going to make a certain NFL team’s front office and coaches extremely happy next spring.
Next … Speed kills
This might be the fastest Ohio State team in years
I’m not talking about just the guys in the starting group of players when talking about revving up the engines, it goes further than that. Yeah, we all know about the skill position guys of Ohio State in the two-deep, but even the defensive-lineman and linebackers seem to have a gear other teams just aren’t capable of.
Maybe it’s the more simplified scheme on defense, but this team seems to be a faster one playing more downhill. And it goes awfully deep into the roster. There’s a drop off for sure beyond the first-stingers, but I’m not sure it has much to do with speed.
Everyone on this team can run, including the quarterback. The Buckeyes lost a lot of road-runners to the NFL last year, but there’s more coming along just like Buckeye storm troopers.
Next … possessions matter
Welcome back — positive turnover ratio
When the Ohio State defense has been dominant unit, it’s usually been one that can take the ball away and give the offense a short field. However, that wasn’t necessarily the case last year. There were too many big plays on that side of the ball, and it only forced twenty turnovers last year.
On the flip side, the offense gave the ball away seventeen times. That’s a positive ration, but not by much. Call it a wash.
So far this year, that rate has gone up. Through four games now, the same Buckeye defense that’s been retooled, re-schemed, and rejuvenated has already taken the ball away from the opposition seven times. There’s still a long way to go, but extrapolate that out and you’d get close to 30 takeaways this year depending on the postseason.
Extra possessions + Dynamic Offense + Stingy Defense is an equation that will equal a lot of wins in 2019 — if the pace continues.
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