This one was over in a hurry.
Ohio State started fast and never looked back. It began with a touchdown after an interception to put the offense in good field position, then the Buckeyes stretched out a big lead into halftime and cruised from there.
At the end of the rope, the Buckeyes looked awfully dominant with a 48-7 victory on the road against a Big Ten team.
As is customary here on Buckeyes Wire, here’s five things we think we learned from the game.
Ohio State is national-title good
Look, I know it’s early, and I’m sure there will be some adversity somewhere along the way, but it’s becoming more and more clear that this team has the talent and depth to compete for the ultimate prize in 2019.
The offense is just as explosive as last year, but there’s also a real, live defense taking care of business this time around. Add that to a special teams unit that has also been very good, and there’s not too many weaknesses that jump out for Ohio State. Heck, at this point, tell me a team that’s looked better?
A Big Ten championship coupled with another win over Michigan (yawn) would be outstanding, but this team should set its sights higher.
Next … A defensive back coming into his own
Jeffrey Okudah is going to make a lot of money next year
Ohio State defensive back Jeffrey Okudah might be the best cornerback in the country. He’s got great closing speed, is physical, and just keeps improving. His two momentum changing interceptions in the first quarter completely changed the complexion of this game and took the crowd out of things early.
He’s projected to be a first-rounder next year and did nothing but improve his draft for a prime-time audience tonight. He’s the real deal and might be the next great Ohio State DB in the NFL.
Next … Ryan Day has it rollin’
Ryan Day is an offensive savant
I said it early on and got criticized mightily by opposing fanbases — namely those that like to wear khakis. Ryan Day is a fantastic coach, and deserves more credit.
I know, I know, he’s only coached eight games total as the official head coach now, but he was the one gearing up the offense the last couple of years under Urban Meyer. He also has some major respect in NFL circles and could be on a staff there now had he not turned down some things.
The guy knows this offensive system and has things humming along. That’s not all though. He’s bright, collaborative and a great manager of personalities. I’m going to guess those critical emails and tweets are going to stop like — yesterday.
Next … The Nebraska program still has a ways to go
Nebraska just isn’t there yet, far from it
Before the season, the Cornhuskers were the darlings of Big Ten prognosticators. Not only did many experts have Nebraska winning the West Division, but there were a slew of predictions that had it pulling off the upset of Ohio State and contending for some bigger things.
After watching Big Red after this one, and against other teams, there’s still some work to do. I’m sure the recruiting will get better and Scott Frost will continue to make this program better, but it’s not a turn-on-a-dime type of affair.
Next … Throw the 2019 QB concerns in the trash
Justin Fields makes it look easy
With Dwayne Haskins last year, there was no doubt how many yards he was racking up. He would sling it all over the field and those passing numbers kept getting flashed before our eyes.
Justin Fields has been equally efficient, but he does it in a totally different way. He’s putting up some pretty amazing numbers as well, but the passing stats aren’t quite as gaudy. But here’s the deal — he’s got it all over Haskins on the ground (except for maybe the opinion of Stephen A. Smith).
He makes it look easy, and then you look down and his total yardage and touchdowns are piled high. You get the feeling that he could put up more yards if there weren’t so many other options to utilize on offense.
Truthfully, he should be getting more love in the Heisman trackers than what he is. Keep doing what he’s doing, and that too might come.
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