Ohio State is running away at the half against Michigan State, leading 28-0. And while there is talk of style points for the Buckeyes, there is some work to do for full points. The defense has been a huge story this game as it has locked down Michigan State for the first half. We knew going into the game the Spartan rushing attack was not good, but came to life against Northwestern.
The ability of the defense to shut down the Spartans, create turnovers, and force Michigan State to become one-dimensional has allowed the Buckeyes to keep the offense semi-conservative with Ryan Day out. The pass rush has been able to get the Spartan quarterbacks uncomfortable, which has led to an interception and punts.
On offense, the Buckeyes have to work on the snapping issues. While it probably doesn’t make a difference in this game, it could help long-term, should an injury, or COVID-19, rear its head at the end of the season. The play-calling has been slightly conservative with a lot of running back runs, short passing, and quarterback runs. For style points, the offense may have to open it up a little early in the second half.
So far, those style points are there for the defense and Justin Fields. If Ohio State wants to make a good impression, getting Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson a little more involved will help. Either way, Ohio State is showing how good of a team it is, and the style points are still there.
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