Well, I guess that mid-term exam was passed. Wisconsin was supposed to provide a real, live defense to push back on an Ohio State offense that has left every team in its wake to date. And for a half, that looked to be a real deal.
Then, something clicked and running back J.K. Dobbins and the Ohio State offense found its groove and pulled away for an easy win.
As we do after every game, here’s five things we learned after the Buckeyes’ dismantling of Wisconsin.
Ohio State Rb J.K. Dobbins greater than Jonathan Taylor?
Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor gets all the hype, and for good reason. He’s got a rare skill set of size, speed and vision. But folks might want to start paying more attention to the less-publicized Ohio State running back.
Against a Wisconsin defense that led the country in yards given up on the ground, all Dobbins did was light up the Badgers for 163 yards and two touchdowns on just 20 carries (8.2 avg.). Taylor on the other hand was kept under wraps by the Buckeye defense.
He was held to just 52 yards on 20 carries, an average of just 2.6 yards per carry. Of course the Ohio State defense had a lot to say about that, but Dobbins looked like the more explosive and angry running back in this one.
He now leads the Big Ten in rushing, and we’ll have to see how things play out once all the backs in the country finish out the week. Truth be known, he should be in the running for a lot more awards going forward.
Next … Who’s going to beat this team?
Hard to think anyone is better than Ohio State at this point
I’ve taken a wait-and-see approach with this Ohio State team, and frankly it’s hurt me in picking it against the spread this year. But it’s time to realize and get on board with the Buckeyes being a dominant team. Every phase of the game is playing at a high, high level right now, and there’s not another team out there that can compete across the board.
There is of course still some potential land mines to go with games against Penn State at home and Michigan on the road. That’s a double-dip in the last two weeks of the regular season, but Ohio State should be prohibitive favorites in both of those.
This team is on a roll and you’d be hard pressed to argue anyone — Alabama, Clemson, and LSU included — who’s better.
Next … Chase Young for Heisman
Chase Young is the best player in college football
Okay, I’m drinking the Kool-Aid now. Tell me a player that’s better in college football right now than Ohio State defensive end Chase Young? It’s time the campaign for him begins in earnest for the Heisman Trophy. If the award is truly given to the best player in the country regardless of position, I don’t know how you keep him out of New York.
Teams game-plan against him and he still finds a way to get around, through and over double teams. He had four more sacks today and continues his thrashing of opposing quarterbacks — leading the country.
Get it going on Twitter, share this and let’s go. The only way this thing gets momentum is if there’s a grass-roots movement that rails against the traditional skill position players getting all the love.
Ohio State might have the best offense and defense in the country
Elite balance
A good team has multiple ways to beat you. That seems to be right in the sweet spot for Ohio State this year because the defense seems to be as equally elite as the offense.
Even if the Ohio State offense couldn’t kick it in gear today, you got the feeling Wisconsin could have played for three weeks and only scored a few points on this Buckeye defense. That’s good news for going forward.
I don’t know when it’s going to happen because it hasn’t yet, but at some point, if one side of the ball is struggling, the other can do more than enough to run away with the game.
The talent, coaching, and execution with this team is simply amazing. You came into this game knowing Ohio State’s offense was better, but now it appears the Buckeye defense is better than what Wisconsin can throw out there too.
Next … A triple bye?
Ohio State now gets a bit of a break
This was supposed to be one of the biggest hurdles of the year, and now that it’s been cleared, the Buckeyes get a bit of a break. Not only is there an off-week coming up, but the two weeks after are against perhaps the two worst teams in the league — Maryland and Rutgers.
Of course nothing is a given, but it’s hard to find any rationale for the Terps or Scarlet Knights staying anywhere close to this Ohio State team. In fact, what Ohio State does to those two teams might be illegal in some states.
That means the season gets going again in earnest when Penn State comes to town on November 23. Take a breath Buckeye fans and get ready for the home stretch.
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