The Ohio State Buckeyes are currently beating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights like a drum to the tune of 28-7. No one should be surprised that this game is this ugly because Ohio State was favored by more than five touchdowns, but we still have a long way to go before the Buckeyes beat that number.
Ohio State looks good, but sluggish feels like the more accurate word. It had moments where they have had sloppy play including an ugly muffed punt, a few receivers running out of bounds before catching the ball, and some awkward play-calling near the goal line, but let’s dive into the three things we noticed in the first half.
Worst drive ever
Our long national nightmare is over. The drive has ended
— Bill Landis (@BillLandis25) October 1, 2022
The last Ohio State drive before halftime was completely miserable to watch between the numerous timeouts, awkward play calling, and struggles to force it down the throat of Rutgers. The Buckeyes ended up in the end zone, but it was a perfect summary of the first half.
Tommy Eichenberg is a monster
Tommy Eichenberg having another productive day with seven tackles less than 25 minutes into the game.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) October 1, 2022
Tommy Eichenberg has produced a nice stat line in the first half including seven tackles, three of which were solo, and one was behind the line. He even managed to earn a quarterback hurry.
Julian Fleming is stepping up
It's pretty fun to watch what a healthy Julian Fleming is finally becoming for Ohio State
— Austin Ward (@AWardSports) October 1, 2022
With Jaxon Smith-Njigba out and for who knows how much longer, the receiving corps was looking for an alpha to set themselves apart and Julian Fleming is showing why he was a former five-star recruit. Fleming has four receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown in the first half.
