Ohio State endured another slow start in The Game, following into a 14-0 hole, before finally waking up midway into the second quarter and eventually dusting Michigan 31-20 in the Big House.
A key play as the Buckeyes steadied the offensive ship came with just under six minutes left in the half as tight end Marcus Baugh came wide open down the seam for a 25-yard touchdown connection with J.T. Barrett tying the game at 14 apiece.
The catch was Baugh's only snag of the day on three targets but when meshed against his work as a blocker, you have the makings of an outstanding day.
Baugh's efforts weren't lost on Urban Meyer as he met with the assembled media on Monday:
Meyer: Players of the Game, we had two of them. Co-players of the game: Isaiah Prince had six knock downs and played very well. His maturity and growth has been really much needed and really exceptional right now. And Marcus Baugh. How about that one? Co-player of the game against our rival.
Had a touchdown catch, but more importantly really blocked well and I can't say enough about Marcus. The improvement as an underachiever to a very good player, a guy that I have an incredible amount -- we all do -- have a lot of respect for the way he's turned it around. And he's a very good team player for us right now.
Meyer is understandably pleased with the maturation of Baugh off the field even more so than on it as the tight end's production has been solid all season after a good but uneven performance in 2016 featuring more than a handful of drops and missed assignments sprinkled in between NFL-caliber catches.
| YEAR | PLAYER | REC | % OF TEAM REC | YARDS | % OF TEAM YDS | TD | % OF TEAM TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | VANNETT | 9 | 5.5% | 123 | 5.6% | 0 | 0.0% |
| 2013 | HEUERMAN | 26 | 10.9% | 466 | 16.4% | 4 | 10.5% |
| 2014 | VANNETT | 19 | 7.3% | 220 | 5.9% | 5 | 11.9% |
| 2015 | VANNETT | 19 | 9.3% | 162 | 6.6% | 0 | 0.0% |
| 2016 | BAUGH | 24 | 9.4% | 269 | 9.7% | 2 | 7.7% |
| 2017 | BAUGH | 22 | 8.3% | 243 | 7.2% | 5 | 13.5% |
Looking at tight end production during the Urban Meyer era at Ohio State, Baugh is doing his best work at finding the end zone as his five touchdowns – with at least two games still to play – are the most by any OSU tight end over the last six seasons and account for 13.5% of all receiving scores by Buckeyes this year. Baugh received a tip of the cap for his season-to-date in the form of an honorable mention All-B1G nod earlier today.
Baugh's also on pace to better his 2016 production for receptions and yards, and could pass Jeff Heuerman's Meyer-era-best 26 catches though the yards are out of reach.
More importantly to the 2017 Ohio State squad, Baugh's touchdown grab against Michigan served as his fifth touchdown in the last seven games. A huge play to be sure, the enormity of his score in The Game is only eclipsed by his 16-yard game-winner in Ohio State's season-saving 39-38 comeback win against Penn State.
Another testament to Baugh's maturity and consistency is the fact he's caught at least one pass in all 12 games this season – something I'm guessing will surprise many fans especially with the backdrop belief Meyer's offense doesn't lean on the tight end position enough.
Scanning the various stats found on ESPN's CFB Film Room, which I know can sometimes be considered as having questionable metrics, Baugh's improvement is seen in both his pass blocking and drop rate.
I think most everyone would agree his run blocking is improved over last season just from the eye test and his pass blocking rate of 100% this year compares favorably to his 96.8% in 2016.
Similarly he's dropped just four passes this year (34 targets, fwiw) against seven drops last year (45 targets).
To handle Wisconsin and potentially backdoor into the College Football Playoff, Ohio State will depend on continued solid play from its redshirt senior tight end.
After that, it's a good bet Baugh will have a legit shot at doing work on Sundays in the NFL.
