It's a good day when your defense allows six points in four quarters. It wasn't all pretty, but a 20-point win on the road against the #16 team in the country feels pretty good.
Let's debrief.
The Short Story
For once, it was the Ohio State offense who struggled while the defense and special teams absolutely dominated the game. Ohio State earned the first score of the game on a "pass" from Dwayne Haskins to Parris Campbell, before two Michigan State field goals closed the gap to 7-6.
Ohio State then recorded a safety on an intentional snap out of the back of the end zone on fourth down by the Spartans, then recorded a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and finally a one-yard Mike Weber touchdown to officially ice it for the Buckeyes.
Quick Breakdowns
Offense
While Mike Weber did rush for 104 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries (4.7 avg), the rest of the offense struggled. Dwayne Haskins had an off day, while J.K. Dobbins could not get anything going (14 carries for 28 yards, 2.0 avg).
It was a down game for the Ohio State offense as a whole.
Defense
Wow. What a performance. Ohio State was forced to punt the ball nine times (we'll get to that in a minute), and the defense responded to each of them, giving up just two Spartan field goals and forcing three turnovers, including this fumble recovery for a touchdown.
I am well aware that Michigan State's offense is not exactly a juggernaut, but it was still encouraging to see very few missed tackles, some pressure, and just one big play. This was exactly what Ohio State needed on the defensive side of the ball.
Who Earned a Buckeye Leaf?
Offense: Mike Weber
Weber ran angry all afternoon, perhaps being aided by playing in his home state. While J.K. Dobbins could not get anything going on the ground, Weber was able to cross the century mark, and added this one-yard touchdown to ice the game.
Interestingly, Weber, in his three games against Michigan State in his career, has rushed for over 100 yards and a touchdown each time.
Honorable Mention: Parris Campbell
Defense: The Whole Dang Unit
What a performance it was from the Ohio State defense. I honestly couldn't believe what I was watching. Constant three-and-outs. Just one big play. Turnovers. They did it all.
It seemed as though many players had tremendous plays. Jonathon Cooper had a fumble recovery. Dre'Mont Jones had a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Shaun Wade recorded an interception. Pete Werner led the way with seven tackles. Malik Harrison had two pass deflections.
It was an all around incredible performance from the Ohio State defense.
Biggest Surprise
In lieu of mentioning this later (you'll see why), Drue Chrisman's four-yard punt has to be the surprise of the year. For a guy who is as reliable as they come (as evident by his performance during the remainder of the contest), that punt was an absolute shock.
Thankfully, he recovered.
Also, this is funny.
Breaking my Twitter retirement for a moment to announce I have been erased from the Ohio State football record books. Shortest punt in Ohio State history no more!
— Jonathan Thoma (@JonThoma) November 10, 2018
Jim Tressel's Favorite Moment
Jim Tressel loved this game. Loved it. He woke up this morning and immedately rushed out of bed (even though it was only 6:00am- Tress wakes up early on the weekends too so not to disturb his sleep schedule) excited for the possibility for a slugfest against the Spartans. He was not disappointed. Here are the things that Jimmy loved about that game.
- 17 combined punts
- FIVE Drue Chrisman punts downed inside the ten- and NONE OF HIS EIGHT PUNTS WERE RETURNED!
- Michigan State's one kick return going for just eight yards
- Mike Weber reaching 100 yards on the ground
- Ohio State's defense allowing just six points
- Michigan State using TWO PUNTERS (double the fun!)
- Ohio State winning the penalty battle
- The Buckeyes scoring 17 points off turnovers
Jim Tressel loved this game. Loved it. The bad moments (missed FG, four-yard punt) were so outweighed by the positives, Tress forgot about them. There was no least favorite moment.
Underrated Things
The Ohio State DB's
Outside of Kendall Sheffield, who got toasted a few too many times, the Ohio State defensive backs were really solid. Jeffrey Okudah played quite well, as did Shaun Wade, who had an interception.
Damon Arnette was excellent as well, and Brendon White had another great game. Maybe they are figuring it out?
Kendall Sheffield, Jeffrey Okudah and Damon Arnette. pic.twitter.com/M59JCL47ym
— Colin Hass-Hill (@chasshill) November 10, 2018
Biggest Questions Going Forward
1. Can Ohio State get any sort of consistency?
It seems as though when the Ohio State defense is playing well, the offense is not, and same for the other way around. You may have heard Joel Klatt say on the broadcast that Ohio State has not come close to playing their best game of the season, and I tend to agree with him. We have yet to see a game where Ohio State puts it all together. Will they ever? If they do, please just let it be in two weeks against the Wolverines. Please.
2. Is this offensive line salvageable?
We saw Dwayne Haskins get pressured several times, Ohio State once again struggle to get anything going on the ground, and a few really bad penalties by the line.
Greg Studrawa has his work cut out for him still. I'm not exactly expecting something magical to happen in the next few weeks, but slight improvement is always possible.
