Every single week the team that Ohio State plays, if they are in the local range, tries their best to get in our heads and talk a lot of stuff.
And when Ohio State smacks them by 40+ points, as they did to the Bearcats, Hoosiers, and Redhawks, they stop talking. Until the next matchup comes around.
Ohio State crushed Miami 76-5, scoring 76 unanswered points to take home an easy as pie victory.
Let's debrief.
The Short Story
It started... slow! Miami opened the game with a drive to midfield that ended in a punt downed at the one yard line. Justin Fields had the ball knocked out of his hands for a safety, and Miami then added a field goal on the ensuing possession to make it a 5-0 game.
Then, Ohio State scored 76 unanswered points. 76. This is how it started.
Quick Breakdowns
Offense
Justin Fields accounted for six touchdowns in the second quarter alone. Ohio State scored 76 points. It was a display for Ohio State all over.
Fields threw for four touchdowns, and rushed for two more, while Steele Chambers and J.K. Dobbins each had one. The last touchdowns were accounted for by Marcus Crowley and Jameson Williams on pass receptions.
It was an absolute dominant effort by the Ohio State offense. They started slow and really turned it on in a hurry. It was impressive to watch.
Justin Fields is scaring me with these scrambles, though. Slide, please! :(
Defense
Chase Young is a man. What a guy. It really is incredible what we are watching. Young had two sacks, and two forced fumbles which were both recovered by the Buckeyes in the second quarter. He is unstoppable.
The rest of the defense looked pretty dang good, too. Jeffrey Okudah had an interception, Dallas Gant led the way with five tackles and 1.5 sacks, and Haskell Garrett looked pretty dang good. It was a nice effort from a unit missing four high-impact defensive linemen.
There will be a big test for the defense when the Buckeyes roll into Lincoln next week to face Adrian Martinez and the Cornhuskers. It should be fun to watch.
Who Earned a Buckeye Leaf?
Offense: Justin Fields, Steele Chambers, Chris Olave, K.J. Hill
I mean, you did something right if you scored 76 points. The Buckeyes put up SIX touchdowns in the second quarter alone in a dominating effort. It was a collective job by this group, who did it through the air and on the ground, and with any personnel grouping. Great work.
Defense: Chase Young, Jeffrey Okudah, Dallas Gant
We listed these players' stats above, but they all were impressive beyond the stat sheet.
The first-team defense and the second-team defense (and the third-team, ha) played great all afternoon. It was another great effort.
Biggest Surprise
Well, the whole game was a surprise. I didn't think Miami would begin the game with a safety. I didn't think they'd be up 5-0 after seven minutes. I didn't think Ohio State would score six touchdowns in the second quarter alone and I certainly didn't think they would score 76 unanswered points.
Miami looked befuddled all afternoon after they took the 5-0 lead. The quote their coach had earlier in the week was quite accurate in the end.
Miami (Ohio) coach Chuck Martin on facing Ohio State: "It's kind of like going to recess and they have the first 85 picks."
— Joey Kaufman (@joeyrkaufman) September 16, 2019
Jim Tressel's Least Favorite Moment
Well, Jim was actually more interested in the classic Big Ten matchup with Michigan taking on Wisconsin.
Jim loved Wisconsin's game plan. The three tight-end sets and the two-fullback lineups were something to behold. It really was a magical game for Jim.
But even though he knew it would underwelm him, Jim sat on the couch and watched Ohio State take on the Redhawks.
And he was quite impressed, right away.
Miami's punter nailed a perfect punt and it was downed at the two-yard line. After Dobbins lost a yard on first down, the Redhawks knocked the ball away from Justin Fields on the ensuing pass attempt.
Jim said, "Well, that's what you get for losing the special teams battle." Truer words have never been spoken. It was a quiet game thereafter.
Biggest Question Going Forward
Well, now the real fun starts. After four wins over teams that are not very good, Ohio State will now go back on the road to a Big Ten West Team.
We know how well that has turned out the last two years. On the road, at night, at Nebraska... I don't know how this is going to turn out. We will see!
