It took about 30 minutes, but the Big Ten Championship Game was eventually fun to watch. The Big Ten West Champions took the early lead but the Buckeyes' coaching staff was able to stable the troops at halftime before running away with it, winning 34-21. Ohio State's victory gave the Buckeyes three consecutive outright conference titles for the first time in Big Ten history.
In the Big Ten Championship edition of Inside the Box, we'll take a look at Justin Fields' historic season, the battle between the Big Ten's top running backs, and the tale of two halves.
Is This the Best Quarterback Season in Program History?
After the Dwayne Haskins Experience a year ago, many Buckeye fans were unsure if they would ever see anything like it again. The one-year starter rewrote the Big Ten record books and now holds over ten conference records.
13 games into the Justin Fields era, the Georgia transfer has been everything Ohio State fans have hoped for and then some. With Ryan Day's offensive scheme and Fields at the helm, the Buckeyes possess the highest-scoring offense in the nation. He may be Ohio State's second quarterback in as many years to be in New York for the Heisman presentation.
When comparing Fields to the last two quarterbacks in Columbus, his efficiency really stands out.
The darker the bar, the more total touchdowns.
The darker the bar, the higher ESPN QBR.
Fields obviously does not have the yardage numbers that Barrett or Haskins put up, but that is simply a result of Ohio State's dominance. The true sophomore has just 277 pass attempts, which is more 70 fewer than Barrett in 2017 and more than 200 fewer than Haskins last year.
Justin Fields is, however, much more efficient than both of his Buckeye counterparts. The signal-caller possesses a total quarterback rating of 92.4, which is the third-best mark in the nation this season, the best mark in program history, and the seventh-best mark in the history of the metric. Continuing, his 7.83 touchdown-to-turnover ratio as a quarterback is the best in Ohio State history.
The Big Ten Championship Game MVP will more than likely not win the Heisman thanks to a familiar quarterback in Death Valley, but his season may be the best in program history.
Battle in the Backfields
For much of his illustrious career, Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor has been kept in check by the Buckeyes. Despite being the only running back in college football history to reach 6,000 career rushing yards by his junior year, he was averaging under 50 yards per game on just 2.66 yards per carry in two matchups against the Buckeyes.
In the Big Ten Championship Game, the junior was able to shake off his previous struggles and put in his best performance against the Bucks, gaining nearly 150 rushing yards on 20 carries for an insane 7.4 yards per carry. It was by far the best performance by an opposing tailback against the Buckeyes this season.
Meanwhile, Dobbins' spectacular junior season has pushed him into the upper-echelon of Ohio State running backs. He is now just one of two backs to run for over 4,000 yards in his career. Against Wisconsin, Dobbins simply continued his great play, rushing for 172 yards on 33 carries.
Side-by-side, it is tough to tell who won the backfield dual.
The darker the bar, the more yards per carry.
Both backs added a rushing touchdown. Dobbins had four runs of 10+ yards, which was more than Taylor's three. The Badgers' tailback, however, had the two longest runs of the day; the first being his 44-yard scamper to put his team up 7-0 and then a 45-yard run to help Wisconsin extend its first-half lead.
Realistically, both of these talented running backs could be in New York for the Heisman if not for the otherworldly performances around the nation.
Tale of Two Halves
In the first half, the Buckeyes got punched in the mouth.
The Badgers were out-toughing the local team and Ohio State was not ready for it. Wisconsin was outgaining the Bucks by more than 100 yards on the ground, recovered two Ohio State fumbles, and had sacked an already-injured Justin Fields three times by halftime.
After the local team came out of the locker room, however, it was a different story.
The Buckeyes received the opening kick and drove straight down the field for a touchdown, kicking off a 27-0 scoring run. Ohio State scored on five straight possessions. During that stretch, the Big Ten East Champions held Wisconsin to just six yards on the ground and sacked Jack Coan twice, reestablishing its dominance at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
Ultimately, however, it was not enough to secure the top spot in the final College Football Playoff rankings. Instead, the Buckeyes will be playing Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. It will be the two teams' first meeting since the Tigers blew Ohio State out in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl, giving Ryan Day the perfect opportunity for revenge.
