Post-Game Thoughts
1. Another week, another rout, this time with perennial Big Ten doormat Indiana playing the sacrificial lamb. Have we really learned anything about the 2019 Buckeyes other than what we knew already from following recruiting for the past four years, namely that this is an incredibly talented and deep team? The Buckeyes have yet to be tested, and we may not get to see the first legitimate challenge until October 26th when Wisconsin comes to town.
2. Just as the peanut gallery tries to convince me that Ohio State is now a "pass first" offense, the Buckeyes run the ball 42 times for 306 yards (7.3 average) and 3 touchdowns.
J.K. Dobbins (193 yards, TD) and
Master Teague (106 yards, TD) both rushed for over 100 yards, the first time that two Buckeyes have cracked the century mark in the same game since November 11, 2017 (Michigan State), when Mike Weber (162 yards) and Dobbins (124 yards) combined to accomplish the feat. Yesterday's performance was Dobbins's second-best output (203 yards vs Maryland in 2018), and Teague's career best (and first 100-yard game).
3.
Justin Fields had a rather uninspiring performance, completing 14 of 24 passes (58.3%) for 199 yards and 3 touchdowns, and 4 rushes for 11 yards and a touchdown. After one final patsy next week (Miami of Ohio), the Big Ten season starts in earnest, with consecutive games @Nebraska, Michigan State, @Northwestern, and Wisconsin. That four-game stretch will tell us a lot about Fields, especially the Sparty and Wisky games, as both teams have staunch defenses.
4.
Chris Olave is developing into the WR1 for this Buckeye team. Yesterday, Olave had three receptions for 70 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown, and he also blocked a punt for a safety. Olave now has five career touchdown receptions, all from at least 24 yards out; and two blocked punts, each of which led to a score. Olave has certainly exceeded expectations, as he entered Ohio State a three-star recruit with a 247 Composite ranking of .8875 (third-lowest in Ohio State's outstanding class of 2018). Olave is an example of Mark Pantoni finding a talented but unheralded kid late in the recruiting process and the staff quickly selling him on Ohio State.
5. The Buckeye defense was again stingy, surrendering only 10 points, 42 yards rushing (1.4 per carry), and 257 yards overall (3.8 per play). The Hoosier's lone touchdown came on a trick play, when wide receiver Donavan Hale caught a lateral and then found tight end Peyton Hendershot wide open for a 49-yard touchdown near the end of the first half. It was an inexcusable breakdown on the part of the Buckeye defense, and it led to the longest play of the season by an opponent. Until that point, however, the Indiana drive chart looked like this: 3 plays, -4 yards, punt; 3 plays, -3 yards, punt; 9 plays, 59 yards, field goal; 3 plays, 18 yards, punt; 3 plays, -5 yards, punt, safety; 4 plays, 27 yards, punt. That's a total of 25 plays, 92 yards, 5 punts, 3 points for IU, and 2 points for OSU.
6. The Buckeye defensive line performed well, as expected.
Chase Young had another All American day, with 3 tackles and 2 sacks. Freshmen
Zach Harrison and
Javontae Jean-Baptiste each had a pair of tackles, and each recorded his first career sack.
Tyler Friday had 3 tackles and 2 TFLs, one of which was a sack.
7. As time expired in the third quarter,
Damon Arnette killed Indiana's best drive of the day (12 plays, 68 yards) with an interception near the goal line that he returned 96 yards for a touchdown. Arnette's pick six was the fourth-longest in Buckeye history, trailing only 100-yard returns by
David Brown (10/18/86 vs Purdue);
Marlon Kerner (10/23/93 vs Purdue); and
Will Allen (09/06/03 vs San Diego State).
8. Ohio State had 5 penalties for 45 yards, lost a fumble, and missed a 32-yard field goal. Not a sloppy performance, but little details that need to be worked on for this team to become a true championship contender.
