Post-Game Recap
1. I have to admit it - I thought that Cincinnati would give Ohio State a game, and I even placed a small vBet on the Bearcats. Obviously, I was wrong. So who fooled me? Was it Cincinnati or Ohio State?
2. Cincinnati is perpetually looking for revenge against their in-state non-rival and respect from the national media. The Bearcats were coming off an 11-2 season in 2018 and an opening game win over a Power5 opponent. They have a head coach who has the strongest possible ties to Ohio State, and probably a private revenge motive, who wanted nothing better than to stick it to his alma mater. But the Bearcats never really showed up. They didn't play like a team deserving of inclusion in a Power5 conference, but rather as a team destined to be an easy win every time they show up on Ohio State's schedule. Ohio's BCS team? More like the lost tribe of the MAC.
3. After a mildly impressive win against an overmatched Florida Atlantic squad, Ohio State didn't really look ready to beat the brakes off of anybody. But everything gelled yesterday and the team largely avoided the mistakes, penalties, and uninspired play that keeps lesser opponents hanging around. I think that it's a bit too early to dub Ohio State a serious national championship contender, but the Buckeyes definitely made their little brother look like a toddler. We'll probably have to wait until October 5th, when Michigan State rolls into town, before we can get a proper gauge on this team.
4. Ohio State beat Cincinnati 42-0, but the game was somewhat closer than that score would indicate. Cincinnati got the ball into the red zone three times, but managed to come away with no points thanks to a blocked field goal, an interception inside the 5-yard line, and a fumble inches from the goal line. Even if Cincinnati had cashed in on all three possessions, it's still a semi-blowout at 42 to 17, but Ohio State really did need a little bit of luck to maintain the shutout.
5. Justin Fields looked much better yesterday, although he still made a few WTF plays. For example, with 8:06 left in the second quarter, Fields dropped back into a very clean pocket which gave literally ten seconds to survey the field. He basically just stood there and took a coverage sack when his best options were (a) run, (b) run, (c) run, and (d) throw the ball into the third row. Later in the quarter (3:35 remaining), Fields faced a similar situation. After waiting a few seconds in the pocket, Fields rolled right and appeared ready to run. However, he kept his eyes downfield (how often did you hear that phrase uttered yesterday?) and found Chris Olave down the sideline for a 39-yard gain. That, in my mind, was Fields's best play of the year....
6. And then three plays later, Fields threw a dart to Garrett Wilson for a 9-yard touchdown. Fields probably relied more on natural talent than footwork and technique, but under fairly severe pressure he delivered the ball when and where needed and got the desired result. Definitely a step in the right direction. As Wilson, it was the first reception and touchdown of his Buckeye career.
7. After a mediocre performance in week one, following a mediocre season in 2018, J.K. Dobbins finally reverted to his 2017 form. Dobbins had 17 carries for 141 yards (8.3 average) and a pair of touchdowns including a 60-yard jaunt in the second quarter that put Ohio State up 21-0 and essentially sealed Cincinnati's fate. Justin Fields will always be the focal point of the Buckeye offense, but Ohio State will need a solid running attack to keep their championship hopes alive. And right now, Dobbins is that running attack, although Master Teague did show some skills in limited action. Teague finished with 11 carries for 60 yards (5.5 average) and punished several Bearcat defenders with his power running. True freshman Steele Chambers saw his first game action, logging 2 carries for 16 yards.
8. K.J. Hill very quietly had 8 receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown, Binjimen Victor is developing into a reliable receiver (5 receptions, 69 yards), and Chris Olave continues to make big plays (2 receptions, 60 yards); Austin Mack has been the odd man out so far this season (3 receptions, 24 yards yesterday; 5 receptions, 45 yards overall). After being a big part of the offense against Florida Atlantic, the tight ends disappeared from the game plan, with zero receptions and (I believe) zero targets.
9. The (almost) play of the game came with 5:38 left in the second quarter. Shaun Wade perfectly read a screen pass, blew up the receiver just as the ball arrived, and deflected the pass in the direction of Chase Young ... who promptly blew his Heisman moment by dropping the easy interception (but he did finish the game with 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a blocked field goal). Wade had a similar play later in the game, when he (unwittingly) collided with the receiver and redirected the ball to Tuf Borland, who made the interception deep in the red zone. Wade also had a strip sack to round out his highlight reel day.
10. Tommy Togiai kept a Bearcat drive alive with a ticky-tacky roughing the passer penalty where the quarterback flopped to sell the flag. The Buckeyes got some measure of karmic revenge on the very next play, when Tyreke Smith delivered a truly bone-crushing sack. The drive ended with a blocked field goal by Chase Young.
11. The Ohio State defense gave up its first big play of the year, a 46-yard pass reception with Damon Arnette in coverage. That promising drive ended with the aforementioned interception by Tuf Borland.
12. Ohio State had two penalties (25 yards), three punts, five sacks, and won the turnover battle (2 to 0), which is usually a recipe for success.
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