Carnell Tate makes a touchdown catch for Ohio State (Photo by Ohio State Athletics)
Ohio State had a slow first half against Ohio, leading 13-3 at the midway mark. The Bobcats would strike first in the second half, narrowing the lead to four, 13-9. The Buckeyes responded with 24 unanswered points to close and win the game 37-9.
Rocky Red Zone
Ohio State struggled in the Red Zone against Ohio; there’s no two ways about it. On their first possession, the Bucks would march 66 yards to the Ohio four-yard line before turning it over on downs. Their next two trips inside the Ohio 20-yard line would lead only to a pair of field goals. They’d get their first touchdown on their fourth trip to the Red Zone.
A 64-yard run by freshman Bo Jackson would get the Buckeyes their fifth visit near the Ohio goal line. The Buckeyes would fail to capitalize on it, though, as a penalty set them back, and Jackson was pulled, despite having the hot hand, and they’d settle for the third field goal by Jayden Fielding. Their next scores would be touchdown passes of 47 and 49 yards before getting in a late touchdown from 17 yards out to end the scoring.
The Silver Lining
Getting six trips inside the 20 of your opponent is great! Scoring five out of those six times is good! Getting only two touchdowns, settling for three field goals, and coming up empty once is average, at best. A silver lining is that Jayden Fielding was perfect, making kicks that he struggled with last year because of an injury. It’s also nice that punter Joe McGuire didn’t have to do anything other than be the holder for Fielding.
But I’m not going to be hung up about this one thing that happened in the third game of the season. Wide Receiver U’s stars shone, Julian Sayin threw three touchdown passes and over 300 yards, and the team rushed for over 200 yards, and they won by four touchdowns, and are still the #1 team in America!
JereHeisman Smith and THE Ohio Tate
These two just continue to show why they are the best in the game. Carnell Tate had five catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. The best player in college football, Jeremiah Smith, had nine catches for 153 yards, a touchdown, and a 17-yard rushing touchdown. They’ll need and should have similar performances in Seattle against the Huskies.
The Rushmen
Lost in the discussion about the Red Zone was how well the Buckeye defense played, especially the reloaded defensive line, also known as the Rushmen. Defensive tackle Kayden McDonald had three tackles, including a sack and tackle for a loss. North Carolina transfer Beau Atkinson had two tackles for a loss and a sack.
The highlight of the night from this group was provided by Caden Curry. Ohio faced 3rd and 18, and Curry was lined up at defensive tackle, took on a double team, got through both blockers and sacked the quarterback to force a punt. It’s great to see Curry, a senior who dutifully backed up Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau for three years, have success. Curry could have transferred somewhere else to get on the field more, but he stayed at Ohio State, and you love to see that kind of loyalty lead to success.
Buckeye Ball Hawks
The back seven of Ohio State weren’t overshadowed, though. Linebacker Sonny Styles had six tackles, and linebacker Arvell Reese, the surprise star for the defense this year, had seven tackles, a tackle for a loss, and a sack. The safeties were flying to the ball, too. Caleb Downs had six tackles and a tackle for a loss, while Jaylen McClain had five tackles. McClain and Reese lead the team in tackles this year with 20 and 17, respectively.
