It took a little while for No. 5 Ohio State to gain its bearings offensively, but the Buckeyes found their groove in the second half, surging late for a closer-than-it-looked 34-17 victory over Navy.
Early struggles were expected without Heisman Trophy hopeful Braxton Miller at quarterback. The Buckeyes also faced a tough challenge in defending Navy and its vaunted triple-option attack.
How does Ohio State grade out after its season-opening 17-point victory?
Ohio State Buckeyes Grade Analysis
Pass Offense: J.T. Barrett completed 12 of 15 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns against one interception. The redshirt freshman made good decisions with the football, completing 80 percent of his throws and averaging 18.8 yards per completion. A bad interception and poor pass protection in the first half hurt the Buckeyes early, but a strong second-half performance salvaged a nice outing.
Run Offense: Much like the passing offense, it took a little while for the rushing attack to get going. The Buckeyes managed only 66 rushing yards in the first half, and starting running back Ezekiel Elliott struggled, carrying the ball just three times for five yards. Things clicked in the fourth quarter, when Ohio State piled up 122 rushing yards.
Pass Defense: It’s easy to look good in pass defense against Navy. Midshipmen quarterback Keenan Reynolds threw just four passes, completing two of them for 20 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. But Ohio…
Continue Reading: Ohio State vs. Navy: Game Grades, Analysis for the Buckeyes
