Cincinnati vs. Ohio State: Game Grades, Analysis for the Buckeyes

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images The Cincinnati Bearcats gave No. 22 Ohio State an early scare Saturday night, but the Buckeyes stepped up in the second half, scoring the game’s final 17 points to secure a 50-28 victory.  Ohio State (3-1) was dominant early, building a 30-7 lead midway through the second quarter. A fumble from freshman running back Curtis Samuel sparked a 21-3 run for Cincinnati (2-1), though, and it looked like Tommy Tuberville’s team was set to give Urban Meyer a 60-minute fight. That’s when the Buckeyes flexed their muscle on both sides of the ball.  How did Ohio State grade out from its 22-point victory? Ohio State Buckeyes Game Grades Positional Unit First-Half Grade Final Grade Pass Offense A- A Run Offense A+ A+ Pass Defense F C- Run Defense B+ A+ Special Teams B B+ Coaching C+ B+ vs. Cincinnati Ohio State Buckeyes Grade Analysis Pass Offense: The Buckeyes pass offense continues to surge with quarterback J.T. Barrett behind center. The redshirt freshman eclipsed 300 passing yards for the second consecutive game, as he completed 26 of 36 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns (no interceptions) Saturday night. His receivers were up and down again—four of Barrett’s five first-half incompletions were the result of dropped passes—but it was an overall fantastic performance for Ohio State through the air. Run Offense: The Buckeyes were even better on the ground. Led by sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State pounded Cincinnati, piling up 400 rushing yards on 65 carries—6.2 yards per rush. Elliott was sensational, running for a career-high 182 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries. Barrett was also a threat on designed runs and scrambles, rushing for 79 yards on 14 carries…

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