Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones throws during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship NCAA college …On the outside of the College Football Playoff rankings and looking in, No. 5 Ohio State needed to make a statement against No. 13 Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday night. Mission accomplished; but will it be enough to crack the Top 4? The Buckeyes annihilated the Badgers in all phases en route to a resounding 59-0 victory – and they did so with third-string quarterback Cardale Jones making his first career start. Jones’ inexperience didn’t matter, though. Jones played a fantastic game, completing 12-of-17 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Each of those scores were on deep balls to Devin Smith (four catches, 137 yards) of 39, 44, and 42 yards. Sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott had a huge game for the Buckeyes as well. On 20 carries, Elliott racked up 220 yards and two touchdowns. His 81-yard score in the first quarter was the first indication that the Badgers were in for a rough ride. Overall, the Buckeyes, with their dominant offensive line, registered 558 yards of total offense against the nation’s second-ranked defense that allowed an average of only 260 yards per game all season. While the offense continued to tack on points, the Ohio State defense was arguably even more impressive. It limited Wisconsin’s offense to just 258 yards (many of which came in garbage time) while running back Melvin Gordon, the nation’s leading rusher, was held to just 76 yards on 26 carries – a 2.9 yard average compared to the 8.0 yards per carry average he put up through the regular season. …
Continue Reading: Ohio State destroys Wisconsin to win Big Ten, but will the Buckeyes crack the Top 4?
