No. 1 Ohio State hadn’t had a truly dominant performance on both sides of the ball this season, but that changed in a big way when it blasted Rutgers 49-7 in High Point Solutions Stadium Saturday night.
Quarterback J.T. Barrett shined in his first start of the season for the Buckeyes (8-0), leading an offense that piled up 528 total yards and averaged 7.5 yards per play. On the other side of the ball, Joey Bosa and the Silver Bullets flexed their muscle, giving up just 293 yards of total offense to the Scarlet Knights (3-4), 90 of which came on the final drive against the second-team unit.
Ohio State Buckeyes Grade Analysis
Pass Offense
It looked like Ohio State was in for another quiet night through the air after the first quarter when Barrett completed just two of three passes for 31 yards. But that changed in a big way in the second when Barrett connected on a quick out-route to Michael Thomas, who broke a tackle and raced 50 yards for a touchdown. On the next drive, Braxton Miller got behind the defense and hauled in an insane 45-yard catch to set up Ohio State’s second score.
That first half set up a big performance for Barrett, who finished the game completing 14 of 18 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns (against no interceptions).
Run Offense
It’s been a recent trend for Ezekiel Elliott to struggle in the first half, and that was certainly the case against Rutgers Saturday night. Ohio State’s star running back was bottled…
Continue Reading: Ohio State vs. Rutgers: Game Grades, Analysis for the Buckeyes
