Ohio State’s last two football seasons have included perhaps the sexiest offense in college football.
But both campaigns ended with embarrassing blowout losses to Michigan that left the Buckeyes short of the Big Ten Championship Game. There was lots of glitter, but not enough grit.
This year coach Ryan Day’s bunch isn’t nearly as exotic. Yet there’s a sneaking suspicion third-ranked OSU might have the recipe reversed, a grittier version with a superb defense providing the glitz.
Could that lead to something special?
Saturday night’s 24-10 win at Wisconsin was one of those slug-it-out affairs the Badgers routinely lull foes into at Camp Randall Stadium.
But at no point did the third-ranked Buckeyes (8-0 overall, 5-0 in the Big Ten) appear in danger while putting coach Luke Fickell’s team away in the fourth quarter.
In weeks past the Ohio State running game has sputtered without lead back TreVeyon Henderson. The junior standout returned from injury for the first time since a Sept. 23 win at Notre Dame.
His impact was immediate.
“I took a cheap shot at the beginning of the Notre Dame game but God healed me and I felt good,” Henderson said.
He fashioned an outstanding night against a solid defense with 162 yards rushing, including the clinching 33-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Virginia native also caught four passes for 45 yards leading to 207 all-purpose yards.
“So much explosiveness that he brings to the table and when he is out there and full go he is a difference maker,” Day said.
Henderson had help of course, from Heisman candidate Marvin Harrison Jr. The nation’s top receiver had another routine day at the office, six catches, 123 yards and two touchdowns.
“He is the best player in the country,” Day said. “It’s hard because he gets so much attention, but he continues to make plays.”
Both were needed to overcome the first subpar game of starting quarterback Kyle McCord’s short career. While his passing numbers were decent, 17-of-26 for 226 yards and a pair of scores, his turnovers kept Wisconsin in the contest.
Through the first seven games, McCord had tossed just one interception. He had two picks and a fumble in the first half alone against the Badgers (5-3, 3-2).
But the Ohio State defense stood tall on the goal line at the end of the first half to limit Wisconsin to a field goal that boosted a 10-3 edge at intermission.
After Wisconsin’s one touchdown drive of the game on the opening march of the second half tied the affair, the Buckeyes defense slammed the door for good.
“I think (our team) is growing,” Day said. “Certainly at the end of the first half, that was a big-time stand.
“I saw a lot of great things on the field, but still a lot of things we can get better at.”
That’s definitely true.
While the Buckeyes will almost certainly remain No. 3 in the traditional wire service polls, it will be interesting to see where they land in the College Football Playoff rankings, unveiled for the first time this week.
With a pair of Top 10 wins over Notre Dame and Penn State, and a solid showing at Wisconsin, Ohio State boasts the best resume in college football.
There will be lots of chatter about one game at a time, yada, yada, yada. The fact is Ohio State will be overwhelming favorites the next three weeks at Rutgers, and then back-to-back home dates with Michigan State and Minnesota.
But it’s all going to come down to that Nov. 25 date in Ann Arbor against the hated Wolverines.
“One thing about this team, they don’t get rattled,” Day said.
We’ll find out if that’s true this autumn.
Does Ohio State have the grit it lacked the past two years to survive that monumental end-of-the-season test?
It’s going to be intriguing to watch it all unfold.
(Photos below courtesy of The Ohio State University.)
