by In their second game of the season, the Ohio State football team played like the best team in the country, as they destroyed Western Michigan, 56-0. After last week’s slow start, the Buckeyes left no doubt that they wouldn’t play down to their competition in the dismantling.
Out of the gates, Ohio State was in control, forcing the Broncos into a punt after three plays in their first drive, and then marching down the field and scoring less than three minutes later. Quarterback Will Howard went 4/4 in the drive, before handing it off to running back TreVeyon Henderson for the score.
After a Western Michigan missed field goal, the Buckeyes struck again, as Howard broke it open to find dazzling freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith for the 70-yard touchdown. Finally, to end the first quarter, Henderson’s backfield partner, Quinshon Judkins, got loose for a 23-yard score, making it 21-0 after fifteen minutes, and from there, the game was all but over.
Ohio State scored another couple of touchdowns in the second quarter, first with Judkins breaking out for yet another 23-yard scamper to the end zone. One drive later, Howard showed why he was so sought after in the transfer portal when he used his legs and big frame for his first rushing touchdown of the season.
The third quarter was no different, as the Buckeyes never took their foot off the gas. Western Michigan really struggled to contain the Ohio State running backs all day long, and Henderson made them pay when he rushed in for his second score of the day and the team’s fifth on the ground to make it 42-0. That would be it for the offensive starters at that point, but the backups just continued the thrashing. Devin Brown stepped in at quarterback and looked competent, marching the Buckeyes down the field and handing it off to James Peoples for his second touchdown in two games.
To many Ohio State fan’s delight, Brown only got one more drive under center before Head Coach Ryan Day handed the keys to true freshman Julian Sayin, who many anticipate will be next year’s starter. Sayin did not disappoint as he looked calm and cool in his first game, and capped off his short stint with a 55-yard touchdown to tight end Bennett Christian. In the final drive, Lincoln Kienholz, who played in most of last year’s Cotton Bowl loss, came in and ran out the clock to finalize the huge victory.
With all of the praise for the offense, the performance of the defense should not go undervalued as it is no easy task to shut out a team in college football. Cornerback Davison Igbinosun led the team in tackles as he continued to shine in perhaps the country’s best secondary, with safety Caleb Downs shortly behind him.
Edge rusher Jack Sawyer followed up his strong performance last week with a sack, and linebacker Cody Simon also had a sack in his season debut after missing the Akron game with a lower-body injury. The two starting defensive tackles, Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton each had a half of a sack as well.
Elsewhere on the defensive side, Simon’s return meant that somebody in that linebacker room would be unhappy, and at least for now that person appears to be C.J. Hicks. Arvell Reese, whom nobody presumed to get consistent playing time, stayed in constant rotation with the linebacker group along with Simon and Sonny Styles, while Hicks still played a good deal but didn’t get quite as many snaps as one might have expected.
Perhaps the only blemish on the night was star cornerback Denzel Burke’s ejection in the first quarter for targeting.
Despite the large win, the victory will be little more than a confidence builder in the long run. It was nice, however, to see the offense running as smoothly as it did. Howard looked very composed in the pocket, and Smith continued to show that he is immediately one of the most dazzling players in all of the sport. It might be a little premature, but is it really too early to start a Heisman watch? It was also good to see Henderson and Judkins dominating the line of scrimmage as they try to cement themselves as the best running back tandem in quite a while.
On the injury front, left guard Donovan Jackson was available to play, but did not see action as the medical staff will try to ease him back onto the field with tougher competition ahead. Austin Siereveld got the start once again.
Next on tap for the Buckeyes will be Marshall in their final tune-up before conference play begins in two weeks. If all goes to plan, expect a similar result to this one, a thrashing befitting of a titan.
