Taking on Bud Foster's hyper-aggressive defensive scheme for the second consecutive season, it was no secret Ohio State would try to make the Hokies pay with big plays.
That strategy was in place last year too however things didn't work out as planned as Virginia Tech limited the Buckeyes to just nine explosive plays (20+ yd passes, 12+ yd rushes) for 270 yards in a 35-21 defeat of Ohio State in Columbus. In that game, a green offensive line and receivers struggling to gain separation combined with J.T. Barrett making just his second career start spelled doom for the Buckeyes.
In the rematch Monday night, the Buckeyes fared much better in the Explosive Plays department thanks to a now-veteran offensive line and some big time efforts from names like Ezekiel Elliott, Braxton Miller, Mike Thomas and Cardale Jones.
In the 42-24 victory, the Buckeye offense churned out 13 total explosive plays, or four more than last year. Even more impressive, those 13 plays yielded a ridiculous 419 yards, or 149 more yards worth of explosive plays than Ohio State could muster in last year's matchup.
Here's a breakdown of Monday night's big plays and their impact on the game:
| HALF | POSS | PLAY DESCRIPTION | DRIVE OUTCOME |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1ST | 1 | JONES 20 YD PASS TO M. THOMAS | TD (OSU 7, VA TECH 0) |
| 1ST | 1 | JONES 16 YD RUN | TD (OSU 7, VA TECH 0) |
| 1ST | 1 | JONES 24 YD TOUCHDOWN PASS TO C. SAMUEL | TD (OSU 7, VA TECH 0) |
| 1ST | 2 | ELLIOTT 80 YD TOUCHDOWN RUN | TD (OSU 14, VA TECH 0) |
| 1ST | 3 | JONES 24 YD PASS TO B. MILLER | MISSED FG |
| 1ST | 4 | JONES 14 YD RUN | INTERCEPTION |
| 1ST | 5 | JONES 19 YD RUN | PUNT |
| 2ND | 1 | JONES 20 YD RUN | TD (OSU 21, VA TECH 17) |
| 2ND | 1 | JONES 54 YD PASS TO B. MILLER | TD (OSU 21, VA TECH 17) |
| 2ND | 4 | MILLER 53 YD TOUCHDOWN RUN | TD (OSU 28, VA TECH 17) |
| 2ND | 5 | JONES 29 YD PASS TO J. DIXON | TD (OSU 35, VA TECH 17) |
| 2ND | 6 | BARRETT 40 YD RUN | TD (OSU 42, VA TECH 24) |
| 2ND | 6 | BARRETT 26 YD TOUCHDOWN PASS TO M. THOMAS | TD (OSU 42, VA TECH 24) |
