If you were concerned about last week's offensive output for Ohio State, this week's win over Arkansas State should have offered some comfort.
Total yardage increased by 36% to 538 yards – much more in line with what one expects from a Ryan Day offense – C.J. Stroud was excellent as usual, and Route Man Marv went all the way off, hauling in three touchdown passes for the second time in three starts.
On the other hand, if last weekend you were feeling confident that the Silver Bullets were back and ready to start dealing shutouts, well... this was a different kind of day. On paper the defense was great, holding the Red Wolves to just 276 yards of total offense and a bucket of field goals.
But you probably also watched Notre Dame lose to Marshall and are now wondering if maybe the reality is that the Fighting Irish just aren't that good, actually.
TL;DR: JUST THE FACTS, MA'AM
Ohio State's passing game was electric and the offensive playcalling felt like it was rounding into midseason form. Marvin Harrison Jr., showed that he is one of the best wide receivers in America, and the Buckeyes' two-headed rushing attack is as good as advertised.
Arkansas State hung around longer than expected as the home defense drew a ton of penalties that extended drives but stiffened in the red zone and held the visitors to nothing but field goals.
The game was a good reminder that you can lose championships in September, but you can't win them until November, December, and January.
HOW IT WENT DOWN
OFFENSE
It's difficult to be too effusive about Route Man Marv. Harrison looked fast, he looked shifty, and most importantly he looked like he could catch just about anything you through his direction. He hauled in 7 of his 11 targets for a total of 184 yards and three scores.
Those three touchdowns marked the second time in his three starts that he scored thrice, a feat matched only by the legendary Joey Galloway. Given that Harrison has only started three times in his young career, it's no stretch of the imagination to see him becoming the sole holder of this record.
Prepare to relive all three of Marvin Harrison Jr.'s touchdowns against Arkansas State.pic.twitter.com/bFe5qNSCIb
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) September 10, 2022
Emeka Egbuka caught four passes for 118 yards and a touchdown, averaging nearly 30 yards per catch. Between the two of them, Egbuka and Harrison combined for 302 yards receiving and 27.5 yards per catch. Not too shabby.
TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams looked crisp as usual, with Henderson finding the endzone twice. Neither tailback crossed 100 yards rushing and the team totaled only 168 yards on the ground, but it's clear that the Buckeyes can win via air or land.
Helmet Stickers
- Marvin Harrison Jr.: MVP of the ballgame. It's amazing that with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming on the sidelines that Ohio State still manages to field the best wide receiver in the country on any given weekend.
- TreVeyon Henderson: With an average of 8.7 yards per carry and two scores, Henderson reasserted himself as the bell cow for the Buckeye ground game.
- C.J. Stroud: Still excellent, completing 67% of his passes for 351 yards and four touchdowns.
DEFENSE
Last week was quite the debut for the retooled and relaunched Buckeye defense. This week was not at all a "reversion to the mean" game, but one that showed more clearly Ohio State's strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths:
- Stopping the run. Arkansas State managed just 53 yards on the ground.
- Getting into the backfield. The Buckeyes recorded two sacks and a dozen tackles for loss.
- Playing fast. This team flies around the field and is far more aggressive than last season.
Weaknesses:
- The defensive secondary. Denzel Burke was picked on quite a lot, and Champ Flemings caught 100% of the balls thrown his way.
- Penalties. The pass interference calls Burke drew in the first quarter gifted ASU a scoring drive, and the Buckeyes were caught offsides a bunch. You'd rather a team be too aggressive than not aggressive enough, perhaps, but there's a fine line between aggressive and sloppy.
This was a good tune-up game for a unit with an almost entirely-new coaching staff, and they'll enjoy a couple more such games before getting into the meat of the schedule.
Helmet Stickers
- Steele Chambers: Six total tackles, with a sack and a tackle for loss.
- Mike Hall Jr.: Three total tackles, one sack and three tackles for loss. Felt like he was in the backfield all afternoon until leaving the game in the third quarter.
- J.T. Tuimoloau: Heard his name called several times, with a key tackle for loss and a pair of quarterback hurries to his official credit.
DID THE DEFENSE SUCK 30% LESS THAN LAST SEASON?
Loyal listeners of The Eleven Dubcast (subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!) will know that I've repeatedly rejected the notion that Ohio State's revamped defense needs to be among the Top 5 in the country. As good as Ryan Day's offenses have been (yes, I know, this wasn't their best game ever), Jim Knowles doesn't need to turn the Silver Bullets into the '85 Bears to win championships. They just need to suck 30% less than they did last season.
To put that into perspective, last season's defense coughed up an average of 372.9 yards and 22.8 points per game. It hurts just writing that, trust me.
So it seemed only logical to include a new feature in The Debriefing each week this season to gauge how well the defense is meeting that goal, and at the end of the season to see if "The 30% Hypothesis" holds water.
Arkansas State managed 276 net yards of total offense, which is NOT better than 30% less than Ohio State's average allowed last season (but it's really, really close!), and just 12 points, which IS better than 30% less than last year's average points allowed!
VERDICT: YES(ish). Ohio State's defense sucked at least 30% less than last season based on points allowed, so we'll call that a win!
JIM TRESSEL'S LEAST FAVORITE MOMENT OF THE GAME
Coach Tressel loves fall. It's perfect sweater vest weather, for one thing, there's plenty of football to watch seemingly every day of the week, and who doesn't love sitting on the deck with a warm mug of hot cocoa of a morning while enjoying some #quiettime.
But it irks him to no end when people mistake Labor Day for the end of summer. "They're shorting themselves of nearly three full weeks!" he said to Ellen in exasperation when pumpkin-spiced memes started showing up in his Twitter feed one day. "Ohio has all four seasons and we should enjoy them all."
So with a beautiful late summer day before him, the living legend enjoyed his morning devotions, journaling and yoga under the morning sun before heading to the stadium to watch his Penguins beat up on poor overmatched Dayton.
As is his way, he had an earbud in to listen to Paul Keels' dulcet tones call the Buckeye game while mingling with guests in the Presidential Suite. Things were going exceptionally well when Ohio State's defense forced a second straight three-and-out to start the game.
He stifled a cheer when Emeka Egbuka returned the punt 78 yards for a touchdown, silently reveling in the exceptional special teams play he got to see firsthand last week against Notre Dame. His joy was shortlived, however, when the play was nullified by not one, but TWO penalties on the receiving team, one for an illegal block in the back and another for leaping over the punt shield.
"Oh, cheese and crackers," he muttered to himself. "You've got to play cleaner than that, boys. It won't matter today, but there will come a day when you'll need those points."
He who labors diligently need never despair, for all things are accomplished by diligence and labor. - Menander #QuietTime
— Jim Tressel (@JimTressel5) September 9, 2022
IT WAS OVER WHEN
...Marvin Harrison Jr. caught his second touchdown pass of the day, a 42-yarder from C.J. Stroud to cap a three-play, 75-yard scoring drive with a little more than four minutes left in the first half. The score put Ohio State up 24-9 heading into the half, and with the Arkansas State trading field goals for touchdowns, there was no chance of the visitors returning within striking distance.
UP NEXT: Ohio State hosts the third of five-consecutive home games, welcoming Toledo Saturday at... and I can't believe this isn't a typo... 7 p.m.?!? That's right, friends, the Buckeyes versus a MAC school in primetime! So plan accordingly, get plenty of sleep the night before, and smoke something sensational because you'll have to enjoy the ritual all day.
- #3 Ohio State 45, Arkansas State 12
- • Buckeyes Declaw Red Wolves, 45-12
- • Passing Game Just Fine Without JSN
- • Strong Start But Still Seeking Improvement
- • Marv Goes Off Against Arkansas State
- • Ohio State Postgame • Notebook • Quotebook
- • Photos • Five Things • 3 Key Stats • Social Reactions
