The State University of New Jersey found itself in a state of intense discomfort Saturday night in Columbus as the Buckeyes of Ohio State ran wild on Homecoming. In a season honoring the 100th anniversary of Ohio Stadium, the game was a bit of an ode to the game of yesteryear, with a relentless rushing attack by Miyan Williams and a defensive front that bullied the Scarlet Knights all night long.
Let's break it down.
TL;DR: JUST THE FACTS, MA'AM
Things got off to a great start for the visiting team as they turned a muffed punt into the first score of the game, but their defense was wholly ineffective against Ohio State.
And while the Buckeye passing game was somewhat pedestrian by its own standards (C.J. Stroud had his lowest passing output as a starter at 154 yards), Williams ran like a man possessed, joining Pete Johnson and Keith Byers as the only three running backs in program history to score five rushing touchdowns in a single game.
It wasn't the home team's cleanest game by any stretch, but after seeing many of the top 25 programs struggle Saturday, it's clear that Ohio State has as much claim as anyone to be the nation's top team.
HOW IT WENT DOWN
OFFENSE
What can you say about Miyan Williams? He has asserted himself as the reliable every-down back on the team. TreVeyon Henderson is a certified home run hitter, but Williams brings an intensity to the running game that opposing defenders are forced to respect... or suffer the consequences.
He would not be denied against Rutgers, going off to the tune of 189 yards, topping 1,000 yards on the ground for his career total. His 70-yard scamper in the third quarter was the second-longest run of his career, and he averaged an eye-popping 9 yards per carry on the night.
C.J. Stroud's numbers were more muted, as he threw for his lowest passing yardage as the team's field general, but his pair of touchdown passes pulled him within a score of tying Justin Fields 63 TDs for second on the program's all-time list. He threw his second interception of the season, a turnover that led to Rutgers' second and final score of the game, a 35-yarder midway through the third quarter.
Julian Fleming looked fantastic again, hauling in another touchdown pass, Emeka Egbuka tallied the most yards through the air of any of the receivers, and Marvin Harrison Jr. had a rougher game than he's used to this season, catching just 3 of 10 targets thrown his way (although one was a touchdown catch, bringing his season total to six).
Helmet Stickers
- Miyan Williams: Williams has that dawg in him, as the kids say these days.
- The Ohio State Offensive Line: the Buckeyes won in the trenches, no question. Pass protection has been stellar this season, and the run blocking is so vastly improved that Justin Frye may be the biggest unsung hero on the staff through five games.
- The Tight Ends: Friends, we're on the cusp of saying with confidence that this is the season Ohio State throws to the tight ends. Cade Stover only had a single catch, but Gee Scott Jr. hauled in a pair, too, showing that Farmer Gronk isn't the only man in the unit who can catch a ball.
DEFENSE
Ohio State's defensive secondary still makes The Debriefing nervous. Fortunately, it is doubtful they'll be seriously tested before the Maryland or Michigan games. And it may not be all that big of a deal, given how well the men in front of them are playing.
Ohio State's linebackers look as crisp as they've looked in several years, and as Ryan Day pointed out in his postgame press conference, the defensive line is setting the tone and finding a rhythm as a unit.
"Anytime you’re trying to stop the run and play great defense, you have to win the line of scrimmage. That’s a big, big part of it," Day said. "You can see that they were disruptive just watching the play. You could see the line of scrimmage get moved back a bunch."
With an interception and a forced fumble to their credit, as well, it's fair to say that this is a fairly aggressive unit, and one that understands its assignments and by and large fills them in a big way.
...and if it's said that Knowles' defenses just get better with time given the complexities of his system, just ponder what that means for Big Ten teams two or three years from now.
Helmet Stickers
- Steele Chambers: Set the season-high for the team with eight solo tackles; added a fourth-quarter interception to set up a touchdown. Teams leading tackler on the day with 11 total tackles.
- Tommy Eichenberg: Guy continues to be all over the field, recording nine total tackles including one for a loss. He also tallied a quarterback hurry.
- Zach Harrison: Forced both of Ohio State's takeaways on the night.
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, 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.
Rutgers managed a measly 187 net yards of total offense, which is ABSOLUTELY better than 30% less than Ohio State's average allowed last season, and just 10 points, which is also WAY better than 30% less than last year's average points allowed.
VERDICT: A resounding YES. Also, prior to the Rutgers game, Ohio State was ranked in the top 20 in both total defense and defensive SP+. This game will only improve those rankings. This may not be a Top 5 defense, but it doesn't need to be, either.
JIM TRESSEL'S LEAST FAVORITE MOMENT OF THE GAME
Because he is, at heart, a man who loves people, The Distinguished Gentleman spent the morning writing handwritten notes to a few of his former players to check in and see how they are doing. He also wrote a few letters of congratulations to outstanding students under his care as President of Youngstown State before doing some quiet pregame reading.
For the second week in a row, The Godfather of special teams at Ohio State was sorely disappointed in Ohio State's returners. After the Buckeye defense forced a three-and-out in the first series of the game, returner Emeka Egbuka muffed the punt, giving Rutgers the ball back at the 18 and setting up their only touchdown of the game.
"Frosted snickerdoodles!" Tressel shouted at his television in frustration. "See ball, catch ball!"
...and although you might think that was his least-favorite moment of the game, the man known as The Vest knows that in the game of football, these things just happen sometimes, and he brushed it off rather quickly as he very much enjoys seeing Miyan Williams leveling would-be tacklers.
No, The Senator was largely impressed with Ohio State and how it dealt with a little adversity. He was pleased that Day was running the ball on a day where his quarterback had a quiet outing slinging the rock, and he admitted to himself that he might be developing what he once heard referred to as a "Bro Crush" on Jim Knowles.
Tressel was already thinking about his evening plans with Ohio State up 49-10 late in the game when Jesse Mirco trotted out on the field for a rare Buckeye punt. He sat on the edge of his seat to see how deep the talented Aussie could bury the Rutgers offense.
He gasped when Mirco took off for a 22-yard gain but had to admit to himself that the boy had nothing but daylight in front of him and that it was a good heads-up play on his part. But then it all went pear-shaped. First, a Rutgers defender leveled the kicker – well out of bounds – sparking what was nearly a bench-clearing brawl.
The worst part was that the altercation led to quite a lot of unkind things being said by both head coaches to one another, leading to yellow flags flying. It was decidedly not the kind of behavior His Vestness approves of on general principles.
"This used to be a gentlemen's game" he muttered to himself, taking a few deep breaths to clear his mind and settle his temper. "But passions run high, and tomorrow's another day."
“Right action is the key to good living.” - Twelve Steps#QuietTime
— Jim Tressel (@JimTressel5) September 27, 2022
IT WAS OVER WHEN
...Miyan Williams punched it into the endzone late in the second quarter for his third score of the day, giving Ohio State a 28-7 lead at the half. Rutgers simply didn't have the offensive firepower or stamina to keep up with the Buckeyes in a track meet, and with Ohio State's defense playing as well as it did, the Scarlet Knights couldn't score any points the home team didn't gift-wrap for them.
UP NEXT: Ohio State hits the road for the first time this season, heading to East Lansing to face the struggling Michigan State Spartans. Sparty is just 2-3 on the season and winless in Big Ten play, coming off of a 27-13 loss at Maryland. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
- #3 Ohio State 49, Rutgers 10
- • Buckeyes Beat Rutgers With Ease, 49-10
- • My Oh Miyan: Williams Chops Down Knights
- • Chambers, Eichenberg Making LB a Strength
- • Williams Ties Single-Game Rush TD Record
- • Ohio State Postgame• Notebook • Quotebook • Photos
- • 3 Key Stats • Five Things • Social Reactions • Rutgers Postgame
