Virginia Tech vs. Ohio State: Game Grades, Analysis for the Hokies and Buckeyes

Virginia Tech entered Ohio Stadium as the 11-point underdog for its matchup against No. 8 Ohio State. Three-and-a-half hours later, they left as 14-point victors after shocking the Buckeyes with a 35-21 upset.

The win was big for Frank Beamer and the Hokies, who look primed to make a run in the ACC. The loss was a big blow to the Buckeyes, who lost in the regular season for the first time under Urban Meyer.

How did the two teams grade out?

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	B-	B-
Run Offense	C-	C
Pass Defense	A	A
Run Defense	A	A
Special Teams	A	A-
Coaching	A	A

Virginia Tech Hokies Grade Analysis

Pass Offense: Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer turned in a gutty performance, completing 22-of-36 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns. He took a beating throughout the game and committed three turnovers (two interceptions, one fumble), but he played through pain, connecting with seven different receivers to keep the Buckeyes off balance.

Run Offense: It's very hard to run on the Buckeyes, but Virginia Tech found a few lanes on their way to 125 rushing yards. Deon Newsome led the way with 38 yards on four carries, but Marshawn Williams' 14-yard touchdown scamper in the first half was the biggest run of the game.

Pass Defense: Virginia Tech's pass defense was absolutely dominant, especially down the stretch. J.T. Barrett and the Buckeyes had a rough night as the Hokies tallied six sacks and two interceptions—one of which was returned for a touchdown—in the fourth quarter alone. 

Run Defense: The Hokies limited Ohio State to 108 rushing yards Saturday night—the lowest output from the Buckeyes under Meyer. They got those yards on 40 carries as Virginia Tech only allowed 2.7 yards per carry.

Special Teams: To the surprise of nobody, Virginia Tech won the special teams battle. There were no game-changing punt blocks or returns, but the Hokies were smart with the kicking game, especially in the first half as they controlled the field position. The only thing that prevented a perfect grade was a missed 46-yard field goal from Joey Slye late in the fourth quarter.

Coaching: Frank Beamer, Bud Foster and the Virginia Tech coaching staff drew up a masterful game plan against the Buckeyes. The performance of the offense was particularly impressive considering the Hokies had no game film of Ohio State's new-look defense against a conventional offense (the Buckeyes played Navy in their season opener). Virginia Tech's defense seemed prepared for everything Ohio State tried offensively, which led to the dominant performance.

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	D	D
Run Offense	D	D-
Pass Defense	C-	B-
Run Defense	B	B+
Special Teams	F	D-
Coaching	D	D

Ohio State Buckeyes Grade Analysis

Pass Offense: J.T. Barrett's passing stats were brutal enough—he completed just 9-of-29 passes for 219 yards and one touchdown against three interceptions. The offensive line blocking up front did him no favors as the Buckeyes surrendered seven total sacks to Virginia Tech's defense. Ohio State's receivers had a woeful night catching the ball, dropping a number of passes that could have been the difference in the game.

Run Offense: This does not look like a team that's a year removed from ranking No. 5 in the country in rush offense. The Buckeyes ran for just 108 yards against the Hokies, and only 58 of those yards were produced by the Buckeyes' running backs. Barrett led the way with 70 yards on 24 carries, a workload that needs reworking if the quarterback hopes to make it through the entire season.

Pass Defense: It wasn't all bad for the Buckeyes Saturday night. The secondary looked improved under the direction of new co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash. The Buckeyes only allowed 199 passing yards and forced three turnovers from Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer. There were still holes in the defense, but a turnaround appears to be in the works for Ohio State's pass defense.

Run Defense: The Buckeyes were once again solid against the run, limiting a dynamic group of Virginia Tech running backs. The Hokies averaged just three yards per rush, and the Buckeyes defensive line came up with 10 tackles for loss on the night. 

Special Teams: The Ohio State special teams were horrendous. Two missed field goals from Sean Nuernberger, a shanked punt, a kickoff that went out of bounds, poor results in the return game—everything went wrong for the Buckeyes on Saturday night. The only redeeming play on special teams came early in the third quarter, when Cameron Johnston pinned Virginia Tech inside its own five with a perfectly placed punt. 

Coaching: Ohio State was thoroughly out-schemed by Virginia Tech, something Meyer admitted in his post-game comments. Offensive coordinator Tom Herman and the Buckeyes failed to adjust or come up with a way to attack Virginia Tech's defense. There were a few ill-timed blitzes from co-defensive coordinators Luke Fickell and Ash. It was just an all-around bad night for the Buckeyes.

All stats via NCAA.com.

David Regimbal covers Ohio State football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.