Kent State vs. Ohio State: Game Grades, Analysis for the Buckeyes

After suffering their first regular-season loss under Urban Meyer, the No. 22 Ohio State Buckeyes took their frustrations out on Kent State in a dominating 66-0 rout Saturday afternoon.

Led by freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett, the Buckeyes scored 45 first-half points and finished with a season-high 622 total yards. On the other side of the ball, Kent State only produced 126 yards and broke midfield just one time.

How did the Buckeyes grade out after their impressive performance?

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

Ohio State Buckeyes Grade Analysis

Pass Offense: J.T. Barrett and the Buckeyes receivers torched Kent State’s overmatched defense Saturday afternoon. Barrett threw for 297 yards and five touchdowns in the first half alone before finishing with 312 and six. Ohio State’s lone interception came after a perfectly placed pass bounced off Michael Thomas’ chest and right to a Kent State defender. That, in addition to a couple of dropped passes early, prevented the Buckeyes from earning an A+ here.

Run Offense: The Buckeyes looked much better running the ball on Saturday, piling up 284 yards on the ground. While it was much easier to pound things out against Kent State, the offensive line created huge lanes for the Buckeyes running backs. Curtis Samuel ran the ball 15 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns—the first 100-yard rushing performance from the Buckeyes this year.

Pass Defense: Kent State came into Ohio Stadium averaging 238.5 passing yards per game, according to NCAA.com, but quarterbacks Colin Reardon and Nathan Strock managed just 79 yards against the Buckeyes defense. A trio of Buckeyes—Tyvis Powell, Joshua Perry and Erick Smith—came away with interceptions as the Buckeyes stifled the Kent State offense. 

Run Defense: The Golden Flashes had an even harder time running the ball. Running back Nick Holley found a few lanes, running for 34 yards on six carries. But four other ball-carriers added just 13 yards on 17 carries Saturday afternoon. Linebackers Raekwon McMillan, Joshua Perry and Darron Lee swarmed Kent State's rushing attack.

Special Teams: After an abysmal outing against Virginia Tech a week ago, Ohio State’s special teams were solid against Kent State. Dontre Wilson and Jalin Marshall had a number of solid punt returns, the Buckeyes blocked a punt and Sean Nuernberger nailed his only field goal attempt from 41-yards out.

Coaching: With the kind of talent disparity this game featured, it would have been hard for the Ohio State coaching staff to make too many mistakes. The Buckeyes, though, executed their game plan perfectly. Barrett established the passing attack early, and then the Buckeyes' deep stable of running backs took the game over in the second half. Ohio State's defense made all the right plays and was never out of position, and even the second-team players came out with energy to preserve the Buckeyes' shut out.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via Ohio State's official website.

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