Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

Revenge is apparently a dish best served on the road in a hostile environment.

Defending champion Ohio State handled Virginia Tech—the one team that beat the Buckeyes last season—42-24 on Monday night. The Hokies actually held the lead at the half, but the Scarlet and Gray's overwhelming talent proved to be too much in the final 30 minutes.

Ohio State got 122 rushing yards from Ezekiel Elliott, 140 total yards and two touchdowns from Braxton Miller and three total touchdowns from Cardale Jones on the way to the comfortable win. The Buckeyes outgained Virginia Tech 572-320.

ESPN Stats & Info noted it was business as usual for Ohio State in the teams' first game of the year:

Perhaps the scariest thing about the Buckeyes is they won the game without superstar defensive end Joey Bosa and H-backs Dontre Wilson and Jalin Marshall and wide receiver Corey Smith. All four players were suspended but will likely return to action in the team's next contest.

Urban Meyer's squad was not the only one playing short-handed, though, because Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer left the game with a collarbone injury in the third quarter, when his team was well within striking distance. The Hokies offense never looked the same.

The biggest question leading up to the game did not concern the suspensions or potential injuries, though. Rather, the college football universe wanted to know which quarterback Meyer would choose to lead the Ohio State offense, and it finally received its answer when Jones trotted out for the first offensive series.

Gary Parrish of CBS Sports expressed how absurd the situation was, while Matt Miller of Bleacher Report seemed to agree with Meyer's decision:

All Jones did was respond with a 64-yard touchdown drive to put the Buckeyes up 7-0. He capped it with a 24-yard scoring pass to Curtis Samuel that he threw while falling backward in the face of pressure. BuzzFeed shared a highlight of the play, and Chris B. Brown of Smart Football and Grantland noted Jones was the perfect answer to Virginia Tech's high-pressure defense:

As if that weren't enough for the Hokies, Elliott gashed the middle of the line for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of Ohio State's next drive to open up a 14-0 lead. 

Bill Landis of the Northeast Ohio Media Group pointed out why Elliott was able to finish the run, and Tim Shoemaker of Eleven Warriors highlighted the stark difference in starts for the Buckeyes in their last two games against the Hokies:

That lead did not last long. 

Ohio State appeared to go up 21-0, but a holding penalty nullified a Jones touchdown run. From there, the Buckeyes missed a field goal, threw an interception and muffed a punt, as Virginia Tech scored 17 unanswered points behind Brewer's two touchdown passes.

Jeff Rapp of WTVN Radio praised the Hokies, but Ben Axelrod of Bleacher Report pointed to one significant problem for Ohio State: 

Suspended players or not, the Buckeyes answered in dramatic fashion on the first drive of the second half. Jones connected with quarterback-turned-receiver Braxton Miller for a 54-yard touchdown to retake the lead, 21-17.

NBA superstar LeBron James liked what he saw from Ohio State's newest weapon on the outside: 

Things took a turn for the worse for Virginia Tech on the next possession when Brewer was drilled by defensive tackle Adolphus Washington. Jon Solomon of CBS Sports described the scene (and the sheer number of hits Brewer absorbed), while Derek Young of Scout commented on Washington's consistent pressure:

Ralph D. Russo of the Associated Press noted the Virginia Tech quarterback was out for the rest of the game.

Brenden Motley took over for the Hokies after the injury, and both offenses became noticeably conservative in the middle stages of the third quarter. It was understandable from Virginia Tech with a backup in, but Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch pointed out the Buckeyes were having issues against a strong defense:

Ohio State's response was to give the ball to two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Miller. All he did was bust an incredible 53-yard touchdown run to the outside, which included a jaw-dropping spin move in the open field. Adam Kramer of Bleacher Report and Ryen Russillo of ESPN praised the playmaker as the Buckeyes went up 28-17:

Eleven Warriors passed along the highlight:

Jones gave Ohio State some breathing room in the fourth quarter when he notched a 10-yard touchdown run, and Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports highlighted the issues for the Hokies with a backup quarterback:

"

It’s probably going to be hard for VT to come back from 18 down with 11 minutes left and a QB that can’t throw.

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) September 8, 2015"

While the Jones score put the defending champions up 35-17, it was Miller's play that realistically ended Virginia Tech's upset chances. James once again approved of what he saw from No. 1:

Miller's highlight-reel plays stood out, and Meyer made sure to acknowledge his playmaker after the victory, per Dave Briggs of the Toledo Blade:

As for Miller, he was just pleased to be back on the field, per Ohio State:

As if there were any doubt about the weapons Ohio State has at its disposal, quarterback J.T. Barrett entered the contest late in the fourth quarter and led the Buckeyes on a 75-yard scoring drive. Barrett tallied a 40-yard run and a 26-yard touchdown pass to Michael Thomas along the way.

While Barrett captained the drive cold off the bench, Land-Grant Holy Land of SB Nation acknowledged Thomas deserved some credit for beating superstar cornerback Kendall Fuller:

Barrett's appearance underscored the talent disparity between the two teams. Ohio State had the man who finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting last season as its backup quarterback, and it eventually pulled away.

What's Next?

Game No. 2 for both Ohio State and Virginia Tech figures to be easier.

The Buckeyes return to Columbus for their home opener against Hawaii on Saturday. The Hokies will attempt to take out their frustrations on overmatched Furman. Expect both contests to be over relatively quickly given what we saw Monday, when Virginia Tech at least remained competitive into the second half.

Ohio State should stay at No. 1 in the polls after a convincing win, but not all hope is lost for the Hokies.

All Virginia Tech has to do is look to last year's result between these two teams. The Buckeyes dropped the showdown at home to the Hokies in the second game of the campaign and still managed a Big Ten crown and national championship.

That's not to suggest Virginia Tech will win out, but the precedent is at least in place, especially with the four-team College Football Playoff waiting instead of the old two-team BCS Championship Game.

While the Hokies have wishful thinking to hold on to, Ohio State has its eyes firmly on a title defense. Monday's victory in a hostile environment was a perfect start.