Northern Illinois vs. Ohio State: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

A win is a win, but the Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0) didn't inspire confidence with a 20-13 victory over the Northern Illinois Huskies (2-1) in a listless offensive display that saw quarterback Cardale Jones get pulled in the second quarter following a pair of interceptions.  

Although the nation's top-ranked team totaled 298 yards of offense, it struggled to move the ball throughout the first half and scored just one offensive touchdown after J.T. Barrett came on in relief.

In two-and-a-half quarters of work, Barrett completed 11 of 19 passes for 97 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Combined with Jones' 36-yard showing, Ohio State entered some futile offensive territory, per B/R Insights: 

"

Ohio St. had 136 passing yds in win vs. NIU. 2nd game this year w/under 200 passing yds. @OhioStAthletics had 2 such games in 2014.

— B/R Insights (@BR_Insights) September 19, 2015"

Running back Ezekiel Elliott masked some of Ohio State's issues by rushing for 108 yards—his eighth straight game over the century mark—but as Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith noted, neither team looked sharp:   

ESPN's Brian Bennett indicated the Buckeyes may be suffering from a bit of a championship hangover:

Had it not been for the Buckeyes' dominant defensive effort—Northern Illinois totaled 190 yards of offense—the defending national champions may have been shaking their heads in despair.

Leading 13-10 in the third quarter, Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee intercepted Northern Illinois quarterback Drew Hare and chugged into the end zone for a 41-yard score.  

ESPN College Football on Twitter offered a look at the pick-six, which proved to be the difference:   

"Any time the offense is taking a minute to get going, it's on us," Lee said following last week's win over Hawaii, according to Northeast Ohio Media Group's Doug Lesmerises. 

Jones was intercepted on Ohio State's first drive, and things didn't get prettier from there. He was intercepted again on a throw into tight coverage in the second quarter, and that errant toss sealed his fate for the remainder of the contest. 

Head coach Urban Meyer swiftly yanked Jones in the second quarter, and Barrett took over following the first multi-interception game of Jones' collegiate career, according to ESPN Stats & Info. 

Ohio State also failed to score a touchdown in the first half for just the eighth time in its last 44 games, per ESPN Stats & Info, and a five-yard touchdown run from Northern Illinois' Aregeros Turner thrust the Huskies in front, 7-0. 

ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit gave credit to the Huskies for disrupting Jones' ability to work Ohio State's offense into a rhythm: 

Tension remained high after Barrett's first series resulted in a three-and-out, but the Buckeyes responded on their next possession with a four-play, 44-yard scoring drive that took just 56 seconds. 

In the blink of an eye, Barrett and the Buckeyes tied things up thanks to a gorgeous touchdown catch from receiver Michael Thomas, per ESPN College Football on Twitter: 

A week after Jones looked pedestrian throwing for 111 yards against Hawaii, Bleacher Report's Ben Axelrod noted Barrett's calm touchdown strike may have earned him the starting job:  

However, Meyer's squad didn't do anything on offense to pull away in the second half against a stout MAC opponent, as ESPN's Adam Rittenberg observed: 

While Ohio State moved the ball at a more efficient clip in the third quarter, the offense couldn't regularly impose its will on the Huskies. Barrett's interception was nearly disastrous, as it put Northern Illinois in solid position to try to drive down the field and tie things up or take the lead with the Buckeyes leading, 13-10. 

Lee ultimately deemed Barrett's turnover moot, but Ohio State is firmly under the microscope following a lethargic effort against an inferior opponent at The Horseshoe.  

After receiving 59 of 61 first-place votes in last week's Associated Press Top 25 poll, the Buckeyes shouldn't be anything close to a unanimous selection when the new rankings are released.

Although it will be a slight shock if Ohio State relinquishes control of the nation's top spot, it would be hard to argue with a changing of the guard if Alabama puts on a show against Ole Miss Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.