Ohio State Crushes Oregon St. 77-31; Mike Weber Scores 4 TDs
The fifth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes cruised to a 77-31 victory over the Oregon State Beavers in their season opener Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
Ohio State's offense looked in midseason form with 721 total yards in the contest, which featured a weather delay after halftime. Mike Weber led the way with 20 carries for 186 yards and four total touchdowns. He found the end zone twice in the game's first 18 minutes to help OSU avoid upset drama.
It marked the first of three games the Buckeyes are going to play without head coach Urban Meyer, who was suspended for his handling of domestic violence allegations against former assistant Zach Smith. Offensive coordinator Ryan Day is serving as the acting head coach in Meyer's absence.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Mike Weber Immediately Joins Heisman Trophy Conversation
J.K. Dobbins, who finished the contest with 15 attempts for 74 yards, was the Ohio State running back receiving most of the Heisman attention coming into the season. But on Saturday it was Weber showing why he deserves a place in the discussion, as well.
OddsShark noted Dobbins was listed with 18-1 odds coming into the season, while OSU quarterback Dwayne Haskins was at 11-1 before he completed 22 of his 30 throws for 313 yards and five scores Saturday.
Weber wasn't even listed on the preseason list. That's going to change now.
The junior, who rushed for 19 touchdowns across his first two seasons, was a menace for the Oregon State defense in the first half. He scored midway through the first quarter to give Ohio State the lead for good and broke free for a 49-yard scoring run in the second to break the game wide-open.
He added a three-yard touchdown reception before halftime.
The amount of talent on the Buckeyes offense with Weber, Dobbins and Haskins could make it difficult for any of them to challenge for college football's top individual honor. They are all going to have big statistical weeks and other games in which their teammates take center stage.
Weber illustrated Saturday why he at least belongs in the conversation, though.
Ohio State Defense Needs To Eliminate Big Plays
There are different ways to view the Ohio State defensive performance. On one hand, the unit mostly kept Oregon State from moving the ball consistently and gained constant penetration. But it also allowed a series a huge plays that can't occur moving forward.
Artavis Pierce scored on touchdown runs of 80 and 78 yards for the Beavers and Trevon Bradford added a 49-yard TD reception for the visitors.
On the positive side, the unit held Oregon State to negative-four rushing yards on 23 first-half carries to showcase the immense advantage its front seven can create. It also forced two turnovers, and defensive end Nick Bosa, a top NFL draft prospect, scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery.
Since OSU can win so many one-on-one battles with its front seven, spotlighted by the likes of Bosa and linebacker Malik Harrison, it allows the team to get creative with its cover schemes. That will become crucial as the level of competition rises throughout the season.
While those advantages were on display Saturday, there were too many mistakes that allowed the opponent to capitalize. It wasn't a big deal since the offense moved the ball at will, but those errors need to get erased.
The pieces are in place for the team to rank inside the top 10 in both points and yards allowed in 2018.
Oregon State Must Improve in Trenches After Blowout
The Beavers showed they do feature some playmakers despite the lopsided loss. Bradford and quarterback Conor Blount both had nice performances to open the campaign, and they should grow into a formidable aerial combination over the next couple years.
It didn't take long to see Oregon State is lacking up front, at least when compared to a team with national championship aspirations like Ohio State. The Buckeyes consistently created huge running lanes offensively and made their presence felt in the Beavers' backfield defensively.
Jon Spencer of the Mansfield News Journal commented on the mismatch:
The Pac-12 team's schedule gets easier in the weeks ahead. It doesn't face another currently ranked team until USC in early November. So there will be a lot of opportunity for development over the next two weeks against opponents more suited to the offensive and defensive lines' skill levels.
How those groups fair against the likes of USC, Stanford, Washington and Oregon in the season's final weeks will say a lot about how the season progressed for Oregon State.
What's Next?
Ohio State remains home for a clash with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at the Horseshoe next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.
Oregon State will look to bounce back from the lopsided loss as it returns to Reser Stadium for its home opener against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds next Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on the Pac-12 Network.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
