Ohio State Football: Handing Out Awards for the 43-7 Win Over Ohio
Not surprisingly, the Ohio State Buckeyes improved to 3-0 by dominating in-state opponent Ohio 43-7 behind another fantastic offensive performance.
Although the game was decided by the end of the first quarter, the Buckeyes were very strong in both phases of the game, yet still showed their struggles on special teams.
The Buckeyes next play Eastern Michigan at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, in which they are an early 42-point favorite.
But for the MAC team that the Buckeyes faced last Saturday, here are the awards of the game.
Player Of The Game: Terrelle Pryor
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Whether he is really getting better or if it's just a matter of a lack of competition on the other sidelines, Terrelle Pryor looked good once again.
While Pryor again did not run much against the Bobcats, he did not need to, going 22-29 for 235 yards and two passing TDs.
Pryor added a rushing TD, giving him eight total TDs in three games, making him an early Heisman candidate along with Michigan's Denard Robinson.
The only negative part of his performance was a pair of interceptions, one to end the first half and the other in the middle of the third quarter.
We all knew that he was not going to go the season without throwing INTs, but hopefully for OSU fans, he doesn't throw one when the game is on the line.
So far though, Pryor looks so much better than a year ago, and it appears he is getting better as well.
Defensive Player Of The Game: Tyler Moeller
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While there may not have been a true defensive star in Saturday's blowout win, Tyler Moeller got the blowout started by picking off Ohio QB Phil Bates on the second play of the game. The interception set up a field goal which was the start of 43 unanswered points by the Buckeyes, who forced five turnovers on the afternoon.
The performance by Moeller and the defense gave the Buckeyes seven INTs on the season, which is just three behind the Gators, who have the most picks in the nation.
But a very concerning trend for the Buckeyes is the lack of QB sacks, getting only three on the season, which is near the bottom in the country and a shocking number considering the talent the Buckeyes have in the front seven.
Regardless, Moeller's return from his head injury a year ago has added yet another talented playmaker to an already strong defensive unit.
Special Teams Panic Level: High
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It's stunning to imagine an Ohio State team struggling on special teams, especially with a coach that says the punt is the most important play in football.
And the job they did on Saturday did not help alleviate any concerns, almost giving up another special teams TD on a kick return, which would have been the fourth on the season.
Luckily, a penalty voided the return, but the shock is that this is still happening despite the amount of focus that is being put on the kick coverage.
In addition, the Bobcats blocked an OSU punt early in the third quarter.
Clearly, the panic button for special teams needs to be pressed because even with the increased emphasis from the coaches, mistakes are still being made.
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Plays Of The Game
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Catch of the Game: Dane Sanzenbacher made a tremendous one-handed grab near the sidelines midway through the first quarter.
Longest Pass: DeVier Posey had a 32-yard catch-and-run to help set up the second Ohio State touchdown of the first quarter.
Longest Run: Terrelle Pryor kicked off another touchdown drive in the second quarter with a 27-yard run. He would only get eight more rushing yards on seven carries in the game.
Telling Stats: The Buckeyes were +3 in the turnover department and more than doubled up the Bobcats in rushing yards, 158-76.
Ohio State also was dominant in the time-of-possession game, having the ball for 37:56 in the win.
Fun Stats Of The Game
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Over the course of the game, Terrelle Pryor set a school-record by completing 16 straight passes, shattering the old record of 12 held by Craig Krenzel, Jim Karsatos, Mike Tomczak, and Bill Mrukowski.
The streak was just six completions shy of the Big Ten record set by Iowa's Chuck Long.
Other stats:
No Ohio State player rushed for over 50 yards, but three different rushers had gains of over 10 yards (Pryor, Brandon Saine, and Jaamal Berry).
Despite coming into the game late in the third quarter, Ohio QB Boo Jackson threw for more yards and had a higher completion percentage than starter Phil Bates.
Two of Ohio's turnovers came in Ohio State's end of the field, one of which was just within field goal range.
What Does This Mean Going Forward?
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Obviously, the Ohio State Buckeyes were able to put the Ohio Bobcats away very decisively as expected, unlike their prior matchup, which was far too close for comfort.
But even with the win, OSU still has concerns that they need to alleviate if they want to play for a national championship.
The biggest question mark as most fans know is kick coverage and special teams in general.
Julian Posey of OU was one penalty flag away from being the fourth player to score a special teams TD against Ohio State, as a holding call wiped out his 99-yard kickoff return for a TD.
Another concern for the Buckeyes is the lack of sacks—only three on the season—which is dismal considering the type of talent the team possesses on the defensive front.
But those are little things, the types of little things that national championship contenders have to concern themselves with. And they will need to take care of these problems if they want to be holding the crystal football in January.
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