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Ohio State 77 - Oregon State 31 (W)

Ohio State became the first college football team since Week 8 of 2008 to score 5 touchdowns on the ground and 5 touchdowns through the air against Oregon State in their Week 1 match-up against the Beavers. 

Leading up to the season opener, it seemed like many people outside of Columbus, OH were curious to see how the Buckeyes would replace JT Barrett. For context, JT Barrett finished his time at Ohio State first in all-time Big Ten passing touchdowns and top 10 in passing yards and completions. However, close followers of the team saw Dwayne Haskins replace Barrett against Michigan last season in a victory and went into the season more confident than the rest of the country. 

Haskins finished 22/30 for 313 yards, 5 passing touchdowns and 1 interception. He got the ball out quickly, accurately and seems to throw a very catchable ball for his receivers. 

Mike Weber Jr. ran the ball 20 times for 186 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also scored once on a reception that was technically ruled a pass on a pitch-sweep play in the redzone. 

Game Champions

Dwayne Haskins. As mentioned, Haskins was accurate for the entirety of the game. He thrived in the quick tempo offense and seemed extremely comfortable and confident. If he keeps playing at this level, he should be a Heisman Trophy contender by mid-season. He has opportunities to prove himself in the first five weeks with road games against TCU in Week 3 and Penn State in Week 5. 

Mike Weber Jr. Mike Weber Jr. looked much improved running the ball, which is hard to do since he was a 1,000 yard rusher as a true freshman in 2016. His cuts were decisive, he showed great acceleration and he was running with a purpose. Weber and JK Dobbins, a 1,400 yard rusher last season, will be a tough combination for any opposing defense. The pair combined for over 2,000 yards in 2017-18 and look even better this season.

Ohio State Wide Receivers. Terry McLaurin, KJ Hill and Austin Mack were plucking balls all day. Hill and Mack specifically showed really nice hands and McLaurin was great after the catch. The wide receiver committee looks very dangerous for the Buckeyes. 

Nick Bosa and Dre'Mont Jones. The defensive line attacked Oregon State relentlessly and Bosa and Jones finished with 2 sacks each. Bosa also finished with 2 fumble recoveries and a touchdown. He stood out as unstoppable in his matchup against the Oregon State offensive line. 

Final Notes

The Ohio State offense looked more explosive than it has in years. There were many times during the game that only 7-8 seconds of game clock ticked off in between plays. Haskins' decision making, quick release and the dual threat of Dobbins and Weber allows Ohio State to play this way effectively. 

The Ohio State defensive line looks impressive. Oregon State called some screen plays at the right time to take advantage of the aggressive style of Ohio State, but overall, the defensive line was dominant. The pressure even lead to some bad snaps from the Beavers that seemed to be because of how quickly the Buckeyes got off on the snap. 

The 2018-19 Ohio State Buckeyes have a lot of talent. Teams like Penn State and Wisconsin were projected to win the Big 10 by many well-known TV personalities, but after Saturday, it would be shocking to not hear more pick the Buckeyes. 


NEXT UP: Home against Rutgers (Sept. 8th)

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