The No. 22 Ohio State Buckeyes are gaining momentum with Big Ten Conference play looming.
The Buckeyes’ offense, in particular, was extremely impressive Saturday during a 50-28 victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats at Ohio Stadium.
Urban Meyer‘s offense accumulated a school-record 44 first downs during the contest. The unit would have also set the single game total yardage record if not for a late 20-yard loss during the penultimate play of the game. The Buckeyes should be satisfied with the 710-yard effort, though.
The Ohio State offense is starting to look like what Urban Meyer envisions. The defense? Still a ways to go.
— Austin Ward (@AWardESPN) September 28, 2014
Ohio State has now scored at least 34 points in all four games this season.
The efforts from multiple players on the squad deserve recognition.
Quarterback J.T. Barrett finally got his feet underneath him. The freshman signal-caller was 26-of-36 passing for 330 yards and four touchdowns. Sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott finally had a breakout game with 28 carries for for 182 yards. Both numbers eclipsed his season totals. Ten different targets made receptions during the game. And the Buckeyes’ much-maligned offense line, which has four new starters this season, continued to open holes and provide protection throughout the contest.
Ohio State’s concerns will stem from the defensive side of the football. The Buckeyes surrendered 422 total yards. The biggest problem was Cincinnati’s ability to exploit one-on-one matchups with their receivers against Ohio State’s secondary. Cincinnati was able to connect on multiple big passing plays because of the Buckeyes’ inability to win those one-on-one battles. Future opponents will certainly attempt to attack the Buckeyes in a similar fashion.
Otherwise, it was exactly the type of effort Ohio State needed to gain confidence. Next week, the Buckeyes face a dangerous Maryland Terrapins squad which started the season 4-1.
Meyer’s offense finally hit its stride, but the defense could still hold the program back.