This weekend will mark just the second time, to where Coach Urban Meyer and Coach D.J. Durkin face off against each other on opposing sidelines. Last season would be the first official clash between the two, who are quite good friends, both on and off the football field. Meyer has always showed a shine to Durkin who worked as one of his key assistants, as some form of Defensive Coordinator. Last season, Durkin was to Defensive Backs Coach for TTUN’s secondary that ended up getting roasted by the Buckeyes. This year will be completely different. Durkin is now the Head Coach of the Maryland Terrapins and he is looking for a signature win and what better way to get one by defeating the mighty Buckeyes? I do not think that would be the case and although plausible, it is highly unlikely as the momentum is in the Buckeyes favor after the 62-3 thrashing of previously #10 overall ranked Nebraska.
J.T. Barrett comes into the game unscathed. The Slobs did their part and prevented Barrett from taking unnecessary hits and sacks. So far, Barrett has shown flashes of his former self and he dominated through the air in last weeks tilt against a good Nebraska Blackshirt Defense. He finished with 290 passing yards and 4 touchdowns and 8 rushes for 39 yards. He found his rhythm and hit 8 different receivers throughout the game.  Spreading the ball out to his young crop of receivers and finding them on his second, third or fourth read was effortless. With the protection of the entire Offensive Line, it made for a highly productive day for everyone. Mike Weber racked up yardage on the ground and once through the air. He tallied 87 total yards and a rushing score before aggravating his bum shoulder, and as a precaution, Meyer sat him in favor of true freshman, Demario McCall who showed some speed as he rushed for 73-yards on 16 carries. Curtis Samuel sparked an offensive onslaught as he touched the ball less than 20 times (13 touches) and he ended the contest with 41 rushing yards and 137 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. This week, the offense will look to build momentum for the two teams from up north. This won’t be super easy, but it will determine a lot and measure their progression. The date with the Spartans and the Wolverines will be the tougher games, but for now we look toward Maryland.
The defense looks good. The Scarlet Curtain and the Silver Bullets have done a wonderful job so far, and that is a testament to the staff and the way they teach their kids, they even get them toys to distract themselves like this one https://www.top9rated.com/best-fidget-cube-on-amazon/. Last week, the defense pulled out all the stops as they held a Top-10 Nebraska team that is capable of scoring to only a field goal. They stopped them twice in the red zone on fourth down and asserted themselves throughout. The Scarlet Curtain also scored twice of interceptions, furthering Nebraska’s demise. They look to beat up a Maryland team who is searching for a starting Quarterback after their starter suffered an injury last week against TTUN, Durkin’s former boss and team. We will have to see what they could manage to do once they face this young Terrapins team that in floundering during Durkin’s first year at the helm. This game will likely feature a ton of young DMV prospects, these elite prospects most likely are considering both Maryland and Ohio State at this point, and I am sure the Buckeyes would want to put on a show for them. It will be Coach Johnson and his Rushmen against Coach Durkin and his staff. We will see who wins out on key DMV based recruits.
Prediction:
I don’t want to go too crazy, but barring Hills being available, I will predict a win for Ohio State 42-10. If Hills isn’t a starter and Pigram gets the nod, Ohio State will try to contain a different Quarterback and it will give Maryland a bigger chance to put up points. So my final score prediction will be: Ohio State def. Maryland 45-16
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The Silver Bullets started out with a bang.  They set the tone with another pick-six courtesy of the Scarlet Curtain member, Damon Webb.  The play began when Raekwon McMillan tipped the pass enough to alter the trajectory, then the Nebraska Wideout attempted to secure the catch, but the mistakenly tipped it straight up into the air into the waiting arms of Damon Webb who showed off some of his sweet juke moves as he took it to the house for another pick-six.  Tommy Armstrong attempted to make the tackle but whiffed on it.  This makes it a team record 5th pick-six of the season and it looks like they are primed to have another defensive showing during primetime.  On the next possession for Nebraska, they took it deep into the Red Zone, but their drive stalled and they ended up taking the points and kicked a field goal.  The Buckeyes gave up some splash plays, but they stifled the Nebraska Offense when they were in a good position to score.
The Buckeyes Offense looked good in the first half imposing their will on the vaunted Blackshirt Defense of Nebraska. Â They looked to be in sync and the Offensive Line play showed improvement ensuring J.T. Barrett remained upright. Â J.T. Barrett is a magician, making plays while on the run. Â He found Terry McLaurin in the back of the end zone after scrambling for his life. Â The Buckeyes are showing signs of returning to form as their skill players on for the offense seem to be gaining some confidence in their abilities. Â McLaurin is young and he has had an up and down season so far, but the young man finally made a play that put the Buckeyes ahead of the Cornhuskers. Â The Buckeyes finished the first quarter with a 14-3 lead and they look to get the ball into the hands of their playmakers at Wide Receiver as J.T. Barrett has hit four different receivers to build the lead over the Cornhuskers.
In the beginning of the Second Quarter, the Buckeyes opened up the playbook a little more, the Buckeyes are noticeably looking to take deep shots to the end zone.  Zach Smith must have gotten into his Zone 6 members by the lack of offensive productivity beyond Curtis Samuel, Noah Brown and Dontre Wilson.  They are getting open due to the overall balance of the playcalling.  I, for one, am pleased by the amount of consistency and effort that I have seen so far and I hope that they can continue this effort into the rest of the season.  Zone 6 aren’t the only members of the team that has been succeeding because the Offensive Line is doing their job and it is amazing to see them play with this type of intensity.  Mike Weber benefited from The Slobs as he scored on a 23-yard dash to the end zone.  Curtis Samuel isn’t doing so bad either with 36 rushing yards midway through the First Quarter.  True Freshman and prized recruit Binjimen Victor almost made a circus catch on a third and long.  He failed to maintain control for his first score of the season and it would’ve been huge for the Buckeyes.  The crowd would have gone wild, but another missed opportunity–for the Buckeyes to dish out the knockout blow, but I am sure that Coach Meyer and Zone 6 Coach Zach Smith will find a way to put him in a position to make an impact.
During football games, it is natural to talk trash and have some fun with it. Â The gambler Dontre Wilson muffed another punt as he was looking ahead, trying to find a lane for the return. Â Nebraska took advantage of the great field position as Tommy Armstrong Jr converted a 3rd and long and he was hit out of bounds by Malik Hooker. Â He was knocked out at the Ohio State 24-yard line, but after landing he laid there motionless and most likely unconscious. Â There was a long delay, but the medical staff was being cautious and they tended to the fallen Cornhusker. Â He left after all precautions were done and he was packed into the ambulance with his father and they set out to the local hospital to see what had occurred and if he suffered any major injuries. Â Hopefully, with some prayers, he will be okay and healthy, but for the time being a backup quarterback will have to take the reigns.
After play had resumed, Senior Quarterback Ryker Fyfe comes in on a 4th and 1 play. Â They attempted to trick the Buckeyes on a QB scramble, but Tyquan Lewis relentlessly pursued him and got the sack to turn the ball over on downs. Â The Silver Bullets are playing with a fire that I haven’t seen in a while and as they turned away the Blackshirts, they drove the ball into Nebraska territory and well into the enemy red zone. Â Curtis Samuel has been the playmaker for the Buckeyes as he was the guy that converted most of the first downs for the Scarlet and Gray. Â J.T. Barrett and Curtis Samuel capped off the first half with Urban Meyer’s patented jump pass to Curtis Samuel to extend the Buckeyes lead to 28. Â The Buckeyes finished off the half with a 31-3 lead and they will receive the ball at the start of the second half. Â J.T.
The Buckeyes began the second half with a bang, just as they did to open up the game. Â On their first play of the game, the Buckeyes devised a plan to get Samuel more yardage and they succeeded on a one-play touchdown drive that is the longest pass downfield of the season. Â It was well worth it as he beat the man to man coverage and the safety that was assigned to guard him on a well thought out play action pass that literally froze the defense in place and before they realized what was about to happen, it was too late as Samuel blew past the safety for the easy score. Â The Silver Bullets picked up where they left off as they shut down the new quarterback after just three plays, forcing another punt. Â Mike Weber came out determined to surpass the 100-yard mark as he ripped off another long run, but he seemed to have sustained an injury after being tackled onto his bum shoulder. Â J.T. Barrett finished the drive with another touchdown on a comeback route to Noah Brown. Â Tommy Armstrong Jr returned from the hospital during the drive and with some great news and no major injuries. Â He came in with some urgency as he looks to return to his teammates to hopefully give them a boost and some sorely needed energy. Â The crowd gave Armstrong a warm welcome as he returned to his teammates. Â A true showing of respect and sportsmanship. Â It seems as if Dontre Wilson’s punt returning duties were revoked as both Curtis Samuel and Demario McCall have taken punts for the Buckeyes. Â Dontre Wilson is good at returning punts, but he likes to gamble way too much and I feel like it is a smart move for the coaching staff moving forward because, after this game, they play at Maryland and at East Lansing before playing the last game at home against TTUN. Â This game has been fun and unexpected, but it’ll build momentum and confidence in the team as a whole.
The Scarlet Curtain has struck again on another tipped pass for a score as Malik Hooker brought it back to the house on pure instincts, avoiding the entire Nebraska Offense and practically untouched. Â He took it 48-yards for The Silver Bullets’ sixth defensive score of the season. Â The pick-six was the last play for Ohio State after three quarters. Â With a 55-3 lead, I Coach Meyer will give the younger players a chance to add to what has been an impressive game for the older players. Â Hopefully, we get a glimpse of the future of the next generation of Buckeyes. Â The defense made another stop well within their red zone as they stopped Westerkamp from converting a fourth down. Â He avoided Craig Fada, a reserve Linebacker, but couldn’t break the tackle of the safeties that had converged on him.
As predicted, the reserves went out and it didn’t take long for Joe Burrow to cap off another offensive possession with a score.  Burrow deceived the Nebraska Linebacker as he rushed for 12-yards for another Buckeye touchdown as he put seven more points on the scoreboard.  The playcalling prior to the score was focused on two offensive playmakers, K.J. Hill at Wide Receiver and Demario McCall at Running Back.  They are developing into quite the playmakers and after the close call with Weber, Coach Alford wants to see what the true freshman can do during garbage time.  The Buckeyes finished the game 62-3, a resounding win against another Top-10 team.  Here is a telling statistic, today, the Buckeyes scored on 8 of their 9 offensive possessions. The lone stop was when Burrow and the backups bled the clock.  They had two interceptions for scores which extend their school record to six for the year.  This game was something to revel in, but they will travel to Maryland next week, but for now they will enjoy this victory.  The crowd was into it the entire game and they made so much noise it shook the cameras in the stadium.  Homefield advantage was finally what it should be and hope it shows up again during the clash with TTUN.  Another note worth mentioning, this game had a many blue-chippers present in the game and with this showing, I feel like the Buckeyes took full advantage of it.  The atmosphere was lively and loud, they introduced another alternate uniform combination and both the offense and defense lived up to the expectations for this game, putting up 62 points and holding Nebraska to just 3.  A stellar performance that could seep into the minds of the blue-chip recruits that were present, especially Shaun Wade, who is mentioned as the recruit that might get away from Coach Meyer.  We will have to see what recruiting news unfolds after the recruits take it all in.  Great win.  Go Bucks.
The Buckeyes will play host once again and they will welcome the Nebraska Cornhuskers into The Shoe and it has been four years since the Buckeyes and the Cornhuskers met on the gridiron and with the stakes being as high as ever, both teams will look for any edge that is out there at this point of this season. Â Both teams will look the stay in the Playoff conversation as the first official list was released yesterday and both teams are within striking distance of making the big dance 
J.T. Barrett will be faced with another tough, hard-nosed BIG 10 defense and the Nebraska Defense is another stout defense that has been held 5 out of their last 7 opponents to less than 20 points per game which resulted in wins. Â The two that scored more than 20 points in a game against Nebraska? They went 1-1 in those games. Â A win against Oregon and a loss to Wisconsin, not too bad. Â I was stationed in Nebraska for 8 long years and man they love their team. Â I hate their team just as much, but not even close to the scorn and hatred to TTUN, but their Blackshirts are pretty good. They always manage to field good, if not great defenses. Â Look at the past games against the Buckeyes during their first years in the conference. Â The Cornhusker upset the rebuilding Buckeyes after Coach Tressel left that was coached by Luke Fickell. Â The Buckeyes lost by a touchdown to the new kids on the block. Â 34-27 was the final and I hope that Coach Fickell remembers every second of that horrid season. We should thank them though cause it brought Coach Meyer in and five years later, he has only lost one hand worth of games and has a National Championship to add to his repertoire. Â His first year he handed the Cornhuskers a 63-38 whooping to extend the series to 3-1 all-time against the Cornhuskers.
This will be a battle of the Blackshirts against the Scarlet Curtain. Â Flat out. Â Two Top-15 Defenses will go toe to toe in what could be another epic battle and defensive struggle. Â The Buckeyes field a team that is ranked #6 in the nation in both playoff standings and in scoring defense surrendering 121 points this season. Â The Cornhuskers are ranked #10 in the playoffs standings and 15th in scoring defense giving up 147 points total. Â Ohio State is #6 in total defense averaging 295.5 yards per game and Nebraska comes in at #20 with 342.1 yards per game. Â Ohio State ranks #4 in the NCAA with a +10 in the turnover margin and Nebraska is #24 with +5 in the turnover margin. Â Both defenses are even at #24 with 16 turnovers gained so far this season. Â Both teams have stout Defensive Lines, but opposing teams get the ball out quickly as both teams are in the middle of the pack in the sack department with Nebraska at #51 with 19 sacks for the season and the Rushmen are #63 with 17. Â The Buckeyes edge the Cornhuskers in the defensive touchdown category. Â They are ranked #2 in the nation in defensive touchdowns with 4 and Nebraska is #19 with 2. Â This will be a battle and a test of wills and this will likely be the focus of the game. Â Ohio State is allowing 15.1 points per game to Nebraska’s 18.4. Â This will be a fierce and intense battle.
Both offenses will certainly have their hands full with the defenses that will oppose them. Â This will be a battle, but both offenses can create huge splash plays from time to time. Â The Buckeyes field a formidable offense with playmakers such as Curtis Samuel, Dontre Wilson, Noah Brown, Mike Weber and J.T. Barrett. Â On the other side, the Cornhuskers have Quarterback Tommy Armstrong, Running Back Terrell Newby and Stanley Morgan Jr at Wideout. Â Both teams are averaging a ton of points per game. Â Ohio State is averaging 42.6 per game, while Nebraska is averaging 32 points per game. Â That is #10 and #49 in the nation in scoring offense that will test each the opposing defenses to secure a win. Â The edge in offense goes to Nebraska because of their Offensive Line has allowed just 6 sacks total this season which is good for #5 in the nation. Â The Buckeyes are #27 in the nation with 12 QB sacks allowed which is telling and a key concern for the Buckeyes moving forward. Â Hopefully, they can scheme around the Blackshirts and rebound from the scare against Northwestern and you have to expect that the loss in Happy Valley still remains in the back of their minds, but they won’t outright say it aloud. Â I think they will have the added motivation because of the Scarlet Out and the sweet new unis. Â It is all about execution and poise during duress. Â This will be a battle throughout and with another Top-10 duel, they will look to shake off the cobwebs and dust.
If anyone should be upset, it should be J.T. Barrett. Â His play late in the game became reminiscent of the Michigan State games that resulted in losses. Â Telegraphed and uber-scripted Quarterback runs and check-down galore. Â I am still upset, but the season can be salvaged. Â All J.T. Barrett and the Buckeyes need to do is be more balanced and less predictable. Â With Tom Herman leaving for Houston, the Buckeyes have depended solely on the run game, but just like when they failed to feed Zeke, Mike Weber should be just as upset as he was. Â The Penn State defense was stuffing the run all night, but whoever kept calling the Running Back wheel routes, consistently, the Offensive Coaches better get creative because Northwester, Nebraska, and the TTUN can score and we have them at home. Â We got to Maryland and Michigan State on the road and although Maryland is the home team, we should get a win, but a down year for Michigan State was unexpected and they will look to wreck our season once again on their home turf. Â J.T. Barrett and the entire team and coaching staff, to include the head honcho Urban Meyer needs to get better, and quick. Â The Game will be one for the ages as we look to see Ohio State revert back to their relentless ways on both sides of the ball.
The Slobs struggled mightily as the White Out caused a fair amount of penalties that hurt the Buckeyes throughout the night. Â The penalties with their inability to protect the edges and keep J.T. Barrett from feeling the pressure ruined their chance at an undefeated season. Â The Slobs will look to rebound against another scrappy Big 10 defense that is tied at #38 in the nation, along with Penn State, with 16 sacks so far in the season. Â They are tied for 49th overall in team Tackles For Loss with a total of 38 compared to the Buckeyes who sit higher at #31 for a team total of 42 Tackles For Loss. Â The Slobs will look to protect J.T. Barrett, dominate the line of scrimmage and they will look to be more consistent and return back to their strengths for the more difficult part of their schedule. Â A huge stat is Ohio State is ranked #2 in the nation in Tackle For Loss Allowed with a whopping 16 given up for 51 yards. Â That is alarming and it far from the standards that The Slobs hold themselves to. Â Hopefully, they get it together. Â The inexperience and youth has been showing and that, as of now is the lone glaring weakness. Â Pat Elflein and Billy Price need to get their unit back to the standards because they have been weak as of late.
The Silver Bullets and the Scarlet Curtain have a huge task at hand with these Northwestern Wildcats coming into town on a three-game winning streak. Â They have defeated an experienced Iowa team on the road and beat a young Michigan State team that is in the midst of down year. Â They also beat the Indiana Hoosiers at home extending their overall record to a modest 4-3 record, 3-1 in conference play. Â They put up points, but that has been their forte for quite some time. Â On the road, they put 38 points on the table against BIG 10 West winner Iowa and scored 54 points on a young, but experienced Spartan Defense, the BIG 10 East winner from just a season ago. Â Obviously, Michigan State represented the BIG 10 in last season’s playoffs and Iowa represented the conference in the Rose Bowl game. Â Both were demolished and defeated handily, but those defenses are no slouches. Â The Buckeyes tend to struggle against teams that spread them out and make them play from sideline to sideline. Â This will be no easy task, but the Buckeyes are should be looking for blood after suffering their 5th loss in five seasons. Â The Buckeyes will look to right the ship and maintain sight of their goal of competing in the CFB Playoffs once again, but it won’t be easy. Â The road will be tough, but Coach Meyer will guide them through the adversity after suffering a loss. Â Word is, after practice and during an interview, Coach Meyer mentioned that he saw an angry Buckeye team during practice and I, for one hope that it carries on for the rest of the season. Â The next few games will not be cakewalks. Â We have a potent Wildcat Offense at home, a Top-10 Battle at home against Nebraska, they will travel to Maryland and face TTUN’s former coach, then a matchup against MSU and then they will return back home for The Game against TTUN, which is another Top-10 matchup. Â This will not be easy, but if the Buckeyes win out and win the conference, they will 100% make it into the CFB Playoffs and it will be pretty difficult to say that they do not deserve to get in based on their performance this season and that is even including the close loss to Penn State. Â This will test the mettle of the Buckeyes and let’s hope that they can win and win big to regain the momentum for the hardest portion of their schedule.
The game started off with the battle of the defenses. Â Another slow start and a scoreless first quarter for the Buckeyes. Â Special Teams has helped the team and tonight is no exception. Â Tyler Durbin has been a godsend for the Buckeyes with Sean Nuernberger being sidelined due to injury. Â Durbin has kicked in a pair of field goals, but he missed an extra point due to fellow Special Teamer, Cameron Johnston’s inability to maintain control of the snap. Â Cameron Johnston is also contributing to the cause, during the first half he punted the ball 4 times and has 199 yards. Â Per punt, Johnston is averaging 49.8 yards per punt. Â Crazy. Â To think that Special Teams is keeping the Buckeyes afloat until they get some momentum, hopefully the Buckeyes wake up in the second half.
J.T. Barrett and the offense has struggled through the first half, but prior to halftime, he picked up the team and threw a touchdown strike to Tight End Marcus Baugh. Â Barrett finished the first half 13 for 24 for 125 yards and a touchdown. Â He has 34 rushing yards on 6 carries and he pulled a Houdini as he used the football to stay upright to scramble for a 19-yard gain. Â Curtis Samuel is trying to help out, but the inconsistencies with the playcalling is evident and it is hurting the production of the offense once again. Â Mike Weber is also running with a purpose as he looks to become a mainstay in the Buckeyes offensive attack. Â Weber has 60-yards total and on 12 carries. Â Barrett is looking to share the load, but the Penn State Defense seems to be ready for the Ohio State Offense.
The Silver Bullets are flying around once again and they will look to assert their will and keep the Penn State Offense from making big plays. Â The Rushmen are looking as lethal as ever, constantly causing pressure in the pocket. Â The Scarlet Curtain has smothered the Penn State Receivers, but prior the halftime, they gave up back to back 20-yard plays that resulted in a touchdown. Â Nick Bosa also notched another sack to his season statistics. Â This is tough sledding for now, but the Buckeyes will weather the storms like they did against Wisconsin and they will do their job until they slow down the Nittany Lions. Â Good news is they struggled early against Saquon Barkley, but they have slowed him down enough to only allow him to gain 56 total yards.
Curtis Samuel scored on a 74-yard scamper on his first carry of the second half.  This is the longest rushing play the Buckeyes have had this year and it comes during a perfect time to kill the vibe of the White Out.  Ever since the play the crowd is noticeably quiet and they were silenced by the Buckeye Silencer Curtis Samuel.  You think he single-handedly silenced the White Out?  Penn State gave up a Safety to the Buckeyes Defense and they are now up by 14 with the ball after the punt.  That is where the momentum stopped.  The Buckeyes coaches got too cute and J.T. Barrett should just change his name to Captain Checkdown.  Someone needs to go and the Receiver flat out stink.  A nice pass get thrown to you and you lose it?  Sour grapes.  Bad taste in my mouth.  Everything.  I never thought that a Special Teams blunder which led to a touchdown would do the Buckeyes in.  Meyers road streak is over and TTUN will probably wreck the Buckeyes at the end of the season.  I am pessimistic, but this hurts.  I am upset.  Goodbye CFB Playoffs.  Whoever calls the offensive plays…  Please quit…
Coach Meyer and his staff will look to extend their road winning streak against the dreadful White Out conditions that will be in full effect upon their arrival to Happy Valley.  Urban Meyer as the Head Coach is currently 20-0 on the road and it has been that way for a couple of years now.  He now has his sights set on besting his record against a scrappy Penn State team that has won its last two games after a loss to TTUN.  This will not be an easy game and a cake walk is not expected in this contest.  The last two games against the Nittany Lions were two different types of games.  Last year was in Columbus and that was a snoozer of a game, the Buckeyes won handily by a 28-point margin 38-10.  Ezekiel Elliot ran wild during that game and racked up the yardage on the ground.  The year before that?  Ohio State escaped a White Out after the extra period on a walk-off sack by now San Diego Charger Joey Bosa 31-24.  This year looks to be the same after Saquon Barkley regained his confidence.  He will look to soften up the Silver Bullets and attempt to wear them out.  This, of course, would not be as easy because Dante Booker will return and he will look to reestablish himself into the lineup.
During the last White Out game in Happy Valley, Ohio State barely escaped with a win. Â It took an extra period in Overtime on a walk-off sack to beat Penn State. Â If I remember correctly, Saquon Barkley was a huge factor in that very game and he is back again for another contest against the Buckeyes. Â He recently reestablished his presence in the run game and he is as confident as ever. Â He will look to gain huge chunks of yardage against the just as Corey Clement did when Wisconsin nearly upset the Buckeyes on their home field. Â I fully expect Trace McSorley to utilize his receivers on jet sweeps to confuse the Silver Bullets to open up the runs down the middle. Â McSorley is a scrambler and a passer and that could also be a factor in their strategy to defeat the Buckeyes. Â McSorley has 1436 passing yards and 8 touchdowns with 3 interceptions. Â Barkley has 582 rushing yards on 117 carries and 8 touchdowns. Â The leading receiver is DeAndre Thompkins and he has 328 receiving yards and a touchdown. Â The three will try to take down the Buckeyes and there is also a ton of intrigue behind the scenes as well. Â Receiver Chris Godwin, Quarterback Tommy Stevens and Tight End Mike Gesicki were all huge Buckeye targets that went elsewhere. Â Gesicki was the more outspoken out of the bunch and he will look to make an impact during the game.
The clash in Madison, Wisconsin between #2 Ohio State traveling on the road against a #8 Wisconsin who, earlier in the season upset LSU during the season opener at Lambeau Field. Wisconsin also played valiantly against TTUN and only lost that game by the same margin of 7 points.
This game had big College Football Playoff implications and both teams looked to solidify their standing within the College Football Playoff conversation. Ohio State and Quarterback J.T. Barrett added another hard fought, but yet impressive win against a raucous Wisconsin crowd that reacted relentlessly when their home team made a play on either side of the ball. They made their presence known and through all the adversity J.T. Barrett, Pat Elflein and Billy Price, the three offensive holdovers from last seasons Ohio State Offensive team proved to be valuable just as the game looked to get out of hand. After a poor first half and with a huge discrepancy with yardage gained compared to Wisconsin, the Buckeyes looked toward the three key cogs within their offensive scheme to compile positive plays to get the offense running smoothly and to right the ship that seemed to be on the verge of sinking. Although the yardage discrepancy looked insurmountable, J.T. Barrett took over in the second half, making huge impactful plays. one after another and he willed the Buckeyes toward victory. He finished throwing 17 of 29 passes for a modest 226 yards and a key touchdown pass during the overtime period of the game. Barrett also rushed 21 times for 92 yards and two touchdowns to aid in defeating the Badgers pesky defense that shut down the Buckeyes offensive attack during the first half leaving the then defeated Buckeyes with only 6 points by the end of the first half.  Once again the Buckeyes offensive playmakers failed to be less predictable and it showed. The loss of Tom Herman has left the remnants of their players with a far more conservative gameplan game after game and questions need to be answered before The Game because their passing deficiencies need to be addressed and improved because The Game could be for all the marbles this year. Although dependable playmakers such as Samuel, Wilson and Weber were “contained” they did manage to pick up key first downs and it proved that they can be depended on during big moments during a game.
J.T. Barrett wasn’t the only person who made plays when they counted the most. The entire Ohio State Defense made up for their lack of discipline and came back from the depths of oblivion. They weren’t tackling like they normally did throughout the season and they look visibly shaken for the first time and it showed. The halftime speech from Defensive Captains and the coaching staff had to be epic for the Silver Bullets to rebound the way that they did. They left the field during halftime with a 10-point deficit and they came back and allowed just 7-points during the second half which ended up as the first rushing touchdown surrendered by the Silver Bullets by way of a Fullback Dive play that caught the defense off-guard. They were ground up by Clements as he gashed the Buckeyes for huge chunks of yardage and it seemed like he would surpass the 164 yards that he ended the game with, but he looked visibly battered as he limped in-and-out of the offensive lineup. The Silver Bullets were also gashed on huge plays made by Jazz Peavy (6 rushes on the same play for 70-yards and 4 receptions for 76 and a 36-yard touchdown reception). The Badger Tight End Troy Fumgalli was also a huge part of the passing attack and he caught 7 passes for 84-yards, but he was held without a touchdown. Peavy and Fumagalli were both held in check during the entire second half because Coach Fickell and Schiano’s second half adjustments were to negate huge plays from those two Wisconsin playmakers and they succeeded. Factor that and the huge sacks during the second half and overtime victory, the young Buckeyes have grown from this near disaster. Gareon Conley also came up huge and his experience and with him being on of the three holdovers from last years squad, he was clutch for Urban Meyer and his unit. He ended with a single interception, but it should have been two. I am not an expert by any means, but I don’t understand it up to this very moment. A fumble was also not to be because Clement made contact with the ball when his elbow fell out of bounds. Again, I am not an expert but that was more plausible than the interception, but that is none of my business. There is still going to be some growing pains, but I think with these testy games against good competition against Indiana and Wisconsin, we will have to see where this leads and if they could execute better in the future.
Ohio State is coming off of a 21-point win against a Hoosier team that has exposed them a bit.  They played to their strengths, which is the run to make up for their lack of an effective passing attack.  The Buckeyes used a lot of eye candy to try to fool the Indiana Defense, but the were prepared.  They weren’t fooled by the constant movement by the Buckeye offensive playmakers and the constant shifts along the offensive side of things and it essentially shut off Ohio States ability to pass the football downfield.  Their inability to throw the ball is one of the biggest concerns for the Buckeyes and Coach Meyer and we will have to see if they can succeed against an experienced Badgers Secondary that is looking to further entrench themselves into the College Football Playoffs conversation.  The Buckeyes have a tall task on their hands because this Badger Defense has a ton of talent left over from the 59-0 shellacking that started the run to becoming the Inaugural College Football Playoff Champions.  Most Buckeye sites are claiming that a few still have that bad taste in their mouths and that they believe that it is their turn to embarrass the unbeaten Buckeyes squad that is young in just about every position on offense and on defense.  My biggest concern is that the Buckeyes aren’t an elite passing offense and that they will be one-dimensional.  The  Badgers will do their best to ensure this happens to increase their chances to secure a win, but we will see what Urban Meyer will do because he is a tactician during big games like this.  The Silver Bullets will be ready and luckily, they weren’t called out like the backup Oklahoma Quarterback did.  The bulletin board material was provided by former Badger Defensive Back Jim Leonhard.  He stated that the Buckeyes Receivers, namely Noah Brown “will not run away from you” and that no corner this season has “utlitlized the proper press technique” against him.  Basically saying that they run a “simple offense”.  I don’t know about you, but I see Coach Meyer mentioning this every chance he gets to J.T. Barrett and company.  I would like to see some offensive fireworks just like that BIG 10 Championship Game, but it is easier said than done and we will just have to see it live this Saturday.
Wisconsin is coming off a bye week and they had two weeks to prepare for the visiting Buckeyes. Â They suffered their first loss of the season to TTUN in what was a hard-hitting affair with TTUN outlasting the Badgers 14-7. Â The revamped Badgers Defense looks like a stiff test for the Buckeyes and the crowd will look to get their team into the swing of things. Â Their offense looked bleh against TTUN, but that might not be the case against the Buckeyes. Â The Buckeyes play similar to TTUN’s Defense and they could go player for player, at just about every position because both teams recruit well enough to stay dominant. Â The Quarterback position is the key part and we will have to see if he can withstand the pressure from the Buckeyes Defense, the Silver Bullets. Â The pressure will surely be turned up because the starter looked uncomfortable for the majority of the game against our Arch Rival. Â The strength of this Badger team is with their Defense. Â They match up similarly with the Silver Bullets, but with one major difference, Wisconsin is tied for 22nd in total sacks with 15 total and they average 3 per game. Â The Buckeyes Defense leads in Defensive Scores, Interceptions and Turnovers Forced. The Art of Defenses. Â This will be a test for both teams and the chip on the remaining BIG 10 Championship Game players shoulders will play an integral role during this game because it is the first time in two years since that beat down and they will look to return the favor.