The game looked bad in the first half. It looked like something might have gone wrong with the game. The Ohio State football team struggled to move the ball efficiently in the first half and was actually losing at halftime 14-10 and it looked like they were too scared to throw the ball.
Everything changed in the second half. CJ Stroud turned it around and was actually able to throw four touchdowns in the second half and turn it. He went 5/8 for 236 yards and four touchdowns. That stat line is a little confusing, but it's still pretty cool. This was enough for a 45–31 victory.
The Buckeyes had enough yards after the catch. Chris Olev had a lot of them. He finished the game with 4 catches for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both touchdowns were filled with yards after the catch. Olev made both of those touchdowns, although Stroud made a good throw on Olev's first score.
Travian Henderson started his Ohio State football career. He had a touchdown catch of 70 yards on the swing pass. It was a burst of speed that never got a chance to stop. He carried the ball only twice for 15 yards, but he looked good in both carries.
Garrett Wilson also took 5 catches and a touchdown for 80 yards. He looked good, but he also had a few drops. Although the running game helped Stroud become so successful. Mian Williams broke the touchdown run of 71 yards in the first half. He finished with 9 carries and such a long score for 125 yards.
The Buckeyes finished with 26 carries for 201 yards and a touchdown as a team. The ongoing game could be better next week, and it should certainly be the focus of offense for the rest of the season. This is how this crime needs to be run.
Defense was actually not as bad as the score indicated. The secondary played really well. Ryan Watts and Denzel Burke looked good in the corner. The problem was that the defense changed personnel in each series, making it harder for the defense to achieve a rhythm.
Haskell Garrett had a 32-yard fumble return for a touchdown from a Zack Harrison strip-sack. It was the best game ever played defensively and a great game in general. Defense needs to improve before next week when Oregon comes to town.