Pacers prove to be too much, overpower Cavs 89-74
November 3, 2013Reign On Spotlight Player of the Week: D’Qwell Jackson
November 3, 2013This game was never going to be close, but Purdue did themselves no favors. We weren’t even a full minute into the game when Doran Grant returned Danny Etling’s interception to the house to put Ohio State up 7-0. Purdue proceeded to go three and out on their next possession but a crappy punt gave Ohio State the ball in Purdue’s territory. Two plays later, Braxton Miller found TE Jeff Heuerman for a 40-yard TD.
Less than five minutes into the game, Ohio State had a 14-0 lead and that was that.
Braxton Miller threw for 233 yards (19/23) and four touchdowns and Carlos Hyde ran for 111 yards to lead the Buckeyes to a 56-0 shellacking of Purdue. The Buckeye defense was equally as dominating as the Ohio State offense. The Buckeye D held the Boilermakers to just 116 total yards of offense. The victory improved Urban Meyer’s Ohio State record to 21-0 and their 21-game win streak is the longest in the nation.
It’s hard to take away anything concrete from a 56-0 game. I’ve seen Scarlet and Gray games that were more competitive. Ohio State certainly played well, but Purdue was fumbling away simple handoffs. Of course, I certainly prefer OSU to blow out the crappy teams (optics matter in college football), but as much as a love a victory, this wasn’t exactly a fun game to watch. And as much as I enjoy watching Michigan lose (as they did to Michigan State), the OSU-UM game only matters because Michigan used to be more than pretty good. The Big Ten is doing Urban Meyer and Ohio State no favors.
This is now back-to-back blowouts for Ohio State. It’s really the best thing they can do to help themselves. Yes, Purdue isn’t that good, but OSU took a bunch of flack for not hammering Iowa and Northwestern. With their schedule drawing so much ire and the Big Ten being, well, the Bit Ten, Ohio State has to dominate the Purdues of the world. I expect them to do the same thing in two weeks in Illinois and the following week against Indiana at home. These game have to be blowouts. If multiple teams end the season undefeated, Ohio State needs all the style points they can get.
Random Thoughts:
I don’t care about the polls at the moment. I just don’t. As long as Ohio State keeps winning, I feel things will work themselves out. There’s no way that Urban Meyer would be perfect through two years at Ohio State and not make the title game. No way. I know their schedule is crappy. But Ohio State is such a big name and Ohio State fans travel so well (ie, MONEY MONEY MONEY) that I feel if OSU is still perfect, they’re in. I refuse to worry about the polls until at the very least after Michigan.
Miller had a Weeden-esque flip pass that went for a TD. Well. It was really just a flip pass. Weeden’s flip pass was when he was falling away from contact and in the backfield. Miller was out in the flat and attacking when he flipped the ball to Philly Brown for a 2-yard touchdown. to put OSU up 28-0. In a nice change of pace, Miller did the bulk of his damage in the air. While Braxton averages 17 rushing attempts per contest, he only rushed the ball once for seven yards against Purdue. Which makes sense, since the last thing we need is for Miller to get hurt trying to extend a play in a blowout.
Carlos Hyde is a beast. Hyde didn’t get in the endzone against Purdue, but he did jump over a guy. So that was neat. Hyde ran the ball just eight times and finished with 111 yards (13 yards/per). He had a couple plays where it looked like he could’ve broken a long one, but slipped.
Purdue is one of my favorite Big Ten schools to hate. I hate their giant drum. I hate their black uniforms. I had a bunch of friends from high school attend Purdue and the trash talk was abundant during my Ohio State years. Plus, the asshole OSU fan in me finds it just adorable when Purdue fans talk trash about Ohio State. Today not withstanding, Purdue tends to play Ohio State pretty well. Ohio State had some garbage wins against them during the Tressel years.
Is Kenny Guiton good? I really can’t tell. Ohio State’s backup quarterback started the second half and finished with 98 yards and two touchdowns on the ground (he threw for one more). Guiton’s touchdown pass was a Tebow-esque goal line start-and-stop pass over the top. For the year, Guiton has completed 69% of his passes for 749 yards and 14 TDs. He’s also rushed for an additional 5 touchdowns on the ground. I know he dominated Florida A&M and, again, Purdue is pretty crappy. But still. A backup QB with 19 touchdowns is… something. I just don’t know what.
and finally…
The murder’s row of a schedule continues. Ohio State travels to Champaign in two weeks to take on the 3-5 Fighting Illini. The next week? 3-5 Indiana at home. That’s right, Ohio State gets a bye week to get themselves ready for Illinois and Indiana. Then they get Michigan… who lost to Penn State and now Michigan State. Le sigh. At least there’s a Big Ten title game, right? Right??
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
10 Comments
i used to completely agree with your opinion about OSU being a big name and making the title game. But after watching FSU handle Miami I can’t think the voters will give OSU the nod over any of the top-3 teams unless they lose. And I don’t think any of them are gonna lose.
Imagine that: THE Ohio State University on a 25-game win streak and not having had the chance to play for a title. it’s not like it’s Marshall or even Boise State. This is arguably the greatest college football program of all time getting shut out.
IF that happens, the NCAA will be so happy they are moving to a playoff next year….otherwise, the noise might have gotten too loud for them to handle.
Don’t discount Sparty too much. They really look good, and a top defense against a top offense will be fun to watch (though I do think that we just have too many options for Sparty to shut us down the whole game – especially when our defense should be able to handle their O).
Listen to me. “We.” “Us.” It’s like the 3 years I spent at Moritz are sufficient to get me a letter jacket. Oh well. Go Bucks!
As a Michigan fan, I am terrified of this team. That being said, know that Sparty’s defense is legit.
I don’t care about the polls at the moment…. I don’t agree with this section at all. “There’s no way that Urban Meyer would be perfect through two years at Ohio State and not make the title game. No way.”
Are you crazy? What does last year have to do w/ this year? And I hate to say it as a HUGE Buckeyes fan. But if FSU or Oregon run the table they should be and will be in the title game against Bama (assuming they win out too). There is no way OSU would or even remotely should jump either team
I agree with everything you said. Can you imagine OSU on that run and left out? But it would happen assuming 2 of the 3 ahead of us win out. Thank God they are going to a playoff. Because as you said if they weren’t already they’d have to after this season (assuming those teams do win out of course)
There’s no doubt that MSU has a great defense. But even that defense would be hard-pressed to keep the OSU offense down this year. And can MSU’s offense score enough on OSU’s D to keep it close? I don’t think so personally
regardless, the Buckeyes need everyone else to think that they can. they need Sparty to keep winning like they did vs. Michigan imposing their will on the opponent.
at present, Sparty is merely #17 in the BCS ranking. that will not do. by the Big10 champ game, the Bucks need Sparty to rise up to a top8 ranking (@Neb, @NW, Minn). To climb with their weak schedule, they need to dominate plus could really use #23 ND winning their games too (@Pitt, BYU, @Stanford).
Honestly my friend I don’t think it matters. No matter how bad we beat MSU and no matter how high they’re ranked we won’t leapfrog either FSU or Oregon or Bama if 2 of the 3 win out. What we need is for 2 of those 3 to go down. I hate to say it but it’s true
but, it will help us stay ahead of a 1 loss Bama team. and, you know that debate will start up if they happen to lose to LSU or Auburn.
Now on that we agree! But IMO it doesn’t matter how good or bad the team is in the Big Ten title game. If we run the table and Bama has one loss we should get the nod before them no matter what.