How can I be mad about a 45-point win? Well, let me tell you how…
Ohio State’s usual post-Penn State sluggishness wasn’t too much of a problem, as the Buckeyes won 45-0 over Purdue at home. The Buckeyes played a lot of backups and even spent some time experimenting with some new looks on Saturday.
Still, there are always dark clouds I can find surrounding those silver linings. Here are the things that made me want to drink a boilermaker rather than watch one play football on Saturday.
Gee’s Drop
Will Howard still sometimes struggles with sharpness at times, and one of those came on Ohio State’s first possession of the game. On a key third down, Howard delivered a high pass on a slant to Gee Scott Jr. Scott, a former wide receiver, looked to have gotten enough of his hands on it to make the catch, but he couldn’t haul it in. That would have been a big play and possibly a touchdown.
Trust Your Eyes
On another third down, just moments after Ohio State blocked a Purdue punt, Howard kept the ball on a read option on which Quinshon Judkins would have simply walked into the end zone. Howard got in on the next play anyway, but the error forced Ohio State to have to convert a fourth down.
Howard seems to rely too heavily on calling his own number at the goal line, even when there are better options. Hopefully, some film study can help him choose the best option in the future.
Failed Experiment
Ohio State played the “Jack” defense and got jacked on the Purdue drive after the TD by Howard.
The Boilermakers drove down the field, taking advantage of gaps in the defense and helped in large part by poor tackling from Cody Simon (who had a good day overall) and C.J. Hicks (who didn’t). One of the more egregious mistakes was a missed sack by Hicks that allowed Hudson Card to scramble for a first down rather than taking a big loss on the play.
Even after the team switched back to the regular defense, the team got gashed both in the run and pass game, especially the quick slant. Purdue couldn’t take advantage, opting to try a short field goal and missing it. That defensive formation didn’t work much better later in the game either.
Judkins A Bit Off
After the blocked kick, Judkins had a big opening to his left on a rushing play, but he didn’t see it, running into the pile for a short gain instead. In the second quarter, the transfer running back tried to cut backward when TreVeyon Henderson missed his block on the edge, losing eight yards. A cut inside that missed block and he may have been able to get back to the line of scrimmage.
Judkins averaged just 2.9 yards per carry for 32 yards on 11 attempts, which included a long run of 15, meaning his other 10 attempts got him just 17 yards (1.7 YPC). Contrast that with Henderson’s 85 yards and a touchdown on six carries (14.2 YPC), and it’s clear that Judkins wasn’t his usual effective self.
Eddrick Houston’s Bad Moment
Starting in place of Tyleik Williams, Eddrick Houston had a nice game overall for the Buckeyes. He looked every bit the part, clogging up the middle, getting penetration, and finishing with three tackles. However, he also had a freshman moment he’ll want back.
An Ohio State sack would have forced a Purdue punt if not for Houston getting off the ground and shoving a Boilermaker in the back after the play, drawing the obvious unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The coaching staff wisely chose to make it a teaching moment, pulling Houston off the field.
Just Chuck It!
Howard badly underthrew a would-be touchdown to Carnell Tate on the first drive of the second half. While Tate has good speed, I don’t think Howard lacks the arm strength to have thrown the ball a bit farther down the field. I simply think there are still moments when he’s underestimating his teammates’ speed and doesn’t want to overthrow a wide-open deep ball.
In this case, the underthrow probably still should have been caught by Tate, but having to wait for it allowed the defense to arrive and make a play on the ball and the receiver. A few plays later, Howard slipped on third down on Ohio Stadium’s ice-rink-like artificial turf, ending the drive with a field goal rather than a touchdown and leaving four points unscored — not costly in this game, but possibly harmful against better competition still to come.
Those are the things that drove me to the liquor cabinet on Saturday. What stood out to you?
Obviously, there’s not much to grumble about in a lopsided shutout win. The Buckeyes swept the Boilermakers aside easily enough, and didn’t face much of a challenge on Saturday. The typical letdown after beating Penn State never fully materialized, although Ohio State did escape with a shutout only because Purdue’s kicker missed two attempts that were both under 40 yards.
Henderson was a beast, as was Jeremiah Smith. Howard didn’t throw an interception. Caden Curry blocked a punt, and Tate had another nice game as he continues to develop into a dependable option in the passing game. The defense forced a fumble, intercepted a pass, racked up four sacks and five tackles for loss, and recorded five quarterback hurries and six pass breakups.
In short, Ohio State did to Purdue what it should do, given the disparity between the two teams, and without looking disinterested or lacking in emotion — unlike Gus Johnson.
Next up, the Buckeyes head to Chicago to face the Northwestern Wildcats on a baseball diamond at Wrigley Field for some reason. (Money. The reason is money.)