3 takeaways from Ohio State’s B1G-opening win over Michigan State

Ohio State is still undefeated, coming out of East Lansing with a strong 38-7 win over Michigan State in the first road game of the season. It was also the first Big Ten game of the season for the Buckeyes.

For a team chasing perfection, Ryan Day will certainly come out of the weekend with plenty of things to work on moving forward. The Spartans were able to force an early turnover and were able to move the ball at times in the first half.

Ohio State also appeared to dodge a major injury bullet as it relates to starting quarterback Will Howard. Howard left the game late in the first half after taking a straight shot to the chest, but he was able to return after the break without issue.

For now, Ohio State will head into a week of prep to face Iowa. Michigan State must also turn the page from this loss quickly before turning around and facing Oregon next weekend.

Here are the key takeaways from Saturday’s game:

Jeremiah Smith turns in jaw-dropping performance

Jeremiah Smith has no shortage of elite highlights in his true freshman season. However, Saturday’s game against the Spartans may have been his most complete performance of the year thus far.

A physically imposing wide receiver, most of Smith’s highlights have come through the air with his hands. But on Saturday night, he showed he can deliver on the ground with a 19-yard rushing touchdown to kickstart his evening.

That was just the tip of the iceberg though. He would punctuate a touchdown drive with a pair of one-handed snags vs. MSU, including a brilliant one-handed grab on the run and in stride for the touchdown.

By the time Smith exited the game, he had the 2nd 2-touchdown game of his young career with over 100 yards of offense, including 5 catches for 83 yards. It was so impressive even LeBron James took notice on social media.

Plenty to clean up for the Buckeyes

Ohio State made sure the final score was nothing to be concerned about. However, it would be inaccurate to call it a hot start or strong early performance from the Buckeyes.

The opening drive of the game by the Buckeyes stalled out after a 1st-and-goal situation and led to a field goal instead of a touchdown. Will Howard also threw a 2nd-quarter interception that set up a short touchdown by the Spartans before 14-unanswered points gave some breathing room at the half.

The rest of the game was much better and showed why Ohio State still looks like one of the top teams in the country. But for a team chasing perfection, it must be addressed.

Ohio State’s pass rush gets home

Ohio State’s defense has been elite this season, and it also helps that the offense has forced teams to play from behind in every game. That allows the pass rush to get after opposing QBs.

As a result, the Buckeyes entered Week 5 tied for 14th in the country at 3 sacks per game. Only Michigan State (3.75) averaged more sacks per game among B1G teams.

Facing the Spartans, Ohio State eclipsed that average with 4 total sacks of the Spartans.

Mitchell Melton led the team with 1.5 sacks in the win while Sonny Styles and JT Tuimoloau each added a full sack. CJ Hicks chipped in half a sack in the effort.

The pass rush was also felt in other ways with Aidan Chiles limited to 13-for-19 passing the ball with 167 yards. The Buckeyes also got to Chiles for an interception.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.