Dissecting Ohio State’s games is becoming increasingly more difficult. We’re seven weeks into the season and still the Buckeyes haven’t been met with a challenge. The best analysis is sometimes the simplest, and right now, Ohio State has just been better than everyone it’s faced.

Not a little better, a lot better.

Ohio State dismissed another opponent on Friday night, defeating Northwestern 52-3 at Ryan Field to improve to 7-0 on the year. Once again, the game was decided by halftime, with Ryan Day and company heading into the locker room with a 31-3 advantage. Fans didn’t even need to cancel their late-night plans to start the weekend.

Go ahead and chalk this victory up to another huge talent differential favoring the Buckeyes — their seventh such win of the season. While it would be easy to make that statement and call it a day, there was actually something we learned about Ohio State on Friday night.

The Buckeyes had no trouble converting on long 3rd down conversions against a relatively stingy Northwestern defense. It may not seem like much against a Wildcats team that now sits at 1-5 on the year, but it’s an aspect of the game that shouldn’t be ignored.

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Part of Northwestern’s defensive strategy against Ohio State — actually a big part of it — was to force the Buckeyes into 3rd-and-long situations. Pat Fitzgerald wanted Justin Fields, J.K. Dobbins and others to make big plays in crucial situation. The Bucks had the Northwestern head coach facepalming before the first half ended.

Ohio State converted on five of its first six 3rd down attempts on Friday night, almost all of which would be defined as “long” situations. Here’s the breakdown of those six 3rd downs:

  • Converted: 3rd-and-7 at OSU 33 (10 yards)
  • Converted: 3rd-and-7 at OSU 46 (7 yards)
  • Failed: 3rd-and-8 at OSU 14 (0 yards)
  • Converted: 3rd-and-2 at OSU 33 (2 yards)
  • Converted: 3rd-and-15 at OSU 30 (20 yards)
  • Converted: 3rd-and-8 at NW 48  (14 yards)

Not only did Northwestern put Ohio State’s offense in those 3rd-and-long situations early in the game, it did so in Buckeye territory. Drue Chrisman is an excellent punter, but the Wildcats would’ve probably had some pretty nice field position if they would’ve got a stop here and there.

Opponents have been converting 3rd downs at a 35 percent clip against Northwestern, ranking the defense 45th nationally in that category. That’s not an elite mark, but it is usually good enough to come up with stops on those 3rd-and-long plays.

Those conversions wore down Northwestern’s defense early in the game, and Ohio State was basically able to do whatever it wanted the rest of the night. Another putrid effort from the Wildcats’ offense certainly didn’t help matters, either.

As easy as it is to look at that 52-3 final score and say Ohio State wasn’t tested again, it actually did face a challenge in those 3rd-and-long situations. It might be a good thing with a top 10 showdown with Wisconsin on the horizon, too.

Wisconsin’s 3rd down defense has been the best in the nation this season, allowing teams to convert at a 15.7 percent clip. Only one team has been successful on more than three 3rd down attempts in a single game against the Badgers this season — ironically it was Northwestern.

Fields and the Ohio State offense are going to face 3rd-and-long situations against Wisconsin next Saturday afternoon. It’s been a staple to Jim Leonhard’s defense, which is why the Badgers have pitched four shutouts in six games and holding teams scoreless in 20-of-24 quarters this fall. The Buckeyes are going to have to make some big plays in critical situations.

Day’s squad got a little extra practice facing those circumstances against Northwestern, and Ohio State hit on big plays when it needed them.

We know the Fields, Dobbins and the rest of the Ohio State offense is capable of making those 3rd down plays. If Friday night’s success carries over to next Saturday, Wisconsin’s defense will find itself in some serious trouble.