Nobody cared what Ohio State in the first two weeks of the season. The only thing that mattered was how the Buckeyes performed against TCU without Urban Meyer. If they won that one, maybe we’d consider them a contender for the College Football Playoff.

Ohio State passed that test with flying colors.

TCU presented a huge test for the Buckeyes, with a high-powered offense and a defense that wouldn’t roll over for Dwayne Haskins, Mike Weber, Terry McLaurin and the rest of the gang. Still, Ohio State prevailed with a two-score victory, topping the Horned Frogs 40-28.

Haskins was still sensational, completing 24-of-38 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns. J.K. Dobbins rushed for 121 yards  and three Buckeyes — K.J. Hill, Austin Mack and Parris Campbell — had over 50 receiving yards.

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No, Ohio State didn’t eclipse the 50-point mark for a third-straight week, but moving the ball consistently and picking apart a quality TCU defense proved that the Buckeyes are more than capable of competing with anyone across the country.

The defense played inspired, too. It surrendered 28 points to Shawn Robinson  and a Gary Patterson offense, but it also recorded two touchdowns of its own, a fumble recovered in the end zone after a Nick Bosa strip sack and a Dre’Mont Jones pick-six.

It was an all-around effort the Buckeyes needed to beat a top 25 team.

Now, Ohio State gets Urban Meyer back on the sideline, though you’d hardly know he’s been absent considering the team’s performance through the first three weeks. What kind of damage can the Buckeyes do when he’s the one calling the shots again?

The only question out of the TCU game is the health of Nick Bosa, who left Saturday night’s game early after suffering an apparent groin injury. He was able to leave the field on his own power, but was spotted in street clothes on the sideline for the final quarter in a game still in question.

But as for Ohio State, they answered any questions we had about their legitimacy on Saturday night. The Buckeyes are for real and can compete for a national championship.

And as good as they’ve been through three weeks, they’ll only get better as Meyer returns to Columbus.