And now it’s on.
Ohio State has set up a huge matchup with Michigan next week after more than taking care of business against the Minnesota Golden Gophers inside the Horseshoe on Saturday evening. It was a bit of a slow start for the offense, but then things heated up in the second half and the Buckeyes won going away, 37-3.
After every Buckeye game, we like to reflect upon what happened on the field of play and bring you five observations or things we think we learned about this team. It can be a little knee-jerky, and really, at this point in the season, what are we really still learning, but there are some things to take from the win over Minnesota and project ahead to the big one in Ann Arbor next week.
Here are five things we think we learned after Ohio State’s impressive win over the Golden Gophers Saturday.
Peaking at the right time
1. Tre Henderson goes 75 yards to the house for a TD.
2. This strip-sack turnover.
3. Marvin Harrison, Jr., finishes the short field advantage with a TD.
This is Ohio State football. pic.twitter.com/o4zMEkdMdV
— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) November 18, 2023
What we learned
It’s the old adage you hear from coaches and analysts. You want to be continuously getting better throughout a season and peak at just the right time. If sure feels like that’s what we’re getting from this Ohio State team.
To be fair, the offense still looks a little off and not as consistent as what we’ve seen in most recent seasons, but it’s getting better. Kyle McCord’s confidence has grown and the weapons around him are getting healthier.
You know the defense is going to show up, and if the offense can continue to show improvement and a complimentary style, next week could be a fun one.
We should have never put TreVeyon Henderson out of our minds
TreVeyon Henderson is having himself a game for @OhioStateFB 💪
⬜️ 146 YDS
⬜️ 15 CAR
⬜️ 2 TDS pic.twitter.com/lZHjwCJDXb— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 18, 2023
What we learned
We learned what we should have never forgotten. A healthy TreVeyon Henderson is a game changing back that’s one of the best in the country. However, when he struggled with injuries last season, Miyan Williams kind of became an equal back in the eyes of many.
No longer.
It’s clear that Henderson’s burst, vision, and aggression running the ball makes this Ohio State team so much more balanced and explosive in a year where it’s offense has had to grow. He’s a difference maker and could be the biggest difference against the colors of Maize and Blue.
Kyle McCord isn't C.J. Stroud, but he doesn't need to be
Kyle McCord to Marvin Harrison Jr. for the TD. Ohio State up 27-0 pic.twitter.com/vnqn9GxJPn
— The Buckeye Nut (@TheBuckeyeNut) November 18, 2023
What we learned
I say this a lot as a coach myself, but once you get to a certain point in a season, you are what you are. Sure, there can still be some minor gains and improvements late in a season, nothing earthshattering is going to happen past a certain point.
On that note, Kyle McCord just isn’t Justin Fields or C.J. Stroud. Maybe he gets closer to that next year with the arm talent he has, but it’s not going to happen this season. That being said, he doesn’t need to be for this team to do some miraculous things.
With as good as the defense is, and with all the weapons around him, all McCord has to do is make the throws that are there, move the chains, and not turn the ball over. From there, the team takes care of the rest and that’s how it’ll likely have to look in Ann Arbor.
The defense is deep
Another big pick for OSU! 💪 @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/cFV1shNZlM
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 18, 2023
What we learned
Looking back on last season, there were certain positions that had a pretty significant drop off after the frontline starters. We saw it most noticeably in the secondary and it resulted in a lot of big plays down the stretch. That’s not the case this year.
Throughout the season, there have been some pretty key members go down at linebacker (Tommy Eichenberg) and in the secondary (Lathan Ransom), yet the machine continues to turn. Ohio State isn’t a team that uses the portal as much as other teams, but embracing it a little more in combination with some good young players have resulted in layers of players that can get it done on the defensive side of the ball.
That’ll be needed next week and hopefully beyond.
Time for Michigan
Ohio State has not beaten Michigan in football for 1449 days. #GoBlue #Michigan #BeatOhio
— Michigan Clock 〽️ (@MichiganClock) November 18, 2023
What we learned
The stage is set. While I’m sure a lot of Buckeye Nation would have loved to see Michigan go down against Maryland in what was a close one in College Park, the fact that the Wolverines escaped and remain undefeated makes the game next week all the bigger.
The winner next week will win the Big Ten East division in its last year, head to Indy and have a really good chance at winning the League title, then punch a ticket to the College Football Playoff.
We can dissect this win vs. Minnesota all we want, but we all know everyone has now moved on to the game next week. It’s going to be one of the biggest in the history of the rivalry, especially with all of the off-the-field stuff going on.
Welcome to Michigan week officially.
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