On The Mark 10.19.15 #Buckeyes v #PennState Recap

Buckeyes "Black Out" Penn State, 38-10
By @MarkW2112

In its first ever "Black Out The Shoe" night in Columbus, the Ohio State Buckeyes took the theme and (literally) ran with it as they defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions 38-10 in front of a crowd wearing almost all black.  It truly was a site to behold, the complete opposite of the Lions now famous "white outs" in Happy Valley. 

While Cardale Jones (9-of-15 for 84 yards passing) was once again the starter, the night belonged to "red zone specialist" J.T. Barrett, who scored 3 touchdowns and threw one to Braxton Miller on the "Tebow leap" pass at the 2 yard line.  Barrett went 4-of-4 for 30 yards passing with another touchdown to Michael Thomas but it was his 102 yards rushing and 2 rushing touchdowns in the red zone made him the better choice over Jones.  Ezekiel Elliot once again was amazingly solid, with 153 yards rushing and a touchdown.

The defense, led by Joey Bosa, dominated Penn State more often then not.  While there were some solid runs by Saquon Barkley, who ran for 194 yards, they were able to keep Christian Hackenberg in check, with him going 7-of-13 for 120 yards.  He was sacked 5 times, with one of them seeming to injure his leg. 

My take: Another dominating performance by the Buckeyes during a very cool "black out" at the Horseshoe.  That said, J.T. Barrett needs to be the starter from here on out.  The offense seems to run better with him behind center.  Nothing against Cardale Jones and his arm but Barrett's legs and quick thinking seem to be what the Buckeyes need.

Players of the game: J.T. Barrett, Ezekiel Elliot both get this honor for their hard work on offense.

Turning point: Every time J.T. Barrett got in to the game, the Buckeyes scored.

Next game: Another 8 PM game against Rutgers on ABC

On The Mark 9.14.15: #Buckeyes v. #Hawaii Recap

Defensive blitz: Buckeyes beat up Hawaii 38-0
By @MarkW2112

After only getting 5 days between games, the Ohio State Buckeyes started the game sluggish but were still able to handle the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors 38-0 thanks to some stellar defense against a Hawaii offense that really was no match for them while the offense had it's struggles but was able to find it's footing in the end.

Cardale Jones started the game but J.T. Barrett split reps with him as both quarterbacks seem to have their struggles against the Hawaii defense.  Neither quarterback recorded a touchdown and combined for 181 passing yards.  Ezekiel Elliot got most of the load at running back, rushing for 101 yards on 27 carries and 3 touchdowns.  Bri'ante Dunn scored a 5 yard touchdown in the last minutes of the game.  Braxton Miller had a decent game but nothing compared to his spectacular return against Virginia Tech.

The game really belonged to the defense.  They kept the Hawaii offense to 165 total yards while intercepting quarterback Max Wittek twice, once by Von Bell and the other by Gareon Conley.  Joey Bosa, back after his one game suspension, got a sack while Darron Lee recorded two.  Wittek had no chance to really get going, especially with many dropped passes by his receivers.

My thoughts:  it was apparent that the lack of days off affected the team, especially on offense.  It also seemed Hawaii's defense distracted the clap counts by clapping themselves on numerous occasions.  But it didn't matter in the end with the Buckeyes much more talented roster leading the way on defense.  Having Joey Bosa back seemed to be what the defense needed to get it's groove back while Darron Lee continued to show what a monster linebacker he is.  

Player of the game: Ezekiel Elliot, with this 3 touchdowns

Turning Point: Elliot's touchdown in the first quarter, which was all of the points the Buckeyes needed

Turning point 2: The Buckeyes defense stripping the ball from quarterback Max Wittek, which was picked up by Von Bell and brought in for the touchdown to make it 31-0 to seal the game for good.

Next up:  At Ohio Stadium, facing Northern Illinois, 3:30 PM EST

#Buckeyes Preview 9.11.15: #Hawaii Rainbow Warriors @ Ohio State

By @jddisantis

After a big win Monday night against the Hokies, the Buckeyes have a short week as they host the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Saturday in their home opener.  Ohio State will be looking to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 15 as Hawaii will look to go 2-0 after beating Colorado last weekend in perhaps the weirdest ending of week 1.  In what should be a rout, I will do my best to make this game sound interesting and let you in on a couple things that I will be keeping an eye on come this Saturday.

1.  Play calling and Zeke:  One of the biggest changes for the Buckeyes this offseason was the loss of offensive coordinator Tom Herman to the head coaching position at the University of Houston.  Herman received a lot of credit for helping prepare third string QB Cardale Jones and the rest of the Buckeye offense for the three monster wins in the Big Ten Championship, National Semifinal and National Championship.  When Herman left for Houston, Ohio State promoted then offensive line coach/ co-coordinator Ed Warinner to offensive coordinator.  Ed Warinner also took over play calling duties. 

If you follow me on Twitter (shameless plug coming: @jddisantis), you would've known that I wasn't exactly thrilled with the play calling Monday night against the Hokies.  The Buckeyes threw it 19 times while running it 37. At first glance nothing about those numbers look out of the ordinary but if you look deeper you'll find that Cardale Jones led the team in rush attempts with 13 while Heisman hopeful Ezekiel Elliot only ran the ball 11 times.  After the game Urban Meyer was quoted when referencing the Bear Zero defense by Va. Tech, “cause you hand the ball off, there’s two extra guys in there. … They dare you,… you have to be able to bust through that first level.  That’s why Zeke only had 11 carries.  That’s not enough, we have to get him 20 touches.” 

2.  How much will J.T. play?:  I was surprised to see J.T. play as little as he did Monday night.  Although I prefer a single QB team, I expected to see J.T. get more action than he did.  The biggest reason behind that was I felt the game better suited him.  (see no. 1) 

I will be keeping an eye on how much read-option they run against the Rainbow Warriors.  Coach Meyer can say that Cardale and J.T. have similar skill sets till he’s blue in the face but he’ll be wrong every time.  Cardale is a 6’5, 250lb monster with a cannon for an arm.  J.T. is smaller but much more athletic, fast, and cerebral.  The game plan seemed to fit J.T.’s style more than Cardale’s.  Either way this game has the potential to get out of hand quickly so I expect J.T. to get more “real time” action this weekend.   

3.  Can Max Wittek find success against Ohio State’s secondary?:  Max Wittek left the sunshine and beaches of USC for the sun-shinier beaches of Hawaii.  Expected to compete with Cody Kessler for the starting job for the Trojans, Wittek ended up transferring to Hawaii.  Head coach Norm Chow has compared Wittek to Carson Palmer saying, “If you had to make a training tape, you’d make it with Carson Palmer.  This guy would be second… He has a good touch, a quick release and great anticipation.  Most young kids don’t have that.  They’ll wait till the guy is wide-ass open.” 

Max Wittek got off to a good start this year as he was 19 of 38 for 202 yards and three touchdowns and two interceptions in Hawaii’s 28-20 upset win against Colorado.  Despite his modest success against Buffs, Wittek will have a much tougher test at The Shoe on Saturday. 

The Buckeyes were taken advantage of by Hokie QB Michael Brewer for 156 yards and 2 touchdowns before going down with a broken collar bone in the third quarter of Monday night’s game.  Through misdirection and wheel routes Brewer was able to exploit the Buckeyes lack of discipline in coverage.  Wittek will have his hands full trying to find open receivers while becoming intimately familiar with an angry Joey Bosa and the rest of the Buckeye defensive line.  He could be in for a long Saturday afternoon. 

4.  Will the Buckeyes play down to their competition?:  Many times in sports we watch a team play up, or down, to their competition.  With the Ohio State schedule lacking many challenges will they get complacent or lazy against the likes of a Hawaii?  With a betting line of -40, Ohio State will have to stay disciplined and focused on their current opponent.  After a big win and a short week of preparation this could set up perfectly for the Buckeyes to stumble out of the gates and let Hawaii hang around in this game.  The Buckeyes will try and get out to a quick start, clean up some of the mistakes against Va. Tech, and blow the doors off of Hawaii.

What: Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Ohio State Buckeyes
Where Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Time September 12, 2015, 3:30pm EST
TV/Radio Big Ten Network (BTN), WKNR/Cleveland 850

On The Mark 9.8.15: Ohio State #Buckeyes vs. Virginia Tech Recap

Cardale Jones, Braxton Miller shine for the Buckeyes in 42-24 revenge win against Virginia Tech
By @MarkW2112

Hello and welcome to another season of Buckeyes football!  It's been 8 long months since the Buckeyes won the first ever National Championship trophy and their first game of the 2015 season was a rematch against the Virginia Tech Hokies, who beat the Buckeyes in the second game of the year in Columbus. This year, it was the number 1 ranked Buckeyes who pulled out the big win, 42-24 in Blacksburg, VA.

Urban Meyer kept his starting quarterback a secret until the very first play of the Buckeyes offense.  But it really came as no surprise to see Cardale Jones, who had 3 of the greatest games in college history to end last season, as the starting quarterback.  And he started off this season where he left off, throwing amazing passes and running with power.  He finished the game 9/18 for 186 yards, 2 touchdowns and interception while carrying the ball 13 times for 99 yards and 1 touchdown.  While Jones was mostly solid, with an excellent pass and touchdown catch to Curtis Samuel, it was Braxton Miller who stole the show with 2 show stopping touchdowns.  The converted wide receiver caught 2 catches for 78 yards, including a fantastic 54 yard where he kept his balance while staying inbounds.  His second touchdown was on a spectacular 53 yard run which included an amazing spin move.  J.T. Barrett did come in during "garbage" time to throw a touchdown to Michael Thomas, making it 42-17. 

The defense struggled some after the Buckeyes went up 14-0 early in the first half, especially the secondary.  The Hokies, led by Michael Brewer at quarterback, scored 17 unanswered points before halftime.  While taking some big hits, Brewer was in control throwing some big time throws including a 51 yard touchdown to fullback Sam Rogers and another 1 yard TD before halftime to Ryan Malleck.  However, to start the second half, after saying during halftime that it would "take a hell of a lot more than that to take me out", Brewer was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury on a big hit by Adolphus Washington.  Junior quarterback Brenden Motley came in to the game and the Buckeyes defense were able to easily shut him down.  Motley finished 4 of 9 for 36 yards passing, a touchdown and an interception.

Thoughts:  The Buckeyes started out quickly on offense, lagged a little bit after being up 14-0 and showed in the second half  how powerful the  offense can be with 28 unanswered points until the very last few minutes where the Hokies scored a garbage time touchdown to make it 42-24 final.  Braxton Miller proved that he is still a dynamic player with his 2 show stopping touchdown plays.  Ezekiel Elliot was able to break away for an 80 yard touchdown run himself and finished with 122 rushing yards on 11 carries.  The possibilities are endless once Jalen Marshall and Cory Smith return next week.  As far as the defense, they were able to hold their own without Joey Bosa.  But with him coming back, look for a more disruptive defense to appear.  That said, there is work to be done in the secondary which got burned multiple times in the first half.

Player Of The Game:  Braxton Miller, who's conversion to receiver/h-back proved to be fluid with his big day both catching and running the ball for touchdowns.

Biggest Factor: The Hokies losing Michael Brewer was deflating for their offense, especially after getting them up 17-14 before the end of the first half.  

Up Next For The Buckeyes: the home opener at "The Shoe" in Columbus against Hawaii

#Buckeyes Preview 9.6.15: Ohio State @ Virginia Tech #Hokies

By @jddisantis

This Labor Day get the family time out of the way early because Monday night the National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes will try to avenge their only loss of last year by traveling to Blacksburg for a showdown with the Virginia Tech Hokies.   There is no shortage of storylines attached to the Buckeyes and their first test of the 2015 season.  Here is a breakdown of four areas of this game that I will be watching closely as the Buckeyes will attempt to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 14.

1.   Who’s under center?:   Everyone has heard the age-old-adage, “If you have two quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks.”   Well, that’s not the case for the Buckeyes.  In the 2014 season we saw something that movies are made of as Ohio State had TWO quarterbacks go down to injury yet their third string QB, Cardale Jones, stepped up and won the Big Ten Championship, National Semifinal and National Championship with a combination of size and arm strength reminiscent of JaMarcus Russell.   With 2-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Braxton Miller moving to WR, J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones have been battling it out this summer for the starting job.   After watching Cardale in the final three games of last year many fans forget that J.T. Barrett was himself a Heisman contender before getting injured late in the season. 

Urban Meyer said that both quarterbacks will play in this game and reports have said that he will notify Barrett and Jones on Saturday who will start, although he will not tell the team until Monday night before the game.   Both men have been very humble during this process and have shown 100% support for the other so whatever the outcome I don’t anticipate any animosity towards the other.  Personally I would go with Barrett (who was recently named a team captain) but how could you argue with either player. 

2.  How badly will the recent suspensions hurt Ohio State?:   This offseason four Ohio State players received one game suspensions for “violating Department of Athletics policy.”  It is believed that the violations involve marijuana and academics.  The biggest impact the Buckeyes will be missing is potential #1 overall pick in next year’s NFL draft, junior defensive end Joey Bosa.  Sophomore H-back Jalin Marshall, senior WR Corey Smith and junior H-back Dontre Wilson will also be missing in action against the Hokies.  With WR Noah Brown down for the year with a broken leg the suspensions of Marshall, Smith and Wilson hurt even more.  We can expect to see a healthy dose of newly transitioned Braxton Miller to make up for the loss along with the emergence and continued growth of WR Michael Thomas. 

Redshirt sophomore Sam Hubbard will be starting in place of Joey Bosa, with Jalyn Holmes getting time as well.  Despite not playing all last year Hubbard was compared to J.J. Watt by former assistant coach Kerry Coombs and coach Meyer has mentioned that he thought about burning Hubbard’s redshirt year because he knew Hubbard was an NFL caliber player who won’t end up staying for four years.  Hubbard had two sacks in the spring game and exhibited the type of talent that has coaches excited to see what he can do on the main stage.  The Buckeyes may not have Joey Bosa out there Monday night, but they just might have the next best thing.   

3.  Braxton Miller’s switch to WR/H-back:  This offseason was filled with rumors and questions about the two-time Big Ten Offensive POY.  Will Braxton compete for the starting QB at Ohio State?  Will he transfer to Oregon or FSU to play QB there?  All of those questions were answered when Braxton Miller said he would be staying at Ohio State and make a transition to WR.  This was a great business decision for Miller as his potential at QB in the NFL was minimal but as one of the best athletes in college football he will have an opportunity to showcase that athleticism and playmaking ability at a different position.  Due to his recent injuries I think many fans have forgotten just how dynamic a playmaker Braxton Miller is and he should get ample opportunities to remind the nation Monday night against the Hokies. 

4.  Michael Thomas vs. Kendall Fuller:  One of the best battles you will see this opening weekend and maybe all year will be between Ohio State’s top wide-out Michael Thomas and Virginia Tech’s All-ACC cornerback Kendall Fuller.  We’ll have to wait and see if Fuller is going to follow Thomas throughout this game but they will definitely see a lot of each other.  Fuller is a fluid athlete who has football in his DNA as all three of his brothers have played (two are currently playing) in the NFL.  Michael Thomas also has NFL DNA as he is the nephew of former NFL wide-out Keyshawn Johnson.  Thomas is a technician at the position and will try and use his 6-3, 210 pound frame to his advantage against the smaller, faster Fuller.  Kendall Fuller is being touted as a sure fire first rounder while ESPN’s Todd McShay has Michael Thomas ranked as his #1 WR on his big board.  Keep your eyes on these two players as this battle will surely have game, and draft implications. 

On The Mark 1.13.15: #Buckeyes #NationalChampionship Recap

UNDISPUTED CHAMPS!  Ohio State Handles Oregon 42-20 To Win The First CFB Championship
By @MarkW2112

The Ohio State Buckeyes, lead once again by third string quarterback Cardale Jones and running back Ezekiel Elliot, defeated the Oregon Ducks 42-20 to win the first ever College Football Championship.  It was an extraordinary end to an extraordinary season in which the Buckeyes went through 2 young quarterbacks after Braxton Miller had his season end before it began with a shoulder injury.  It was also extraordinary as to the fact that this team had been told that they were too young and year away.  None of that mattered as the Buckeyes dominated the ball game.

It didn't start out that way as the Ducks struck first with a 2:39 touchdown drive lead by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and then a 3 and out for the Bucks.  After the Ducks went 3 and out and pinned the Buckeyes on their own 3 yard line, Jones (242 passing yards, 38 rushing) led the team down the field and ended on a spectacular touchdown run by Elliot to tie it up.

The only downside to the game were 4 turnovers by the Buckeyes on offense.  3 fumbles and an interception off of Jalin Marshall's arms could have doomed the Bucks.  The Ducks got as close as 21-20 in the third quarter after a fumble by Jones led to another Ducks field goal.  With the preceding drive, Jones and Elliot once again led the team down field for a game defining touchdown to make it 28-20 to end the third quarter.  From there, the Buckeyes defense was able to stop the Ducks and the Buckeyes scored once again making it 35-20.  One more touchdown at the end of the game Elliot gave him 4 for the game to go along with 246 yards rushing which made him the undisputed Offensive MVP.  And while Tyvis Powell won defensive MVP, it really belonged to the entire defense.  The rotations that Luke Fickell and Chris Ash came up with were excellent and enough to keep the players fresh.  They proved to be too tough for the Ducks offense to handle.

My take: The Ohio State Buckeyes came in to the season as underdogs and proved every national media member wrong.  Urban Meyer had this team prepared and while the start of the season didn't look promising, he helped led them to the promise land and become National champions.  The entire Buckeyes coaching staff deserves a ton of credit for preparing their players to be the very best.  And while Oregon was a worthy opponent, they were no match for the aggressiveness both on offense and defense.  Cardale Jones and Ezekiel Elliot were able to plow through the Ducks defense when they needed to that extra yard or 2.  And while Mariota was able to make some big plays with his arm, the Bucks defensive line was able to keep him pressured almost the whole game.  It was a thing of beauty, a national championship won by a team that proved to the world they were the true #1 team in the nation.

Offensive player(s) of the game: Ezekiel Elliot and Cardale Jones once again were outstanding.  Elliot will definitely be a Heisman candidate next season.  Jones may decide to perhaps go pro.

Defensive player(s) of the game: the entire defense.  They all worked together as one unit to keep Marcus Mariota and his offense mostly at bay. 

Play of the game: the Buckeyes defense keeping the Ducks out of the end zone at the goal line.

So this is it.  The end of the 2014 season.  And what a season for The Ohio State Buckeyes!  Congratulations to them on their National Championship!   And the scary thing is most of this team will be back for next season.  They should be fun to watch once again.

On The Mark 1.2.15: #Buckeyes vs #Alabama #SugarBowl Recap

Roll Bucks!  #4 Ohio State upsets #1 Alabama 42-35 to move on to the Championship game
By @MarkW2112

Only one word can describe last nights thrilling game; WOW.  The Buckeyes were able to overcome early issues and win 42-35 in front of a crowd of mostly Buckeyes fans at the Superdome in New Orleans to win the Sugar Bowl and move on to meet Oregon Ducks for the national championship.  The victory against the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide is one of the ages.  Down 21-6, the Buckeyes scored 28 unanswered points against the Tide at one point.  And while Blake Sims was able to lead them to 2 scores before the end of the game, the Buckeyes defense was able to hold their own against and stop them when they needed.

Cardale Jones, starting in only his second game, was able to get through nerves and go 18-of-35 for 243 yards, a touchdown and an interception.  He also ran for 43 yards including some bruising ones going through Crimson Tide defenders.  But the biggest star on offense was Ezekiel Elliot, who ran 20 times for 230 yards and 2 touchdowns.  His last touchdown was the biggest of all, going 85 yards for the TD to make it 42-28 after they successfully ran a 2 point conversion play.  This was an important score since quarterback Blake Sims was able to get the Crimson Tide down field to make it 42-35 with less than 2 minutes left in the game.

The Buckeyes were able to escape extremely questionable play calls after a nearly successful onside kick.  They had to punt it and gave the Crimson Tide the ball back with 1:33 left in the game.  Sims was able to move them down to the Buckeyes 42 yard line but a hail mary try as time expired was intercepted by Tyvis Powell to seal the victory for the Buckeyes.  

My take: The Buckeyes, in the first ever playoff series, never gave up even after being down 21-6.  They were able to dominate the Crimson Tide almost the entire game.  Cardale Jones, Ezekiel Elliot, Michael Thomas and Devin Smith on offense, Darron Lee, Michael Bennett, Steve Miller and Vonn Bell on defense, all helped propel the Buckeyes to victory.  It was a thrilling game for the ages.  Now on to Dallas for the national championship game.

Players of the game: Ezekiel Elliot for the offense, Darron Lee for the defense.  Both were excellent and were a big part of the Buckeyes victory.

Play of the game: The 85 yard touchdown run by Elliot, who showed that the "SEC speed" myth is a thing of the past.

Play of the game 2: Down 21-13 with only seconds left in the first half, the Buckeyes ran a double reverse play with Jalin Marshall who flipped it over to Evan Spencer.  Spencer then threw the ball in the endzone to Michael Thomas, who made a spectacular catch, keeping 1 foot on the ground, for the 13 yard touchdown to make it 21-20 before going in to the half.

Play of the game 3: Defensive end Steve Miller getting the path of Amari Cooper to intercept the ball and run it back 41 yards for the touchdown.  It was his first ever touchdown.

Next up: The National Championship game against the Oregon Ducks on Monday, January 12 in Dallas, TX.

On The Mark 11.9.14: #Buckeyes Recap

Big Statement: Ohio State Defeats Michigan State 49-37 As J.T. Barrett Shines Even Brighter
By @MarkW2112

I am gladly eating my words.  I felt the Ohio State Buckeyes, going in to Spartan Stadium to face the Michigan State Spartans, might be a slight underdog to beat them at home.  I was wrong.  Behind a phenomenal statement game by J.T. Barrett, the Buckeyes win 49-37 in convincing fashion.  The young offensive line came together for Barrett, who was able to have time to throw at will.  He went 16-of-25 for 300 yards and 5 total touchdowns, including 1 to Devon Smith, who had a monster night with 6 receptions and 129 yards.  Smith's touchdown right before halftime made it 28-21.  Before that, Barrett a threw a 79 yard TD to Michael Thomas to tie the game at 21.  This was significant because before that, Dontre Wilson fumbled a kick off return yet somehow the Spartans weren't able to capitalize with any points.  So the Thomas touchdown was a huge momentum shift in the Buckeyes favor.  From there, they were able to score at will, including 2 rushing touchdowns by Ezekiel Elliot, who also had a fantastic night with 150 yards rushing.

Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook did a great job, going 25-of-45 for 358 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Jeremy Langford was able to run at will, with 137 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns.  However, the defense was able to make just enough stops to allow the Buckeyes offense to take the lead.  There were a few times where the Buckeyes forgot how to tackle but it worked out in the end.

My take: the Buckeyes came in to East Lansing and faced an extremely confident Spartans team who knew they had the Bucks number last year during the Big 10 Championship.  But this year, with J.T. Barrett in tow, the Buckeyes were able to do whatever they wanted on offense.  While perhaps not as dynamic as Braxton Miller, Barrett may be a better overall quarterback, showing great touch and accuracy as well as toughness running the ball, getting first downs when needed and pushing it in to the end zone twice.  Connor Cook and Jeremy Langford had great games for Sparty but the defense did just enough to allow the offense to come back on the field and score at will.  It was one of the best Big 10 games I've seen in quite a long time.  It was also the first real signature win for Urban Meyer.

Next up: facing the surprising Minnesota Golden Gophers in Minneapolis.

On The Mark 10.27.14: #Browns & #Buckeyes Recap

Browns Do Their Job And Beat The Raiders 23-13
By @MarkW2112

The Cleveland Browns, coming off a very disappointing loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, came back this Sunday and beat a team they were supposed.  The Oakland Raiders are a terrible team and the Browns were able to beat them 23-13 with just enough offense and a defense that continued to improve over the season. Brian Hoyer, Andrew Hawkins and Miles Austin were the stars on offense while Paul Krueger, Joe Haden and Donte Whitner were beasts on defense.

Hoyer, who did struggle again this week, was 19-of-28 for 259 yards and a touchdown.  Hawkins had his best game as a Brown, with 88 passing yards and a touchdown.  While the Raiders defense was able to keep the running game in tact, Ben Tate was able to rush for a touchdown after a fumble recovery within the red zone late in the game.  Billy Cunduff was 3-for-3 on field goal tries, which helped the Browns take a 9-6 lead in to halftime.

The defense were the real stars of the game.  Kruger sacked rookie Derek Carr 3 times, Donte Whitner made a punishing hit on running back Darren McFadden which caused a fumble that shot out of his arms in to Joe Haden's arms who returned it to the 50 yard line which lead to the Browns first touchdown of the game in the third quarter.  Speaking of Haden, he may have had his best game of the year, keeping pace with the receivers he covered and his fumble recovery was huge for the Browns to give them the momentum they needed.

My take: It wasn't pretty, but a wins a win.  The offensive line is struggling without Alex Mack but I do believe as time goes on it will get better once again.  The defense was just awesome tonight, allowing the only touchdown with 7 seconds left in the game during garbage time.  Derek Carr, who was 34-of-54 yards with a touchdown, has a bright future if he is put in to an offensive system that fits him with whoever is the new coach for the Raiders after this season.

Up next: The Browns face another winless team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, next Sunday at home.

Penn State Puts Up A Fight, But Ohio State Prevails 31-24 In 2 OT

It's never easy playing in Happy Valley for the Buckeyes.  Especially during prime time games as the Penn State Nittany Lion fans bring the noise and "white out" the stadium.  It can be extremely intimidating for any team.  The Ohio State Buckeyes, especially freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett, seemed affected by it all night.  Yet somehow, the Buckeyes defense and Barrett during overtime came away with the victory 31-24 that went to 2 overtimes before the game ended on an incredible sack by Joey Bosa as he pushed running back Akeel Lynch in to Christian Hackenberg.

Urban Meyer and Tom Herman went with a conservative play calling scheme, which gave big yards to Ezekiel Elliot, who had 109 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown.  Barrett added 75 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns, both of which came during overtime.  However, Barrett had a bad game passing the ball, throwing for 79 yards, a touchdown, but 2 interceptions, one a pick 6 and the other which lead to a Penn State score that brought them to within 3 points of the Bucks, 17-14.  The defensive line of the Lions had a great game, busting up running plays, sacking Barrett and pressuring him all game.

The Buckeyes defense were the big stars of the game. Hackenberg did throw for 224 yards and a touchdown but was also intercepted twice, one of those by Eli Apple in the end zone and sacked .  It may have been their best all around game of the season.

My take: J.T. Barrett proved he still has a long way to go yet he proved himself when he needed to in overtime.  Joey Bosa might just be the best defensive lineman in college football and last night was another showcase for his extraordinary talent. Penn State deserves a ton of kudos for their defensive play and making plays on offense when needed.  The Lions fans definitely deserve credit for disrupting the rhythm of the Buckeyes offense all night.  They are definitely some of the best fans in college. But thankfully none of that mattered as the Buckeyes prevailed in the end.

Next game: back in Columbus against the surprising Illinois Illini for another prime time Saturday night game.

On The Mark 9.29.14: Buckeyes Recap

Buckeyes 'bear' it out with a 50-28 win over Cincinnati
By @MarkW2112

That was fun, right?  The Buckeyes, behind a massive offensive outbreak, beat the Cincinnati Bearcats 50-28 in a predicted shoot out that nonetheless went to the faster and more talented Buckeyes team.  The offense almost broke a school record, with 710 yards of total offense (the record is 718 but was lost due to a 20 yard loss on one of the last plays of game).  J.T. Barrett had another solid game, going 26-of-36 for 330 yards and 4 touchdowns to along with 79 inspiring rushing yards.  Ezekiel Elliot lead the running backs with 28 carries for 182 yards and a touchdown.  The most impressive thing about the Buckeyes offense was the offensive line, who gave plenty of time for Barrett to find his targets and open up huge holes for the running backs to shoot through.

For the Bearcats, Gunner Kiel was as advertised, going 21-of-32 for 352 yards and 4 touchdowns.  Receiver Chris Moore was extremely impressive, with 221 receivers and 3 touchdowns on 3 catches.  His 3 catches went for 60, 83 and 78 yard bombs from Kiel.  The Bearcats were able to get as close as 36-28 before the defense was finally able to hold down their high powered offense down.

My take: J.T. Barrett is continuing to grow as the leader of the Buckeyes offense.  He has grown by leaps and bounds since the Navy game.  It appears Urban Meyer has opened up the offensive playbook as his confidence in Barrett grows.  While the defense gave up 28 points to Kiel and the Bearcats offense, they were able to make the holds at the end of the game when they needed to which was huge.

Next week, the Buckeyes start their Big 10 season against Maryland.  Wait, did I actually type that?