BYE WEEK

                    The bye week is a welcome sight as Ohio State is a bit dinged up right now, and that’s just the injuries that have been made known.  I’m sure other players are carrying assorted bumps and bruises, which is why the bye week comes at a good time.  The one downside, however, is that it puts the brakes on a Buckeye offensive machine that has finally gotten in gear.  But, the Buckeyes next two games should be relatively easy before Michigan State comes to town on November 21.

            There’s no question the insertion of J.T. Barrett, first as a “red zone” quarterback and then as the starter, has made all the difference in the world for Ohio State’s offense.  Earlier this week, Barrett seemed to take issue with those who questioned his arm strength and his throwing ability.  He had a valid point.  Even though the Rutgers defense won’t remind anyone of Michigan State’s defense, Barrett carried 13 times for 104 yards on the ground and was 14 of 18 through the air.  That’s good against any defense in this conference.  Barrett usually doesn’t dazzle, like Braxton Miller, but he manages to find the angles rather easily against defenses that know what’s coming, and still have no answer.

            Another factor has been the transition of Braxton Miller into his new role.  The first seven games of the season, Miller got his feet wet at his new position while the coaches tried to figure out how to exactly use him within the offense. Jet sweeps, direct snaps and some passes down the field sometimes put a strain on Barrett and Cardale Jones as well as the rest of a loaded unit, because with so much talent plenty of people deserved to be involved.  His skills give Ohio State another weapon and change of pace for defenses to worry about, because Coach Meyer can insert him at quarterback any time. After Miller's big grab, he took a direct snap and scooted 16 yards around left end to set up Barrett's first scoring run of the night.

            The team continues to display certain trends; they start slowly and finish strongly.  This is especially reflected in the running game and Ezekiel Elliott. By looking at Ezekiel Elliott’s numbers at halftime and at game’s end, the disparity is fairly obvious. Only against Virginia Tech and Penn State did Zeke have more yards before halftime than after. Whether it’s halftime adjustments or the opposing defense breaking tendencies and giving new looks or new schemes not shown on film, or simply a world-class running back and the big offensive line wearing down the opposing defense, Elliott and the rushing attack have thrived in the third and fourth quarters.

            On defense, Joey Bosa has picked up his play over the last several games and has especially improved his play against the run as compared to last year.  I have seen him use a variety of ways to get around blockers in short-yardage situations.  He is too strong to be blocked by backs and tight ends and too quick to be left to a single offensive lineman, which means opposing offenses are forced to double-team him.  Leaving him one-on-one is usually a recipe for defeat for an opposing offense as he is able to rush the passer and stop the run with equal dexterity.  He will be a sure first-round pick in next year’s NFL draft, perhaps even the top pick.

Looking ahead for Ohio State, we have Minnesota coming to Columbus next week and the Buckeyes traveling to Champaign to play Illinois for what should be two comfortable wins before Michigan State comes to town.  Even though the Spartans are simply a better team than their cross-state rivals in Ann Arbor, Ohio State’s toughest game, for a change, will be the one against Michigan in Ann Arbor.  The Buckeyes will be favored in all their remaining games and are still a very good bet to get to Indianapolis for a third consecutive year for the B1G Championship game.