MY THOUGHTS.....BOWLING GREEN

Ohio State opened the 2016 season in emphatic fashion with a 77-10 drubbing of Bowling Green.  After some jitters by J.T. Barrett on the form of a poor decision and throw that resulted in a Bowling Green pick-six on the first possession, the floodgates opened with a big play explosion.  After that abortive first possession, the offense was unstoppable as they racked up 19 plays of 10+ yards with eight of their touchdowns coming that way.  Mike Weber looked impressive in his first game, churning out 136 yards, while Curtis Samuel got 84 yards.  Each of them had five carries of 10+ yards.  Even backups Demario McCall and Joe Burrow twisted off gains of 16 and 11 yards respectively.  Even though it was against Bowling Green, the speed I saw at the skill positions is just as good as last year.  This offense should be a big-play threat on every snap and give opposing defenses nightmares as long as the offensive line stays healthy and gives J.T. Barrett time to distribute the ball to these playmakers.  The offensive line, with three new starters, looked impressive; as there was no question they dominated the line of scrimmage from the start.  I particularly liked the play of LT Jamarco Jones and LG Michael Jordan as many of the plays were run to their side.  Behind this revamped offensive line, Ohio State racked up a single-game school record 776 yards of total offense.  Also impressive was the fact that in 94 offensive plays, the line gave up no sacks and no tackles for loss.

The defense had no trouble with the BGSU experienced offensive line, holding the Falcons to just three points on offense and a measly 3.4 yards per play.  The linebackers played a solid, if unspectacular game, covering the BGSU tight ends and backs on the short passing routes effectively.  The loss of Tracy Sprinkle for the season wasn’t good for a defensive line that needed the depth as they didn’t seem to put much pressure on Falcon quarterback James Knape.

Malik Hooker was easily the defensive star of the game, picking up right where he left off after the spring game with a pair of interceptions.  He showcased an awesome athleticism giving him the ability to roam from sideline to sideline making plays.  I was very impressed with his quickness in rotating over in coverage, coupled with his ability to come up to support the run defense.  This defense didn’t look as dominating at the line of scrimmage as the past two years, but having playmakers like Hooker could pay huge dividends later in the season against tougher opponents.