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| Photo Credit:Cleveland Plain Dealer |
Weber, who finished with 162 yards on the afternoon teamed with J.K Dobbins (124 yards) to lead a ground game that rolled over Sparty for over 300 yards on the day.
Ohio State moved to 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the conference with the win breaking the first place tie with Michigan State.
The Buckeye finish their home schedule next week against lowly Illinois before finishing the season in Ann Arbor.
Wins in both of those games will clinch the division and earn a trip to Indianapolis against the Wisconsin Badgers, who clinched the Western Division yesterday with their win over Iowa...
This may be a shorter recap than usual as I'm not feeling well and I'm trying to shake it off as best I can...
Olentangy Offerings
1) Just as Mike Weber had been the forgotten man on offense, last year's leading rusher appeared with a running style that bordered on savagery as he slashed through the Spartans defense.
Weber had struggled all season in trying to return from a hamstring and hadn't looked to be the same player this season as he dealt with the injury.
Weber looks healthy and with a seemingly renewed commitment to running the football, which makes any quarterback better, Weber might make the Buckeye offense rev up their engine in these final few games.
2) Mike Weber showed that assuming that he is healthy, he might be a better back than last season.
Why?
Try those two long scoring runs, each of which set personal records for the longest run in his career.
If Mike Weber suddenly has added breakaway speed to his game, look out opponents.
3) Weber's backfield mate, J.K.Dobbins didn't score in this game, but his one hundred yards plus outing enabled him to pass 1,000 rushing yards on the season.
Dobbins joins Robert Smith and Maurice Clarett as the only true freshmen Buckeyes to reach that number.
4) It might be a minor quibble, but two small ones.
Late in the first half and holding a 35-0 lead, the Buckeyes started throwing the ball downfield rather than run the clock out.
J.T. Barrett was intercepted and in the resulting final Michigan State possession, cornerback Damon Arnette was injured and did not return.
I wasn't mad at Barrett about the interception, but with that kind of lead, the resulting risk was hardly worth the reward.
5) I also didn't like Barrett's other interception as it happened in the end zone after the running game crushed the Spartans to get to that area of the field and got too cute in throwing the ball.
Too many teams are too smart for their own good in that situation.
6) Two linebackers missed the game from the starting lineup as Jerome Baker and Dante Booker missed the game.
It made no difference as the Buckeyes snapped Tuf Borland and Malik Harrison into the lineup and Chris Worley moved out of the middle and to the outside backer spot where he started in 2016.
The production didn't dip ( Each of the three finished the game with a sack) and Worley looked more comfortable than he has all season.
Going to stop here as I'm trying to feel better to concentrate on the Browns in Detroit.
Look for a Browns review and a boxing challenge tonight or tomorrow with some luck!
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