Buckeyes tame Bearcats 42-0

Photo Credit: Cleveland Plain Dealer

The Cincinnati Bearcats came into Ohio Stadium as an underdog, but one that the smart money was betting on to cover the spread and give the home team all that they wanted.

Instead, Ohio State used some breaks in the first half and added some solid defense to keep Cincinnati off the scoreboard and pick up a 42-0 victory.
J.K. Dobbins rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Buckeyes to victory, while Justin Fields threw for two touchdowns and ran for two additional scores.
The now 2-0 Buckeyes will host 2-0 Indiana next Saturday in their Big Ten opener.

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1) It was great to see signs of the freshman version of J.K, Dobbins, who showed power and slashed his way through the Bearcat defense,
Dobbins ran hard and his 60-yard scoring run showed the speed that he didn't always seem to have in 2018.

2) Dobbins didn't receive one carry in the second half and was out of the game by the fourth quarter.
Dobbins still was at the top of his game though as his block in the third quarter allowed Justin Fields to saunter into the end zone for a score.

3) Justin Fields showed the type of poise and growth from one game to the next that you have to be thrilled in watching his four touchdown afternoon.
Fields completed 20 of 25 passes, but what I liked best was some of the five incomplete throws as he showed the patience to throw the ball away.
Fields' calmness and composure in the pocket seems unusual for a player that is getting his first run as a starter and should he continue to grow in that area, Ohio State should receive two pretty special seasons from their young star.

4) For a game that ended 42-0, this game could have been far closer. but Ohio State made a few plays that caused the Bearcats spirits to sag,
The first came with the score 7-0 and Cincinnati driving immediately after stopping Fields on fourth and short to give the ball over on downs.
The Bearcats entered the red zone and Tyreke Smith arrived with a first down sack and third-down stop to force a 32-yard field goal attempt by Sam Crosa.
Crosa's kick was rejected by Chase Young and the game shifted a bit.

5) With the score still 7-0, Ohio State is moving downfield and play stopped for several minutes as Cincinnati safety Kyriq McDonald was down on the grass and suffered a seizure.
McDonald was eventually cleared as fine, although he did not return to the game, but I wrote Ian McArdle, my usual Buckeye "watching buddy" that the delay would hurt Cincinnati as their players likely would lose some concentration due to concern for their teammate.
Sure enough, Justin Fields hit Chris Olave for a 21 yard gain which set up the next play, a four-yard scoring run by J.K. Dobbins.

6) Chris Olave caught two passes for 60 yards, K.J. Hill caught the most passes (8) and Binjimen Victor finished with the most yards (69), but the receiver that caught my eye most was freshman Garrett Wilson.
Wilson caught just one pass for nine yards, but it was quite a pass and showed why Wilson is very likely to be the next great OSU pass catcher.
Wilson leaped into the air to grab the ball, but he then had to pull it down (and almost through) the Cincinnati defender while falling backward and staying in bounds.


7) I mentioned Chase Young's blocked field goal, but Young also finished with a sack and a half and was constantly in the face of Desmond Ridder throughout the game.
Young was the dominant player on the field whenever he stepped into the lineup, although he did drop an interception that would have been a certain pick-six.
While Ryan Day won't be using Chase Young as a tight end anytime soon, he'll be satisfied with one of the best pass rushers in the country.

8) The Buckeye defense finished with a shutout, but not without two threats in the second half that Ohio State managed to make a big play and keep the zero on the board.
The first threat ended with Tuf Borland's interception off a Shaun Wade tipped passed inside the red zone and the second ended late in the game as the second team stopped UC cold when a hustling Dallas Gant hit and stripped Tavion Thomas, who was on his way into the end zone, of the football.
The ball bounced into the end zone to be recovered by Marcus Williamson for the touchback.

9) Shaun Wade did more than deflect the pass that Borland caught for a pick as Wade forced a fumble, batted down another pass and even was used as a blitzer, just missing a sack of Desmond Ridder.
It's interesting that Wade seems to be the player of the three corners (Damon Arnette and Jeffrey Okudah) that gets the least attention and notice but is being used as the disruptive force of the three.
I wonder if this continues to be Wade or will it change on a week to week basis?

10) Was very impressed with this win.
Many observers thought Cincinnati could be the favorite to win the AAC and dethrone Central Florida as champion.
Should the team do that, they would have an excellent chance to be the Group of Five representative in the New Years Day bowls as other than Boise State from the Mountain West, the AAC champion usually has a leg up on that bid.
I thought this would be close and with a break or two, it could have been.
Give the Buckeyes full credit for simply not allowing those plays that could have changed the game to occur.
A complete team victory and the Buckeyes are playing better early than I expected.
If the growth can continue, Ohio State is talented enough to be very good and by very good, perhaps a final four berth.
It's a long season and adversity awaits, but the potential is there to reach that level.