Another college football Saturday on the shores of Olentangy resulted in another team victory. No. 1 in the ranking The Ohio State football team beat 48-10. UCLA Saturday evening.
Honestly, it's always going to be a steep climb for Bruins stand any chance when news broke about star defenseman Niko Yamaleava delayed game protocol due to concussion. It was a surprise, but how Buckeyes there was no dominance.
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After every Ohio State game, we like to reflect and draw some conclusions from the game, and we're doing the same this week. We already know a lot about this team, but each game takes on its own personality and offers insight into things we're either repeating or learning for the first time.
Here are five things we think we learned from the Ohio State football game. dominant victory over UCLA.
Yes, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate DO make a difference.
Carnell Tate missed his second game in a row for reasons we are still waiting for. Surprisingly, when availability report came out Jeremiah Smith was also considered dubious. And while he played a little, something was clearly bothering him with his lower body.
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Once everything was under control, Smith was also shelved and it became clear that time and being caught in traffic became an issue. As a result, the passing game didn't go as smoothly as usual and we saw some frustration on both sides. Ryan Day And Julian Sayin at times. Let's hope these two stay healthy next week, especially when the team heads to Ann Arbor to play Michigan.
Bo Jackson keeps showing up
Someday, maybe next week, Bo Jackson will be the clear No. 1 defender and others will use him when needed. He has the best combination of size, power, vision and speed, and because of that, the running game is much better when he carries the rock.
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He leads all backs in yards per carry and could be the answer to an Ohio State rushing attack that hasn't been as explosive as everyone thinks. He was excellent again today and we now wait to see Day and the staff get him going and allow him to run through the rest of the season that we hope will come.
Ohio State's man-to-man defense doesn't seem as strong as it looks otherwise.
Yes, the game was already out of control, but later in the game Ohio State went almost entirely to man-to-man defense and UCLA was able to do something about it. I think there were some replacements too, but not en masse.
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The Bruins' passing attack was able to identify mismatches and find ways to make efficient plays on the field, leading to some scoring opportunities. The Buckeyes may not have exactly hit their stride with that score, but if other teams are watching the film, you can bet there will be an opportunity to replicate that success with future opponents who have better personnel.
There is depth, but there is a noticeable dip.
The rotation we saw on both sides of the ball makes sense, and it makes even more sense when you see that the level of play wasn't as stellar when some of the depth pieces started getting time later in the game. From the aforementioned timing and delays in backup receiver traffic to some mistakes, gap control lapses and assignments on defense, we now know that – as deep as this Ohio State team is – there is still some development beyond the guys we've seen get a lot of time.
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It's like the coaches know what they're doing with playing time or anything, right?
Ohio State is one win away from securing a CFP appearance.
With this win, you can look forward to beating Rutgers next week, recording College football playoffs appearance. Ohio State is currently 10-0 and would be 11-0 with a win over the Scarlet Knights next week. If it works, then win or lose against MichiganBuckeyes in the playoffs.
Now there are more goals, for example Big Ten title and another College Football Playoff national championship, but you can start making travel plans if OSU takes care of business next week against Rutgers in the Sneaker Bowl. Ohio State's one-loss team should never be left out.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State's reaction to UCLA: 5 things we learned from the game
