3 things we learned from Ohio State’s win over Navy
The Buckeyes survived a tough Midshipmen team, but the Big Ten favorites showed their flaws along the way.
The Ohio State Buckeyes had to hang on for dear life for most of the game, but a late push by the offense allowed them to escape the Navy Midshipmen with a 34-17 win in Baltimore. It took a while for the Buckeyes to find their footing with JT Barrett under center, but they finally did, scoring 21 points in the final 20 minutes to double up their opposition.
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Predictably, both teams looked a bit rusty early. Ohio State got on the board first with a field goal late in the first quarter, but Navy took the lead on a one yard touchdown run by DeBrandon Sanders. Ohio State pulled back within a point to make it 7-6 at the half, but took the lead two minutes into the second half on a 61 yard fumble return for a touchdown by Darron Lee.
It felt like that would be the switch the Buckeyes needed to start cruising, by Navy wouldn't go away. Keenan Reynolds expertly guided the Mids right down the field and reclaimed the lead with a touchdown run less than two minutes later.
That would be it for Navy, however. The Ohio State defense began to bow up, and this JT Barrett bomb to Devin Smith gave the Buckeyes the lead for good.
The power running game was largely absent until late in the game, when Ezekiel Elliott took advantage of a worn down Navy defense and started pounding away. He only averaged 3.7 yards per carry, but he reeled off some long runs late and was able to find the end zone.
Three things we learned
1. Ohio State will miss Braxton Miller. I mean, that much was obvious since Miller was lost for the season with a shoulder injury, but the big question today was how JT Barrett would look in the starting role. Barrett gave a good account of himself, going 12-15 for 226 yards, two touchdowns and a pick, but the offense as a whole sputtered for the first 45 minutes or so. The running game was completely pedestrian until Elliott picked up in the fourth quarter, and outside of an 80 yard touchdown bomb to Devin Smith, the passing game wasn't any great shakes either. Ohio State has the talent to sort this out, but make no mistake, they will really miss Miller.
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2. Never schedule Navy. Seriously, don’t. They’re incredibly well coached and the option offense is a complete pain to play against. Why would you sign up for this nonsense? The 2014 edition of the Midshipmen look particularly nasty, racking up 390 total yards (370 rushing) against the much ballyhooed Ohio State defense. Teams farther down Navy’s schedule would be well advised to give them the respect they deserve.
3. Too much hype for Buckeye defensive line? Urban Meyer has recruited like gangbusters from the first second he took the job in Columbus, with special attention being paid to the defensive line. Individual talents on the line are without question, but the Navy offense was able to rack up some pretty healthy numbers against the Buckeye defense.
Navy first OSU opponent over 300 yards rushing since Penn State in 1997.
— Mark Rea (@MReaBSB) August 30, 2014 Navy is capable of giving most defenses fits when they’re humming like they did on Saturday, and maybe this game will be a wakeup call, but there could be some cause for concern here.
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