First thoughts: Buckeyes overpower Arkansas State for early-season tuneup win
COLUMBUS — The buildup wasn’t the same as last week for Ohio State.
No, the Buckeyes weren’t playing a top-10 team under the lights with a national spotlight squarely on the Horseshoe. So a slow start may have been expected. Maybe a drop-off in play could have been, as well.
But Ohio State took over as time marched on, wearing down an overmatched Arkansas State for a Week Two win in Ohio Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Final score: Ohio State 45, Arkansas State 12.
Simply put, the Buckeyes weren’t at their very best Saturday, but they didn’t have to be. One of their two tuneup games is now in the rearview mirror as Big Ten play nears.
That’s where the analysis of the Buckeyes win begins as Lettermen Row kicks off its post-game coverage with three early thoughts from the victory inside the Horseshoe on Saturday night.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is ready to be superstar for Buckeyes
If the Rose Bowl wasn’t enough evidence to show Marvin Harrison Jr. was ready to be a star for Ohio State, his performance Saturday should do the trick for any skeptics, if there are any. Harrison Jr. was surgical with his route-running, torching a defender for a touchdown early — and again on a go-route straight down the field later in the first half. Harrison finished the day with seven catches for 184 yards and three touchdowns, qualifying Saturday afternoon as a ‘coming out party.’ Expect more of that from Harrison Jr. as the season goes on. He certainly has superstar potential in the wide receiver room, especially while Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming are sidelined.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Biff Poggi
Charlotte firing head coach
- 2Hot
Skipping SEC title game
Coaches prefer sitting out
- 3
Predicting new CFP Top 12
BCS formula predicts 12-team bracket
- 4New
Kiffin calls out Saban
'He's now the rat poisoner'
- 5
Dabo rips refs
Swinney headed to 'Targeting Anonymous'
Starting defensive line continues to cause problems in backfield for Ohio State
Mike Hall backed up his season-opening performance with another dominant outing. J.T. Tuimoloau keeps moving offensive linemen on the edge. The starters on the defensive line just continue to impress for the Buckeyes through two games. The first-team unit had no trouble harassing the Arkansas State backfield and making Saturday afternoon miserable for Red Wolves quarterback James Blackman. Taron Vincent and Zach Harrison, along with Jack Sawyer, are all playing at a high level early in the year for Ohio State. As for the second-team line, that’s a concern the Buckeyes will address in the coming days and weeks. But there aren’t any concerns for the starters. That group is dominating early.
Buckeyes must clean up penalty issues
Arkansas State was able to march down the field on one of its touchdown drives exclusively by Buckeyes penalties, including a 15-yard call to extend a drive Ohio State had already got a stop on and two pass interference calls on sophomore cornerback Denzel Burke. Tack on the uncharacteristic 15-yard unsportsmanlike call on Xavier Johnson early, and Ohio State was flagged for various issues Saturday. That all came seven penalties for 75 yards last week against Notre Dame.
The flags didn’t truly matter in the end as the Buckeyes pulled away from Arkansas State, but those calls can hurt Ohio State down the road. Those penalties must be cleaned up.
