Five Ohio State stats that mattered in Peach Bowl

ATLANTA — This year’s Peach Bowl between Ohio State and Georgia was a nail biter. It went down to the wire and was defined by moments and missed opportunities.

But here’s another angle of the 42-41 roller coaster: five stats that mattered in the College Football Playoff semifinal matchup.

There are more to choose from, except these five Buckeyes-related figures go a long way in painting the picture of the good and the bad from Ohio State’s heartbreaking Peach Bowl defeat.

382

TOTAL YARDS OF OFFENSE RECORDED BY OHIO STATE QB C.J. STROUD: Stroud starred in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, even in a losing effort. He turned in the big-game performance Buckeyes fans had been craving from the two-time Heisman Trophy finalist who entered the night without a Big Ten title or a win over Michigan in his two years as the program’s starting quarterback. Stroud proved doubters wrong all night, showcasing creativity outside the pocket — namely with two improvised, out of structure touchdown strikes to wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. — and willingly tucking the ball and running. He has been criticized in the past for being reluctant to make either of those things happen.

Stroud challenged those criticisms on the biggest stage, accounting for 382 yards of total offense. He actually gained 71 rushing yards but netted only 34 because he was sacked four times. Stroud threw four touchdown passes: two to Harrison, one to Emeka Egbuka and one to Xavier Johnson.

He was 6-of-7 on passes traveling 20-plus yards through the air, according to Pro Football Focus.

8.88

YARDS PER PLAY ALLOWED BY OHIO STATE: The Buckeyes allowed a school-record 8.83 yards per play against Michigan on Nov. 26 while giving up five touchdowns of 45-plus yards in an embarrassing home loss. It was a record, rooted in conceding explosives, that Ohio State didn’t want to reset. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, it did just that in its very next game: Saturday’s Peach Bowl defeat. Georgia averaged 8.88 yards per play in its dramatic victory.

The Bulldogs posted 11 pass plays of 15 or more yards, including eight that went for at least 20 yards. They also recorded six runs of 10-plus yards, most notably a 52-yard Kenny McIntosh breakaway surge that would have ended in a touchdown had McIntosh not tripped over himself.

Ohio State wanted to limit opponent explosives after its implosion against Michigan. It didn’t accomplish that goal versus Georgia, particularly in the fourth quarter, when Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett IV connected with wide receiver Arian Smith for a 76-yard touchdown.

20.0%

THIRD DOWN CONVERSION PERCENTAGE OHIO STATE HELD GEORGIA TO: If it wasn’t for Ohio State’s third down defense, the Buckeyes wouldn’t have had a chance in the Peach Bowl (given how many explosives they gave up). Ohio State held Georgia to 2-of-10 on third down. The Buckeyes did a good job of getting the Bulldogs off schedule. Georgia’s average third down distance was 7.6 yards.

The Bulldogs had four third-and-longs where they had to pick up at least nine yards for a first down. They were 1-of-4 in those situations. Georgia was 0-of-5 on third down in the third quarter, during which Ohio State forced a pair of three-and-outs and, later, came up with a sack on 3rd-and-7 that made Georgia settle for a 52-yard field goal that place kicker Jack Podlesny failed to convert.

So it wasn’t all bad for Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ unit. At the end of the day, however, the Buckeyes’ allowed explosives stood out more than their success on third down.

3

MISSED FIELD GOALS BETWEEN OHIO STATE AND GEORGIA: Buckeyes place kicker Noah Ruggles had a shot to win the Peach Bowl with a 50-yard field goal. It would have been a career long, although he had drilled a 48-yarder earlier in the game. Ruggles shanked the kick wide left. Even so, he remains Ohio State’s all-time leader in career field goal percentage (90.2%). Ruggles finished his college career with the Buckeyes after spending three seasons at North Carolina.

But he wasn’t the only one to miss a field goal in the CFP semifinal. In fact, Podlesny missed two kicks. The first was wide left from 47 yards out. The second (mentioned above) was wide right from 52 yards out. After making 11 consecutive field goals at one point this season, Podlesny has missed three of his last five field goal attempts. His mishits in the Peach Bowl helped Ohio State keep its upset bid on track.

18

RECEPTIONS TOTALED BY OHIO STATE’S TOP-THREE RECEIVERS: Each of Ohio State’s top-three wide receivers played admirably in the Peach Bowl. Here’s a look at their stat lines:

• Emeka Egbuka: 8 receptions, 112 yards, 1 TD
• Marvin Harrison Jr.: 5 receptions, 106 yards, 2 TDs
• Julian Fleming: 5 receptions, 71 yards

For the second straight game and second time this season, Egbuka, Harrison and Fleming all logged at least five catches. Egbuka leaked out underneath for a 10-yard, catch-and-run score in the third quarter. Three of Fleming’s five catches came in the second half, including a 25-yard reception that saw him streak across the field past Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo. And Harrison — before he suffered a head injury late in the third quarter — improvised with Stroud to create a pair of first-half touchdowns.

Oh, and by the way, former preferred walk-on wide receiver Xavier Johnson also caught three passes for 43 yards and a touchdown.

Stroud did a great job of spreading the ball around, and his receivers played their part, too.