COLUMBUS, Ohio – How long did it take to see the wide separation between No. 3 Ohio State and Wisconsin at Ohio Stadium on Saturday night?
Eight plays both ways. By that point with 8:54 left in the first quarter, the Buckeyes out-gained the Badgers 104-14 and had a 14-0 lead.
It didn’t get better from there. Ohio State (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) routed Wisconsin 52-21 in a not-so-gentle reminder that the Buckeyes’ ‘A-game’ is better than anyone else in the Big Ten and is enough to give No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Georgia a run. This was the flex the Buckeyes wanted against Notre Dame on Sept. 3.
Maybe Ohio State should wear those all-black uniforms more often?
MORE: Week 4 overreactions, from Tennessee to Clemson to the Big 12
“It’s our job to execute,” Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “Everybody was yelling ‘hoorah’ and ‘all-black game,’ but my job was to lead and tell the offense and tell them we need to execute. We need to calm down, execute and try to have fun. We definitely did that.”
Those eight plays both ways showed everything Ohio State is – and everything Wisconsin simply cannot keep up with. The other three quarters a glorified sing-a-long to keep the crowd engaged instead of a traditional Big Ten rivalry where Wisconsin would throw its weight around win or lose.
The Buckeyes opened with a six-play, 88-yard scoring drive where Stroud worked the perimeter in rapid succession. A 16-yard pass to Marvin Harrison Jr. A 22-yard pass to Cade Stover. A 33-yard pass over the linebackers to Emeka Egbuka. That set up a 2-yard TD by Miyan Williams.
Wisconsin was supposed to be the first hammer-and-nail test for new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ defense. The Badgers’ first four runs went for 11 yards, then Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz threw an interception to Tanner McCalister – an Oklahoma State transfer who came with Knowles. Two plays later, Stroud hit Stover – who flipped into the end zone for another TD.
Wisconsin went three-and-out on the next series – which was stalled by a sack by Jack Sawyer. That made eight plays both ways, and Big Ten fans know the rest …
Ohio State out-gained Wisconsin 210-23 and built a 21-0 lead after the first quarter. The Buckeyes scored TDs on their first four possessions and 13 of their 23 plays on those drives went for 10 yards or more. Only this wasn’t a MAC team. That was against a Wisconsin defense that allowed 8.0 points per game through three weeks.
Stroud remains on point. He finished 17 of 27 for 281 yards and five TDs; the lone mistake was an interception to Wisconsin’s John Torchio with 38 seconds remaining in the first half. He’s playing at an efficient level, and new playmakers have popped up within the Buckeyes’ deep skill-position group.
Williams and Stover combined for four TDs in the first half. Williams had 101 yards by halftime, and has formed a legitimate tag-team with TreVeyon Henderson, who had 121 rushing yards. Stover has added yet another legit down-field threat at tight end. Ohio State is flush with wide receivers, even without Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who missed Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury.
Julian Fleming, who also has been hampered by injuries, got in the act with a TD for a 38-7 third-quarter lead. Stroud added two more TDs to Egbuka, and Ohio State danced to “Jump Around” – Wisconsin’s go-go song, with 2:22 left in the third quarter.
The defense is for real, even without starting cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Cameron Brown, who also were out with injuries. Wisconsin had 16 carries for 47 yards in the first half. McCalister knocked away a desperation Hail Mary before the end of the half. Braelon Allen finished with 165 yards, but most of that came on a 75-yard TD run with the game decided.
Wisconsin doesn’t have any of that, and it’s questionable whether anybody in the Big Ten really does. No. 4 Michigan edged Maryland 34-27, and No. 14 Penn State beat Central Michigan 33-14 in Week 4. Those weren’t nearly as loud as what the Buckeyes did to a Big Ten West team that frequents the Big Ten championship game.
“I think we’ve shown what we can do,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day. “Whether we do that every week, that’s on us. We can see what this team is made of. The big challenge as we all know in college football is to bring it every week. That’s the competitive stamina we’ve been talking about.”
The first set of College Football Playoff rankings won’t be unveiled until Nov. 1, but Sporting News has a feel for how that looks heading into Week 5:
Four In
1. Georgia (4-0)
Up next: vs. Missouri
Were the Bulldogs bored? Perhaps, but it’s still a 39-22 victory. Kent State scored TDs in each half, which is no small feat against Georgia’s defense. Tight end Brock Bowers (137 total yards, 2 TDs) scored a pair of rushing TDs, a new wrinkle around Stetson Bennett (27 of 36, 272 yards, INT). It’s not the all-out dominant performance that typified the first three weeks, but it’s also not enough to knock Georgia off the No. 1 perch. Expect more focus against the Tigers.
2. Alabama (4-0)
Up next: at No. 10 Arkansas
Alabama played much cleaner in a 55-3 dismissal of Vanderbilt. Bryce Young (25 of 36, 353 yards) threw four TDs in the first half, and Ja’Corey Brooks (6-117, 2 TDs) filled the role of lead receiver. Vanderbilt entered the game leading the nation in touchdowns with 23 but managed just a field goal and 129 total yards. Not a lot for Nick Saban to complain about in this one.
3. Ohio State (4-0)
Up next: vs. Rutgers
The Buckeyes open October with a fifth straight home game against Rutgers before a trip to Michigan State and a bye week. The only potential landmines at this point are the trip to Penn State on Oct. 29 and the regular-season finale against Michigan. Ohio State should be double-digit favorites in every regular-season game.
4. Michigan (4-0)
Up next: at Iowa
Michigan won 34-27 against Maryland, but the Wolverines’ Big Ten opener was far from perfect. The Terps led 13-10 in the second quarter, and the pass rush didn’t get going until the second half. J.J. McCarthy (18 of 26, 220 yards, 2 TDs) missed a few deep shots. A more-conservative offense revolved around Blake Corum (243 rushing yards, 2 TDs). Corum has 478 rushing yards in nine TDs in four games, but he can’t carry that workload alone.. Donovan Edwards’ status will be monitored for the next test at Iowa, which won’t be easy. This performance is not enough to knock the Wolverines off the No. 4 spot, but the defense will face better offenses soon.
Two out
5. Clemson (4-0)
Up next: vs. No. 12 NC State
DJ Uiagalelei proved he is the Tigers’ quarterback. The Tigers knocked off Wake Forest for the 14th straight time in a 51-45 double-overtime thriller, but it did not unfold as expected. Uiagalelei (26 of 41, 371 yards, 5 TDs) made the clutch throws in both overtimes with TD passes to Beaux Collins and Davis Allen. Uiagalelei outdueled Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman (20 of 29, 337 yards, 6 TDs). Neither team committed a turnover, but the Tigers survived with their ACC and CFP hopes intact ahead of an equally huge game against NC State. Keep in mind the Tigers have an FBS-best 36-game home winning streak on the line here.
6. USC (4-0)
Up next: vs. Arizona State
USC passed its stiffest test yet in dramatic fashion, as portal pals Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison connected with for the winning touchdown with 1:13 left in USC’s 17-14 win at Oregon State. A USC interception sealed the win, giving the Trojans a mind-boggling 14 takeaways (to no giveaways) on the season. USC is back home for two weeks before another difficult road test at Utah.
Four to watch
7. Tennessee (4-0)
Up next: Bye
The Volunteers broke a five-game losing streak to the Gators in a 38-33 victory against No. 20 Florida, but it took a last-second interception by Kamal Hadden to seal it. Hendon Hooker (22 of 28, 349 yards, 2 TDs) added 112 rushing yards and a TD on the ground as part of a game-changing performance that should garner some Heisman attention, and second-year coach Josh Heupel completed a perfect September ahead of a bye week. Tennessee allowed 594 total yards to the Gators, but given the past history in this rivalry, the Vols will take it.
8. Oklahoma State (3-0)
Up next: at No. 17 Baylor
The Cowboys had the week off to watch Baylor, which set up next week’s Big 12 championship rematch with a 31-21 victory against Iowa State. This is a spotlight game for quarterback Spencer Sanders, who averages 342 yards of total offense with 13 total TDs. The Cowboys have lost four of the last five at Baylor, so that line could be close to a pick ‘em. This is the chance for coach Mike Gundy to prove the Cowboys are for real.
9. Kentucky (4-0)
Up next: at No. 16 Ole Miss
The Wildcats are the fourth SEC team on this list, but it is reasonable to put either Penn State or NC State here. Kentucky edged Northern Illinois 31-23 in a look-ahead performance before Ole Miss. Will Levis (18 of 26, 303 yards, 4 TDs) turned in his third 300-yard game. The Wildcats should get Chris Rodriguez Jr. back from suspension against the Rebels, which should be a thrilling battle of SEC undercards. Ole Miss won the last meeting 42-41 in overtime on Oct. 3, 2020.
10. NC State (4-0)
Up next: at No. 5 Clemson
NC State’s moment has arrived. The Wolfpack made short work of UConn 41-10, and Devin Leary added to an impressive first month with 320 yards and four TD passes. NC State beat Clemson 27-21 last season, but that was at home. This challenge is at Death Valley, where the Wolfpack have not won since 2002. This will be a top-10 showdown and the Game of the Year in the ACC.
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