Second Half Burst FInishes Off U-Dub

Ohio State headed into Washington with a lot more to lose than to gain. With the Big Ten reeling, critics would have loved to have a mid-level Pac 10 team bury the conference with a big defeat of last year's #2 team. Coming off an impressive win against darling Boise State, Washington and redshirt freshmen quaterback Jake Locker had a buzz going. A number of pundit picked Washington as an upset special, and the line was only OSU -3.5.

The Buckeyes did nothing to assuage fans worried after the Akron game in the first half. Displaying an offense that made Tressel-ball famous, the Buckeyes showed no originality, were frequently penalized and stalled to just 3 points. The defense played adequately, but had problems tackling Lockler, especially on third down. A late TD pass gave Washington a 7-3 halftime lead.

Fortunately, the Buckeyes came out strong in the second half and never looked back. Once Washington had a FG blocked, Ohio State turned around with 68 yard TD from Todd Boeckman to Brian Robiskie. Boeckman was really given the business by online fans during the first half and halftime. Though his two TD's in the second half quieted critics for the moment, he's on a short leash. Of course, at this point Schoenhoft and Henton are certainly not better options.

*Beanie Wells had another good game, though he left prematurely with a possible back injury. Rushing for 135 yards on 24 carries, he cut through the Washington D, especially on draws and counters. There were still some issues with the power running game, which could be a problem given the Big Ten style of play and JT's playcalling. There was on particular run that Beanie finished on the sidelines by absolutely bowling over a Washington DB.

*Of all of the Locker victims, Marcus Freeman looked the worst. If he would have been wearing the red home uniforms, it would have been a great bull and cape impersonation for the El Matador linebacker.

*Big strides for the offensive line...or so it seemed. They were blowing people off the ball and looked far more cohesive as a unit. Or maybe Washington's tiny DL is less imposing than Akron's.

*Jim Larinaitis reasserted himself as the big play linebacker we saw last season. He had two interceptions, both in OSU territory with Washington driving. He also was the best of the bunch at tracking down the elusive Lockler, who deserves credit for his gutsy running. Passing accuracy is a different issue entirely.