Offense: A
Ohio State's offense started out slow, having a three-and-out on their first two drives, but once the faucet was turned on, it was difficult to turn off. Terrelle Pryor went 18/27 (67%) passing for 219 yards and two touchdowns. Pryor's lone mistake was an interception thrown into the endzone at the end of the first half, and he added 49 yards rushing on the ground
Boom Herron ran for 175 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, with most of it coming in the second half. Herron was excellent, and he could have had another touchdown were it not for a questionable holding call that negated his 98 yard gallop to an 89 yard run. With his 175 yards, Herron now has over 1,000 on the season, becoming the first Ohio State tailback to reach 1,000 yards since Chris "Beanie" Wells in 2008.
The receivers were led by DeVier Posey, who had 5 catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. Dane Sanzenbacher also pulled in 3 receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown.
In total, the offense carved through the Michigan defense for 478 yards on 72 plays (6.64 yards per play), with much of the success being attributable to the offensive line and, in particular, Justin Boren, who will finish his collegiate career with a 2-0 record against Michigan.
Settling for a few field goals in the red zone instead of touchdowns is the only thing preventing this grade from being an A+.
Defense: A+
Defensive coordinator Jim Heacock and his assistants completely outcoached Rich Rodriguez. Michigan's Big Ten-leading offense was held to their season low in points, yards, and yards per play.
In total, the Buckeyes held Michigan to 351 yards of offense and only 4.7 yards per play, their lowest in any game this season. Denard Robinson was 8/18 (45%) passing for 87 yards, with 105 yards rushing on 18 rushes. He was effectively contained, but whenever he did break a run of any length, he was soundly hit by multiple defenders. The physicality of the game took a toll on Robinson, and he ended up dislocating three fingers in his left hand near the end of the first half. Robinson played intermittently in the second half, with Tate Forcier relieving him to start the third quarter.
The domination was pretty thorough, although Michigan played well in the first quarter. Rich Rodriguez slowed his offense's tempo down to keep the Buckeyes off the field, but turnovers and turnovers on downs doomed them.
Special Teams: A+
Ohio State's coverage units again blanketed their opponent, but unlike last weekend, punt returner Jordan Hall finally broke off a touchdown. Hall's 85 yard score was the definitive turning point in the game, answering Michigan's only touchdown seconds later with a demoralizing response.
Placekicker Devin Barclay's three field goals provided a contrast between the Ohio State and Michigan field goal units, as Michigan refused to even attempt a field goal because of their kickers' struggles.
Players of the Game: Everyone. Defeating Michigan and winning The Game is a total team effort, and it was accomplished by everyone on Saturday. Enjoy your gold pants, and Go Bucks!
- Subscribe to SB Nation Cleveland - All Posts using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
