The 37-9 final score doesn’t necessarily indicate just how much of a fight Ohio gave the Buckeyes, making it harder than some Ohio State fans might have expected (though to be fair to the Bobcats, the defending MAC champions have opened this season strong, nearly upsetting Rutgers in Week 1 and defeating West Virginia in Week 2).
Still, while the Buckeyes began to run away with it in the fourth, there were several moments in the first three quarters that could have been major momentum shifters, giving
the Bobcats the boost they needed to get in the Buckeyes’ heads.
That’s why, despite several gorgeous scoring plays from Ohio State, including Max Klare’s first touchdown reception as a Buckeye, Jeremiah Smith’s glorious touchdown reception on a 47-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Julian Sayin, and Carnell Tate’s picture-perfect 49-yard touchdown reception—all of which are worth noting and rewatching—the play of the game this week is perhaps less obvious.
It didn’t add points to the board. It didn’t force a Bobcats fourth down. It wasn’t a turnover. It was just a really beautiful defensive play on 2nd-and-9 for the Bobcats with just over 30 seconds left in the first half.
As the Buckeyes tried to add to their 13-0 lead with under two minutes left in the first half, Sayin was intercepted by Ohio’s Michael Mack II. On the Bobcats’ ensuing drive, OSU sophomore safety Jaylen McClain was out for blood, forcing an incomplete pass from quarterback Nick Poulos to wide receiver Max Rodarte and absolutely demolishing Rodarte in the process. The play forced 3rd and 9 for the Bobcats, and, unable to convert the first down, they settled for a field goal to make the score 13-3 going into the half.
It was, if nothing else, a spectacular defensive play. But at best, it turned up the energy for the Buckeye defense. Had the Bobcats converted that first down, there’s no telling how the drive would have ended. Preventing them from converting that interception into a touchdown so close to halftime not only maintained a two-score lead for the Buckeyes but also, ultimately, prevented the kind of momentum shift for the Bobcats that coaches could use as fuel in the locker room.
