On Off-Script Ohio, brought to you by Land-Grant Holy Land, Cole VanWiechen and Joey Gertz broke down Ohio State’s 24–6 win at Washington, a defensive masterpiece that snapped the Huskies’ 22-game home
winning streak.
It wasn’t the offensive fireworks many expected. The Buckeyes stalled in the red zone and fumbled away a scoring chance, but Julian Sayin managed the game effectively, making the throws he needed when it mattered most.
The story of the night, however, was Ohio State’s defense. The Buckeyes held the Big Ten’s highest-scoring offense to just six points, shutting down a Washington attack that had averaged more than 40 points per game.
The game plan was simple but brilliant, spy quarterback Demond Williams and take away his legs. Arvelle Reese and Sonny Styles executed it perfectly, holding Williams to -28 rushing yards while the defensive line stayed disciplined in their lanes. Jonah Coleman managed 70 yards on the ground, but 35 came on a single play.
Outside of that run, the Buckeyes bottled him up and forced Washington into obvious passing situations. Caden Curry turned in a career night, tying the Ohio State single-game tackles-for-loss record and creating constant havoc in the backfield.
Offensively, Bo Jackson continued to establish himself as the Buckeyes’ clear lead back, running with authority and vision. Jeremiah Smith was once again the go-to target, proving that force-feeding him the ball works. Carnell Tate and Brandon Innis chipped in as well, though Innis’s costly fumble killed a promising drive and red zone issues once again left points on the board.
Special teams may be in for a shake-up, too, after Innis struggled as a punt returner. Along the offensive line, Phillip Daniels had a shaky night with multiple penalties and a sack allowed, while Tywone Malone seems to be climbing ahead of sophomore Eddrick Houston in the defensive line rotation.
It was a wild weekend beyond Seattle as well. Four top-10 teams (Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 8) all lost, while Oregon edged Penn State in overtime, Illinois stunned USC with a walk-off win, and Michigan rolled on. Alabama’s 24–21 upset of Georgia snapped the Bulldogs’ 32 game home winning streak and put Nick Saban’s program firmly back in the SEC title conversation.
Now Ohio State returns home for a primetime matchup against Minnesota. The Gophers bring a top-10 defense and one of the nation’s stingiest run defenses, but their secondary can be attacked. Expect Ryan Day to lean on Sayin and the passing game early, while Bo Jackson looks poised for another big night if the offensive line can open up lanes.
Joey predicts a 31–7 Buckeye win, while Cole has it 35–6. Either way, Ohio State has momentum and confidence heading into October after delivering one of the most impressive defensive performances of the college football season.
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