The Ohio State Buckeyes weren't at their best on Saturday, but they still were able to outclass the Texas Longhorns, 14-7, in their highly anticipated Week 1 opener. As USA Today's Paul Myerberg noted, there's still room for improvement for an offense that's integrating news pieces into the mix.
What a horrifying concept for the rest of the Big Ten, and the rest of the country.
"Playing with a reworked roster and coaching staff, the Buckeyes squeezed just enough from an unimposing offense to score the type of victory that will linger deep into the regular season and beyond. While games against Penn State and Michigan will determine the Big Ten, the odds of Ohio State making the playoff in some capacity have increased dramatically," Myerberg wrote.
"There’s plenty of improvement needed on the offensive end after the Buckeyes gained just 203 yards on 3.8 yards per play, including only 2.3 yards per carry. Before Saturday, the Buckeyes’ fewest yards in a regular-season game since 2016 was 252 yards in last year’s loss to Michigan. By default, Julian Sayin outplayed Manning by avoiding turnovers and focusing his attention on star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who had a game-high six receptions."
Even if the Buckeyes didn't have the best day offensively, there were still vintage OSU football highlights. Carnell Tate made an NFL-worthy snag in the end zone, while Jeremiah Smith was all over the field.
Tight end Max Klare is a work-in-progress, the running back room lacks one star, let alone the two Ohio State had last year, and the offensive line struggled with protection against a physical Longhorns pass rush.
And yet, the Buckeyes still looked head and shoulders above the No. 1 team in the country.
Be afraid, college football world. Ohio State is far from its final form, but already looks like the final boss.