Ohio State Buckeyes: Top 3 Takeaways From Week 12

The Ohio State Buckeyes hammered Minnesota on Saturday afternoon in Columbus to remain unbeaten.

What did we learn about Ohio State on Saturday?

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Ahead of “The Game,” OSU Showed Maturity to Remain Focused

Looking ahead would have been understandable. After all, the media and fans have spent most of the past month talking about the upcoming clash between bitter rivals Ohio State and Michigan. The Buckeyes deserve immense credit for avoiding any slip-ups before the clash against Michigan and for remaining laser-focused on the task at hand, drilling the Minnesota Golden Gophers 37-3. They scored a touchdown on their first drive and did not allow the visitors on the scoreboard until the fourth quarter. Ohio State outgained Minnesota 434 to 159 and thoroughly dominated the game from start to finish. The sixth and final home game of the 2023 season for OSU showcased the growth and maturity of the No. 2 Buckeyes.

TreVeyon Henderson is the Key

Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best wide receiver in the country, but the key to this offense is TreVeyon Henderson. He missed part of the season with an injury but has been 100% in the past month and has looked like the best running back in the country. Henderson is making plays out of the backfield and showing his explosiveness with long runs. On Saturday against Minnesota, he paced the offense with 172 yards from scrimmage, including 146 yards on the ground. Henderson scored twice and is now averaging an impressive 6.73 yards per carry for the season. The offensive line also deserves credit, and the Buckeyes have shown immense improvement from earlier in the season, particularly in its willingness to overwhelm opponents with physicality. 

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The Defense is Ready

Despite missing three defensive starters against Minnesota, the Ohio State defense held the Gophers to only 2.4 yards per carry and just 3.3 yards per play. Minnesota threw 89 yards and had just 159 yards of offense. At this point in the 2022 season, the Ohio State Buckeyes had allowed 186 points. This year’s defense has cut that number down to 102 points. Much has been made about the dominance of the Michigan defense, but the Buckeyes have allowed only three points fewer than the Maize and Blue. Jack Sawyer was the standout on Saturday. The junior defensive end had 3.5 tackles, leading the team in tackles against the Gophers. While the offense has sputtered at times for OSU, this year’s defense has been rock solid and might be the best in the country.

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