ANALYSIS: 5 takeaways from second look at Ohio State’s win over Minnesota

Here are some observations from a second viewing:

1. Ohio State’s offensive game plan was just what the doctor ordered for a young quarterback making his first start on the road.

C.J. Stroud had some ups and downs, but he came out the other side looking good thanks to his gumption and a plan that did not ask him to do too much.

The Buckeyes used more bubble screens than usual, which made sense for multiple reasons. They give playmakers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave more chances to do something, provide easy throws for the quarterback and prevent the defense from overloading the box to stop the inside run.

Head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson did not ask Stroud to drop straight back much. They relied heavily on play action and dialed up a handful of “shot plays” giving him the opportunity to go deep. He took advantage enough to get the victory.

The touchdown pass to Wilson was a good example of the latter. Ohio State came out in heavy personnel and got him isolated on a safety who had no chance to stay with him deep.

2. Conversely, Minnesota’s defensive game plan was uninspiring.

Maybe that’s all they have based on their personnel, but the plan to play two safeties deep and play the Buckeyes running game was not very effective. Ohio State remained balanced, ran the ball and still hit big plays through play action.

Defensive end Boye Mafe, a recipient of a lot of preseason hype, was pretty much invisible live and on the rewatch. He was conspicuously unable to contain MIyan Williams on his touchdown run, though.

Minnesota was able to get exotic and confuse Stroud a couple of times on obvious passing downs, but that was rare.

3. The Ohio State defenses left a lot to be desired, but it’s far too early to panic.

Minnesota certainly gets some credit. The Gophers had known entities at quarterback, running back and offensive line, and they all did some good things.

Defensive linemen Zach Harrison and Taron Vincent stood out more upon more closer inspection (and Harrison looked pretty good live, too), and everyone up front did a good job of pursuing and keeping the motor running.

Senior linebacker Teradja Mitchell was all over the place, and Cody Simon showed some nice burst on a crucial sack late in the first half.

The front was neutralized on Mohamed Ibrahim’s 56-yard that set up Minnesota’s first touchdown and again when he got loose for a 19-yard touchdown in the third quarter, but both times a defender was in position to make the tackle and whiffed. That will need to be cleaned up.

4. As promised, Ohio State played a lot of players and used a few different personnel packages on defense.

The base defense had four down linemen, two linebackers, the hybrid “Bullet” position and four regular defensive backs.

With Minnesota using a lot of heavy and super heavy personnel packages (six or even seven offensive linemen), Ohio State also spent a decent amount of time with three traditional linebackers on the field and the Bullet appearing to be the strong safety.

They also used a goal-line package that included hotshot freshman J.T. Tuimoloau, who appeared to hold his own.

5. So far, so good for the new-look offensive line.

Even without center Harry Miller, the reworked front was stellar.

The Buckeyes made holes for every running back who got into the game, and they allowed very little pressure on Stroud.

Luke Wypler looked comfortable blocking in Miller’s place, but he did have a couple of misfires on the snap.

Also worth noting: Left guard Thayer Munford, a tackle until last month, sprung Williams on a nice run with a solid trap block. That bodes well for his ability to play inside, and it is an indication of how many options Ohio State has in the running game.

Other notes: