The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes remain undefeated after fighting past the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 35-16 on Saturday.
The final score does not tell the whole story of the tenth, all-time meeting between the Buckeyes and Scarlet Knights.
Here are three of the biggest takeaways from Ohio State's 19-point victory over Rutgers.
1. TreVeyon Henderson Carried Ohio State to Victory
The Buckeyes were in need of a major change at halftime, entering the locker room trailing the Scarlet Knights, 9-7. When Ohio State emerged from the intermission, one man took it upon himself to carry his team to victory.
Running back TreVeyon Henderson breathed new life into the Buckeyes with a nine-yard touchdown, giving the lead back to his guys late in the third quarter. The Hopewell, Virginia native finished the game with 208 yards of total offense, a product of five receptions and 22 carries.
Aside from his contribution on the scoreboard, Henderson would come up with a big play whenever Ohio State's offense seemed to be on the verge of hitting a wall. For this reason, there should be no doubt about who deserves to be the Buckeyes' most valuable player of the weekend.
2. Ohio State's Offense Needs a Faster Start
As mentioned above, the first half was not a pleasant experience for the Buckeyes and their fans. Ohio State trailed at halftime for the first time all season (including two games against top-ten-ranked opponents), and had their three leading receivers in the game with less than 25 yards each.
The Buckeyes had 48 rushing yards in the first half while giving up 128 ground yards to the Scarlet Knights over the same time. Compare that to the second half where Ohio State earned 200 of their 328 total yards, with 129 coming on the ground in the fourth quarter alone.
A slow start in the first half will not get the job done later in the year against the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines and in the postseason. Between now and next weekend against the Michigan State Spartans, Ohio State needs to find a way to come out swinging, rather than waiting for the final two periods.
3. The 'Silver Bullets' Come Up Big Once Again
Ohio State's defense made major contributions against Rutgers on Saturday, a trend which they've had most of the season.
The highlight of their performance was a pick-six from cornerback Jordan Hancock following the halftime break, which gave the lead back to Ohio State, 14-9. The Buckeyes also out-tackled the Scarlet Knights, 81-61.
It is hard to imagine Ohio State coming back to beat Rutgers if Jim Knowles' crew had not been at their best on Saturday.
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