Ohio State Rewatch: Run first/pass first, red zone creativity and The Boogeyman

What stood out from a second look at Ohio State vs. Washington

Ohio State played at Washington for the first time since 2007. (Photo courtesy of Ohio State athletics)

COLUMBUS — Additional thoughts on Ohio State’s 24-6 win against Washington after rewatching the game.

Easing into it

I thought after the Texas game, we wouldn’t see another game plan that sought to relieve the pressure on quarterback Julian Sayin. However, in Sayin’s first road start, Brian Hartline and Ryan Day went back to the “run-first” script we saw in the opener against the Longhorns.

The Buckeyes ran the ball on 80 percent of their first downs in the first half. They mostly ran it OK, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. However, if you define a successful first-down play as one that gains at least half the yards needed to move the chains, the offense only accomplished that goal on three of the eight first-half runs.