COLUMBUS – The Buckeyes got back on the winning track Saturday with a 41-20 victory over Tulsa, which pleased head coach Ryan Day but failed to impress the pollsters.
“It was great to get the run game going on offense – that was something that was a huge emphasis going into this game – and also stopping the run on defense. So…those things were accomplished, some steps in the right direction on a long journey,” Day said after the game.
Ohio State rushed for 323 yards, most of them by TreVeyon Henderson, who broke Archie Griffin’s 49-year-old freshman rushing record for a single game, and amassed over 500 yards of total offense while holding Tulsa to only 73 yards on the ground.
However, the Golden Hurricane also gained more than 500 total yards and trailed by only 7 points at halftime before the Buckeyes pulled away in the second half.
Despite the win, Ohio State dropped a spot to No. 10 in the AP Top 25 college football poll and No. 12 in the USA Today coaches’ poll.
The Buckeyes were one of four powerhouse programs who looked vulnerable in victory this past weekend.
Ohio State’s defense still looked discombobulated, top-ranked Alabama looked beatable, Clemson’s offense still looked limp as the Tigers fell to No. 9, and Oklahoma was far less than elite again.
The last time Clemson and Ohio State were both ranked below No. 8 was Nov. 2, 2014.
The Buckeyes (2-1, 1-0) welcome Akron to Ohio Stadium Saturday (7:30 p.m./BTN).