Ohio State's 45-7 victory over Marshall Thursday night was the start of something new -- with some familiar reasons, and some fresh ones, for Buckeyes' fans to like what they saw.
UPDATED: 12:32 a.m.
Brandon Saine sprints past Marshall's Ahmed Shakoor (6) and Devin Arrington (25) on his 45-yard TD dash in the second quarter of Thursday's 45-7 victory over the Thundering Herd.REPORT CARD
A -- Ohio State running back Brandon Saine
He was the recipient of some outstanding blocking, center Mike Brewster and fullback Zach Boren leading him through the hole the first time and left guard Justin Boren leading him the second time. But with a 40-yard run and then a 45-yard touchdown run, the senior showed why he's a player many expect to take that next step. He finished with nine carries for 103 yards and two touchdowns, also adding a 6-yard TD run.
He'll continue to share the load with Dan Herron. But Saine looked like a No. 1 tailback, no doubt.
A- -- Freshman defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins
This is really based on only one play. But when a 335-pound freshman defensive tackle playing in his first college games is out tracking down a swing pass and falls on the receiver to make sure he can't recover his own fumble -- well, you take notice. Hankins' teammates have raved about Hankins' agility for a man his size, and as OSU cornerback Chimdi Chekwa forced a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Ross Homan in the second half, Hankins showed that. He'll continue as a backup in the defensive line rotation, and the Buckeyes will want to keep him fresh. But, as expected, he will help Ohio State this season.
B -- Playing on Thursday night
This was Ohio State's first weekday game since opening the 1997 season with a Thursday night victory over Wyoming. There were some parking issues that Ohio State was worried about on a weekday, but it didn't seem to keep fans from arriving early and creating a regular pregame tailgate atmosphere.
The Buckeyes ran their streak to 33 years of not losing a home opener, dating back to their 1978 loss to Penn State. They've now won 11 straight openers overall, dating back to their 1999 loss to Miami in the Kickoff Classic.
So it worked, and today the Buckeyes are thinking about No. 13 Miami, which opened its own season with a blowout of Florida A&M on Thursday night. So if the Buckeyes hadn't moved their game, they'd already be behind. But let's not get too accustomed to this weekday stuff.
C -- Special teams
It was a worry entering the preseason for Jim Tressel, so he must have loved it when OSU freshman Dorian Bell knocked the ball loose on the opening kickoff, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Nate Oliver.
But there were too many other problems. The extra-point try after Ohio State's first touchdown was tipped, but Devin Barclay's kick still fluttered through the uprights. The Thundering Herd returned one kickoff for 63 yards. And, of course, Marshall's only points came on a 61-yard return of a blocked 53-yard Drew Basil field goal attempt.
Ohio State has two extra days to prepare for Miami on Sept. 11. That's plenty of time to work extra on blocking during those kicks.
-- Doug Lesmerises
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Eight months and a day is a long time to keep momentum going.
So Ohio State's 45-7 victory over Marshall to open the season Thursday night was the start of something new -- with some familiar reasons, and some fresh ones, for Buckeyes' fans to like what they saw.
The 26-17 win over Oregon in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 gave the Buckeyes their first chance in four seasons to enter the off-season on a high note, and an across-the-board domination of the overmatched Thundering Herd gave credence to the idea that this season could end on an even higher note.
"We wanted to be able to come out and prove as an offense that we could deliver on all those things we've been working on in the off-season," OSU senior receiver Dane Sanzenbacher said after Ohio State outgained Marshall, 529-199.
The progress of junior quarterback Terrelle Pryor was, as it has been and always will be, the No. 1 point of interest, and by completing 17 of 25 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns, Pryor showed what he's learned. Other than a fumbled snap with the second-team offensive line that led to a desperate heave that could have been intercepted, Pryor never seemed to lose control.
He stepped up in the pocket. He ran at times, but not as a first option. He was accurate more often than not. On a 65-yard touchdown pass to Dane Sanzenbacher, he showed excellent touch down the field, answering immediately what had been Marshall's only highlight of the night, a 61-yard return of a blocked field goal for a touchdown.
That pass was the featured presentation in Pryor's first foray into the Heisman race, and his numbers will carry the day. He also stayed into the game into the fourth quarter with the Buckeyes ahead by five touchdowns.
"I thought Terrelle had confidence in where he was going with the ball," OSU coach Jim Tressel said. "I thought his anticipation was good."
He was not alone on offense. Running back Brandon Saine scored two touchdowns while running nine times for 103 yards. DeVier Posey caught two touchdown passes from Pryor and finished with four catches for 41 yards. Sanzenbacher finished with three catches for 113 yards, highlighted by that 65-yarder.
"It definitely makes you feel good when you put a lot of points on the board," said center Mike Brewster, who said last season's four-point win over Navy in the opener almost felt like a loss. "I think this just showed how mature this team is and what we can do."
The defense was just as impressive, only a special teams gaffe costing the Buckeyes a shutout. Marshall blocked Drew Basil's 53-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter with a strong push up the middle and returned the block 61 yards for a touchdown. Special teams guru Tressel will make note of that, as will an OSU defense that held Marshall to under 200 yards of offense but didn't get to post a zero.
The defense did manage to outscore the Marshall offense, as linebacker Brian Rolle dropped into coverage, picked off a pass from Herd quarterback Brian Anderson and returned it 30 yards for a second-quarter touchdown. Safeties Jermale Hines and C.J. Barnett threw some key early blocks on the return before defensive lineman Cameron Heyward walled off four Marshall players near the goal line to allow Rolle to reach the end zone.
It was just a play by veteran players on a night when everyone knew what they wanted to do, and for the most part, did it.
"We obviously were confident we could do that," Sanzenbacher said. "But you're never in a position when you're on this team, playing at this level, to rely on what you've done in the past. We're expected every week to prove it over and over again to ourselves and everyone else."
They'll have to do it again next week against Miami, the top-15 team that claimed its own 45-0 Thursday night blowout over Florida A&M on Thursday night. The buildup to the rematch of the title game from the 2002 season will conjure up a lot of history and animosity. And both teams did what they needed to do to prepare themselves.
Last season ended pretty well for Ohio State. On Thursday, the Buckeyes proved they're ready for the future.