While Ohio State had the week off, we had several opportunities to learn more about the Big Ten landscape.
No. 19 Indiana made it look easy against No. 9 Illinois, proving the Hoosiers could be a legitimate contender for a Big Ten Championship appearance, while the Illini might not be as much of a hurdle for the Buckeyes as I would have expected.
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Likewise, No. 6 Oregon dominated in their game, albeit against a team with no wins yet this year (Oregon State). Still, the Ducks didn’t hold back in what wound up being a record day for quarterback Dante Moore.
Still, the Ducks and the Hoosiers have little bearing on the Buckeyes unless/until they meet in a Big Ten Championship game, as neither of those two teams are on Ohio State’s regular season schedule this year. So perhaps more important for OSU fans is a look ahead at our game next week against Washington.
On the road against long-time in-state rival Washington State, Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. looked excellent in a close game, throwing for 217 yards and three touchdowns with a completion rate over 80 percent.
Each time Washington State scored, Williams and the Huskies answered with more points. Though the Cougars aren’t exactly national championship contenders, it is clear Williams is a capable leader for his team.
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The Buckeye defense has been spectacular and should be able to exploit some issues up front to shut down the Husky run game, but they’ll also need to keep the pressure on Williams next week, or they could wind up on the losing end of plays like this one.
Check out the Huskies’ opening touchdown this week, in which Williams connected with wide receiver Denzel Boston on a picture-perfect 29-yard pass early in the 1st quarter.
