Ohio State is top-notch with its fast-paced offense, but the Buckeyes still have plenty of room for improvement

For head coaches like Ryan Day, who oversee programs with expectations so high that perfection is often viewed as the only acceptable outcome, non-league games that follow a similar script to the one that played out at Ohio Stadium between No. 3 Ohio State and Marshall are often the best of both worlds for a team with national championship aspirations.

The broad strokes were pretty clear: a 49-14 win over an inferior opponent that gave Day and his assistants a chance to rotate personnel, rest some starters in the second half and avoid criticism of high-profile upsets that have rocked programs like Notre Dame and Mississippi State in recent weeks. Tailbacks Quinshon Judkins (14 carries, 173 yards, two scores) and TreVeyon Henderson (six carries, 76 yards, two scores) bolstered an offense that ran play after play with incredible efficiency. There's little doubt the Buckeyes have one of the most talented offenses in college football this season, with Will Howard (16 of 20 for 275 yards, two TDs, one INT) leading the charge at quarterback.

Ohio State's Will Howard meets Emeka Egbuka, who shows off his ELITE speed with an electrifying 68-yard touchdown

But despite the lopsided point differential, yardage total and time of possession reflecting just how deadly Ohio State's offense can be, there were plenty of blunders and mistakes for Day to deal with in the days and weeks to come: throws that were too long and too short by Howard, one of which resulted in an interception; several kickoffs out of bounds that resulted in penalties; timing issues that resulted in Day being penalized for arguing with the referees; a sporadic and inefficient pass rush.

In other words, even if the Buckeyes beat other teams by four or more touchdowns, like they did on Saturday, there's still plenty of room for improvement for Ohio State. And that's a scary thought as the team seeks its first Big Ten championship since 2020 and its first national championship since 2014.

Here are some quick takeaways from the game:

Early difference

The expectant crowd at Ohio Stadium fell silent after Marshall, which had entered the game as a 40-point underdog according to some bookmakers, methodically and mechanically marched down the field and launched a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on its first possession to establish an early lead. The Thundering Herd broke through defensive coordinator Jim Knowles' unit with timely third-down conversions by quarterback Stone Earle, who found ways to move the chains with arm and legs alike.

As unexpected as Marshall's 7-0 lead may have been, the explosiveness of Ohio State's offense ensured that the score was leveled much sooner than later. Wideout Emeka Egbuka turned a simple screen pass into a 68-yard touchdown, outrunning the Thundering Herd secondary. And two possessions later, after Howard threw a deep ball short that was ultimately intercepted, the Buckeyes covered 45 yards in six plays for another touchdown that gave Ohio State an inescapable lead. Judkins and Henderson helped push Howard into the end zone, where he scored a 1-yard touchdown reminiscent of the “tush push” popularized by the Philadelphia Eagles.

What ultimately led the home team to victory, however, was a potentially game-winning play by Marshall that was wiped out by a penalty for a violation. The Thundering Herd capitalized on a botched punt by Buckeye returner Brandon Inniss deep in Ohio State territory. Had the play been legal, Marshall would have had a chance to tie the game at 14-14 and increase the mounting pressure on the Buckeyes to pull away from an inferior opponent. Instead, the play was called back because the Thundering Herd did not have enough players at the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped.

Two plays later, Judkins broke through Marshall's defense and scored an 86-yard touchdown that extended Ohio State's lead to 21-7 and restored the balance of power.

Gameplay

Nearly three full quarters had passed before Marshall finally lost control against star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, a five-star freshman and former No. 1 player in the country. Smith managed just two catches for 17 yards throughout most of Saturday's game as the Buckeyes' running attack, led by Judkins and Henderson, provided the power of Ohio State's offense. And in the moments when Howard did When he threw the ball far forward, he mostly aimed at Egbuka, who ended up with five catches for 117 yards and a touchdown.

But late in the third quarter, with the outcome of a lopsided non-conference game already decided, Smith reminded a national television audience why he is quickly becoming one of the best pass receivers Ohio State has ever seen. Smith, who had caught 11 passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns in the Buckeyes' first two games, took advantage of space created by a lightning-quick defensive back to catch a slant and run 53 yards for a touchdown. Smith's acceleration was so fast that proper positioning by marshal safety JJ Roberts barely mattered. Smith quickly reached top speed as he raced toward the goal line untouched, unencumbered and unbothered.

He has made it to the end zone in his first three college games. It's hard to imagine anyone being able to stop him now.

Jeremiah Smith embarrasses Marshall's defense with a 53-yard touchdown and gives Ohio State a 42-14 lead over Marshall

Important statistics

A look at the stats from Saturday's game revealed a glaring discrepancy early in the third quarter, when Henderson's second touchdown gave the Buckeyes a 35-14 lead. But by that point — at 11:48 of the third quarter — Ohio State was still nearly twice as long as Marshall in time of possession. The Thundering Herd had held the ball for more than 21 minutes to that point, much to the delight of head coach Charles Huff, who would have been overjoyed with that number before the game, compared to just 11 minutes and change for new coordinator Chip Kelly's offense.

What that disparity didn't illustrate, though, and what the scoreboard certainly did, was the ability of Ohio State's offense to strike quickly, the ruthlessness with which Kelly and Co. can turn a game on its head. Aside from a kneel-down near the end of the second quarter, the Buckeyes reached the end zone five times in six possessions – and they did so without ever taking more than 3:30 off the clock.

There was a 42-second drive that ended with a 68-yard touchdown pass from Egbuka. There was a drive that lasted 2:26 and culminated with a short run by Howard. There was a 12-second drive that saw Judkins score on the first play. There was a drive that lasted 3:30 and ended with a 14-yard touchdown run by Henderson. There was a drive that lasted 3:12 and reached the end zone when Henderson broke two tackles en route to a 40-yard touchdown.

And suddenly, as if in an instant, the Buckeyes were leading by 21 points before halfway through the third quarter.

What’s next for Ohio State?

Not only did the Buckeyes enter their 2024 season with a weak non-conference schedule that included losses to Akron (52-6), Western Michigan (56-0) and Marshall (49-14) — which barely bothered Day's team for more than a quarter or two — but the Big Ten schedule makers also gave Ohio State a manageable entry into the conference. The Buckeyes' next three games are a road game against Michigan State on Sept. 28, a home game against Iowa on Oct. 5 and a high-profile clash with Oregon on Oct. 12 at Autzen Stadium in the Pacific Northwest. That Day's first three Big Ten opponents are carefully ordered from arguably the easiest score – against the Spartans – to the team's toughest challenge – against the Ducks – only prolonging what feels like a lengthy ramp-up process for Ohio State, a team whose fans expect to win a national championship after an incredibly productive and expensive roster-building period over the winter and spring.

What’s next for Marshall?

After improving from seven wins in Huff's first season to nine wins in his second, the Thundering Herd slipped back below .500 in 2023 with a 6-7 overall record and a 3-5 mark in the Sun Belt, good enough for only a fifth-place finish in the East Division despite Marshall qualifying for a bowl game. Expectations for Marshall entering the 2024 season were similar, with Huff's team seeded fifth in the East behind Appalachian State, James Madison, Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern. But based on early results, including Appalachian State's upset loss to South Alabama earlier this week, it's entirely possible the Thundering Herd will have higher goals. They return home next Saturday for one final nonconference game against Western Michigan before welcoming Appalachian State to Joan C. Edwards Stadium on Oct. 12 for the conference opener.

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with a focus on the Big Ten. Follow him on @Michael_Cohen13.

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