INSIDE COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Not So Special
Multidimensional Ohio State looked Ginsu-sharp in dicing up
Missouri
by Ivan Maisel
Posted: Wed September 23, 1998
Number 1 Ohio State unveiled its Swiss Army knife offense in its
35-14 victory over Missouri, which came into the game ranked
21st. Name the tool—speed, strength, running, passing, depth—and
the Buckeyes flipped it out.
In the early going at Ohio Stadium last Saturday, with Tigers
cornerbacks sitting back in a soft zone, Buckeyes quarterback Joe
Germaine threw flare passes to wideouts David Boston and Dee
Miller. "We wanted to make the defense run and hopefully tire it
out," Ohio State offensive coordinator Mike Jacobs said after the
game. "It was a hot, humid day." The tactic didn't produce much
scoring—the Buckeyes trailed 14-13 at halftime—but it did wear
down Missouri's D, enabling Ohio State to start cramming the ball
down the Tigers' throats in the second half. "In the third
quarter I saw them in the huddle," said Buckeyes guard Rob
Murphy. "They were down on one knee, real winded." Ohio State
scored the go-ahead touchdown in that quarter on a six-yard
sweep. Tailback Joe Montgomery cruised into the end zone behind
blocks by pulling guard Tam Hopkins and fullback Jamar Martin.
All three are second-teamers. That's depth.
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Montgomery, one of the Buckeyes' many gifted
backups, gained 78 yards.
(Robert Beck)
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Starting tailback Michael Wiley rushed for two touchdowns and a
career-high 209 yards, the first 200-yard performance by an Ohio
State back since Eddie George gained 207 yards against Notre Dame
in 1995. Germaine completed 19 of 25 passes for 211 yards. The
Buckeyes punted once and finished with 531 yards of total
offense. What can't Ohio State do? Hold on to the ball. The
Buckeyes have fumbled 10 times in three games. They have lost
just three of those fumbles, but Missouri converted two of them
into its 14 points.
Still, let's not quibble. While so many teams ranked high in the
preseason have struggled, Ohio State has shown it has all the
tools. With a week off before opening Big Ten play against No. 7
Penn State, the Buckeyes can work on their ball handling. And
perhaps on controlling their hubris. "The only thing that can
stop us is ourselves," Montgomery says. "It would be stupid for
me to sit here and say other teams can stop us."
Issue date: September 28, 1998
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