All the talk about TCU (2-1) being a test for the Buckeyes (3-0) turned out to be absolutely true.
After cruising to easy wins over Oregon State and Rutgers, the Buckeyes finally played a team with a pulse. In the end, OSU had too much for the Horned Frogs and prevailed by a final of 40-28, but for just over a half TCU, gave the Buckeyes all they could handle.
The Horned Frogs were fast and tough on both sides of the ball in the early going. Offensively they were able use speed to hit big plays that included a 93-yard touchdown run by Darius Anderson. Defensively, they stood up to keep the Buckeye offense out of the end zone for the entire first half.
The OSU offense failed to cross the goal line despite three trips into the red zone, settling instead for three field goal attempts. Two of those field goals were good, but a half-ending 38-yarder sailed wide left to leave OSU trailing 14-13 at the intermission. Ohio State’s lone touchdown of the half came on a defensive score when defensive end Nick Bosa sacked TCU quarterback Shawn Robinson in the end zone forcing a fumble that was recovered by defensive tackle Davon Hamilton for the OSU touchdown.
TCU drew first blood in the second half with a three-play scoring drive that covered 52 yards. The touchdown put the Horned Frogs up 21-13, but that would prove to be the high point of the game for them.
From that point on the Buckeyes took the momentum and kept it.
The big momentum swing came courtesy of senior H-back Parris Campbell, who took a screen pass 63 yards for a touchdown to make the score 21-19. The two-point conversion failed, but the Buckeyes defense came up big again on TCU ‘s next possession when defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones intercepted an attempted screen pass from Robinson and returned it 29 yards for an Ohio State touchdown. The play gave the Buckeyes a 26-21 lead, a lead they did not relinquish the rest of the game.
OSU lengthened that lead to 12 points when a blocked punt gave the offense the football on the TCU 25-yard line. It took just two plays for the Buckeye offense to turn the field position into a touchdown when Dwayne Haskins hit H-back K.J. Hill in the end zone for 25-yard touchdown pass to make the score 33-21.
TCU was in trouble, but didn’t go down without a fight. They answered the Hill touchdown with one of their own on a 51-yard pass play, but by then the Buckeyes were beginning to flex their muscles on both sides of the line of scrimmage. OSU answered the TCU score with a grinding scoring drive of their own of 75 yards in 10 plays that featured outstanding running by tailback J.K. Dobbins.
Dobbins got OSU into the red zone but it was Haskins who went the last six yards on a designed quarterback keeper to put OSU up 40-28.
Ohio State outscored TCU 27-14 in the second half. In that half they dominated every phase of the game with a total team effort that was productive offensively, defensively and on special teams. The OSU defense allowed four touchdowns in the game, but scored two defensive touchdowns.
OSU special teams provided great field position with a punt block that also led to a score. Offensively there were times when they sputtered, particularly in the first half, but what they were able to do for the entire game was avoid the big mistake. The Buckeyes had no turnovers in the game against the aggressive TCU defense. TCU meanwhile turned the ball over on a fumble that was turned into an OSU score, an interception that turned into a score, and a third interception late in the game by linebacker Malik Harrison that ended any last glimmer of hope the Horned Frogs may have had.
Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins had another productive day in his third-career start. He was rushed at times by the aggressive Horned Frog defense, but still completed 24-of-38 passes for 344 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for one touchdown.
TCU quarterback Shawn Robinson also was productive with 24-of-40 passing for 308 yards and one touchdown, but his two turnovers were costly while Haskins was able to avoid turnovers completely.
TCU outrushed OSU 203 to 182, but 93 of those yards came on a 93-yard touchdown run by Darius Anderson. TCU found the going on the ground very difficult in the second half.
Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa left the game late in the first half and did not play in the second half. He was in street clothes on the sideline during the second half with what is being reported as an abdominal strain.