Three Observations From Ohio State Buckeyes' Win Over Western Michigan, 56-0

Here are the three main takeaways from Ohio State's recent victory over Western Michigan.

Sept. 7, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) sings “Carmen Ohio” with teammates following a 56-0 win over Western Michigan on Saturday at Ohio Stadium. / Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State Buckeyes picked up right where they left off last week, defeating the Western Michigan Broncos in dominant fashion, 56-0.

Here are three observations from the Buckeyes' latest victory.

Buckeyes Come Out Firing On All Cylinders

After a rough offensive performance in the first half of week one, Ohio State silenced all the criticism of not being able to produce in the first half.

The Buckeyes managed to score on the team's first three drives of the contest, including this 70-yard touchdown from freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith:

Jeremiah Smith, you are ridiculous‼️

Watch the speed from the true freshman on this @OhioStateFB TD 👇#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/Pupn61dWoW

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 8, 2024

While it may have been against Western Michigan, the first-half efforts from the Buckeyes prove they could compete at a high level at the start of the game and take care of business.

Will Howard Continues To Prove He's The Guy

If you weren't sold on quarterback Will Howard, his Week 2 performance against the Broncos should have cleared any reservations.

The former Kansas State Wildcat completed 18 of his 26 pass attempts, while throwing for just shy of 300 yards. Even though Howard was not utilized as much in the run game, the dual-threat quarterback still had a rushing touchdown toward the end of the second quarter.

Through his first two games as a Buckeye, Howard has lived up to the expectations. The veteran passer has thrown for 520 yards while completing 64.8 percent of his passes so far and has proven himself as a leader for Ohio State's offense.

Ohio State's Rushing Attack Shines

The offense did a phenomenal job through the air, but it was the Buckeyes' run game that put up the majority of points against Western Michigan.

Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly reveled his true colors last night, as his unit rushed for a combined 273 yards and six touchdowns. The dynamic duo of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson accounted for 174 rushing yards and four touchdowns, while freshman running back James People averaged 5.1 yards per carry.

Kelly is known for his well-crafted rushing attack that features multiple running backs in the mix, and Ohio State's new offensive play caller displayed it in Saturday night's victory.