More postgame videos: Cardale Jones, Ed Warinner, Ezekiel Elliot, Michael Thomas HERE
Michael Thomas shook one of the best corners in the country out of his shoes
Braxton Miller helps No. 1 Ohio State pull away from Virginia Tech September 7, 2015 Source: USA Today - No. 1 Ohio State found a way to get all three of its star quarterbacks involved in its 42-24 season-opening win over Virginia Tech on Monday night at Lane Stadium.
Starter Cardale Jones passed for 186 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a career-high 99 yards and a score. J.T. Barrett accounted for 66 total yards and a touchdown in just two plays and Braxton Miller made his impact at a completely different position.
Miller who won back-to-back Big Ten Most Valuable Player awards as a quarterback in 2012 and 2013 made his return to the field after missing all of last season with a shoulder injury.
He started at H-back in his first contest in more than a year and racked up 140 total yards and two touchdowns.
"It's really cool to have him back especially for him to have kind of a coming-out party in his first game " Buckeyes offensive tackle Taylor Decker said. "It's been a long time since Braxton has been on the field with us."
Miller's two long third-quarter touchdowns pushed Ohio State back into control after the Hokies erased a two-touchdown deficit in the second quarter and took a 17-14 lead into halftime.
"When it's a close game you have to have athletes to bust you of it and I think we did that tonight " Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said.
After sitting out last season Miller decided to return to the Buckeyes for his senior year despite falling to third in the quarterback pecking order behind the dynamic duo of Jones and Barrett.
Ohio State (1-0) is certainly glad he came back. Miller caught a 54-yard touchdown pass from Jones to put the Buckeyes ahead 21-17 with 13:53 remaining in the third. His 53-yard spinning touchdown run 11 minutes later broke open the game.
"He's one tremendous athlete " Hokies coach Frank Beamer said. "He went down that sideline and a couple of guys missed him but he was doing stuff to make you miss him too."
Miller finished with two catches for 78 yards and six carries for 62 yards.
Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott rushed for a game-high 122 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Jones completed nine of 18 passes and threw one interception.
Barrett made an appearance in the fourth quarter leading a drive he capped with a 26-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Thomas with 8:14 remaining. That was his lone pass and his only run went for 40 yards.
The Buckeyes outgained the Hokies 572 yards to 320.
Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer left the game with a fractured left shoulder early in the third quarter.
Hokies trainer Mike Goforth said Brewer is scheduled for surgery Tuesday and the senior could miss up to eight weeks.
Brewer who completed 11 of 16 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns was planted into the ground by 290-pound defensive tackle Adolphus Washington after throwing a pass. He stayed on the ground for a while before coming off the field.
Brenden Motley wasn't nearly as effective as Brewer's replacement finishing 4-for-9 for 36 yards and a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaiah Ford late in the fourth quarter. Motley also threw an interception.
"It's a big opportunity for me " said Motley who is expected to start for the Hokies in their home game against Furman on Saturday. "I'm excited about it. I know my teammates are confident in me."
Virginia Tech (0-1) came back from a 14-0 deficit at the end of the first quarter to score the only 17 points of the second quarter.
Ohio State dominated the first quarter outgaining the Hokies 205 yards to 56 but Virginia Tech used big plays on defense and special teams to get back into the game.
A tipped pass by Virginia Tech linebacker Deon Clarke led to a diving interception by safety Desmond Frye. That led to a 46-yard Joey Slye field goal to cut the lead to 14-10 with 7:05 left in the half.
Later in the second quarter Elliott muffed a punt by left-footed Virginia Tech punter A.J. Hughes and the ball was recovered by Hokies sophomore Anthony Shegog. Virginia Tech turned that turnover into a 1-yard touchdown pass from Brewer to tight end Ryan Malleck with 15 seconds to go before the break.
It was Brewer's second touchdown pass of the quarter. His 51-yard strike to fullback Sam Rogers put the Hokies on the scoreboard.
Jones completed three of his first four pass attempts in Ohio State's opening drive the last of which was a 24-yard scoring strike to sophomore H-back Curtis Samuel with 9:44 left in the first half.
After a brief Virginia Tech offensive possession Ohio State struck again with another big play. Elliott busted through a wide open hole and raced past a pack of Hokies defenders for an 80-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0.
Ohio State vs Virginia Tech (Sept 7, 2015) Source: OSU Official Site Scoring Summary, Team Statistics, Individual Statistics, Drive Chart, Defensive Statistics, Game Participation, Box Score, Play-by-Play, Play breakdown
An untouchable Braxton Miller hit a mean spin move and exploded into the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown, his second of the night. Ohio State goes up 28-17 on Virginia Tech.
Ohio State's Braxton Miller Shares His Thoughts on his team's Win at VT
Notes from the Buckeyes' 42-24 win over the Virginia Tech Hokies Sept. 8, 2015
• Star of the game: Quarterback-turned-hybrid back Braxton Miller turned a fretful night for the Buckeyes into a runaway win with two dazzling touchdown plays in the third quarter. He had 62 yards rushing and 78 receiving, but the big plays set him apart.
• Turning point: Miller’s 53-yard touchdown run at 2:05 in the third quarter. He took a direct snap, started left, cut up and spun and was never touched. It increased Ohio State’s lead to 28-17, and Virginia Tech, which had lost starting QB Michael Brewer to injury, was left in the wake.
• The win extends Ohio State’s win streak to 14 games, the longest active streak in the nation.
• Ohio State also has won 14 consecutive true road games, the longest active streak in the nation.
• Ohio State is 67-12-1 all-time as the No. 1 ranked team and 50-4 as a No. 1 team vs. unranked opponents.
• Ohio State is 35-2 in its last 37 season-openers.
• Ohio State is 47-23 all-time in night games (those starting after 5 p.m. local time), including 35-19 on the road (23-10) or neutral field (12-9) night games.
• Ohio State is 40-17-1 all-time against current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference and 1-1 vs. Virginia Tech.
• Ohio State has scored at least three TDs in a nation’s-best 30 consecutive games. Baylor is next with 17.
• Urban Meyer improves to 143-26 in his career, and maintains the highest winning percentage (.846) among active coaches.
• Meyer is 51-5 in his career in games played in August and September.
• Meyer is 14-0 in his head coaching career in season openers with an average margin of victory of 28.5 points.
• Meyer is 41-3 in games in which he has more than one week to prepare for an opponent. This figure includes season openers, games after an “off” week and post-season games.
• Ohio State has now thrown a TD pass in 24 consecutive games, tying the longest streak in school history by the 1994-96 teams.
• Cardale Jones improved to 4-0 as a starter in his career. He recorded 285 yards of total offense with 186 yards passing and two TDs and rushed for a career-high 99 yards and a score.
• Ezekiel Elliott rushed 11 times for 122 yards and one TD. His 80-yard TD run in the first quarter was the third rushing TD of his career of at least 80 yards.
• The 122 yards by Elliott represents the sixth consecutive game and his 11th overall with at least 100 yards.
• Ohio State’s rushing game has produced a touchdown in 24 consecutive games and in 41 of 42 games coached by Urban Meyer.
• Braxton Miller made his first appearance since the 2013 season, this time at H-Back, and caught 2 passes for 78 yards and one TD and also rushed six times for 62 yards and a score. He has now accounted for 86 TDs in his Buckeye career: 52 passing, 33 rushing and 1 receiving.
• Players making their first career starts include DE Sam Hubbard, DE Tyquan Lewis and MLB Raekwon McMillan on defense, and RG Chase Farris and WR Parris Campbell on offense.
• McMillan finished with a career-high 8 tackles in his first career start.
• Lewis recorded a game-high 2.0 TFL in his first start.
• Tyvis Powell recorded his sixth career INT late in the third quarter.
• Ezekiel Elliott's 80-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was the longest run allowed by the Hokies since UCLA QB Brett Hundley's 86-yard touchdown run in the 2013 Sun Bowl.
• Virginia Tech FB Sam Rogers has two career touchdown receptions both against Ohio State. He had a 10-yard touchdown reception at Ohio State last season. ...
• Virginia Tech QB Michael Brewer's second-quarter touchdown pass was the longest completion of his career.
• Ohio State sacked Brewer twice in the first quarter matching its total from last season's game against Virginia Tech in Columbus.
OFFENSIVE LINE GRADE: B- Overwhelmed in last year’s game, when it allowed seven sacks, this now-veteran crew got off to a fast start, then had a holding call wipe out a TD and struggled to contain Hokie linemen Dadi Nicolas and Luther Maddy in the second quarter. But the front five regrouped and played better in the second half. The Buckeyes allowed a little more penetration than anticipated, but they probably won’t see many defensive fronts that are better the rest of the season.
RUNNING GAME GRADE: B It’s hard to believe Ezekiel Elliott only had four carries in the first half, especially since the first one went for an 80-yard touchdown. Yes, the Bear defense makes it very difficult for any running attack, but the No. 1 team in the nation should not be letting a double-digit underdog dictate how it plays. This would be a much bigger deal if quarterback-turned-H-back Braxton Miller hadn’t bailed out the offense in the second half. Fans might not look at them this way, but quarterbacks Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett showed once again that they are bona fide dual threats.
PASSING GAME GRADE: A- Can’t help but wonder what the third-string quarterback would have done in this one. J.T. Barrett, a Heisman finalist in 2014, led the Buckeyes 75 yards on his first series — and that was in the fourth quarter! Cardale Jones, the answer to the question on everybody’s mind for nine months, got the start and looked like the same guy who guided OSU in its historic post-season. He zipped some throws and the receivers made him look good on others. Braxton Miller exceeded expectations in his first start at H-back, looking dynamic with his tightrope down the sidelines on his 54-yard TD catch followed by his 360 on a 53-yard TD run. When Jalin Marshall, Dontre Wilson and Corey Smith come back Saturday, we won’t need to worry about Parris Campbell dropping any more passes.
DEFENSIVE LINE GRADE: B Tackle Adolphus Washington, the only returning starter up front with All-American Joey Bosa serving a one-game suspension, made the Play of the Game — and that’s saying something given the night Braxton Miller had. It was Washington who knocked quarterback Michael Brewer out of the game with a broken collarbone in the third quarter and Hokie hopes essentially went with him to the sidelines. Tommy Schutt was very active as the new nose tackle, but no one is saying “Joey who?” after this one.
LINEBACKERS GRADE: B If this unit is going to live up to preseason billing as the best crew in the nation, it will have to play better. We’re used to seeing Darron Lee make big plays, but he was relatively quiet. Middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan had a nice stick at the goal line and the Hokies never got anything going on the ground. It wasn’t an overwhelming performance, but turnovers set up 17 of VT’s 24 points so overall a solid effort in a very hostile environment.
DEFENSIVE BACKS GRADE: B We suspected the secondary was going to be a major strength this season and Monday night it had two takeaways — fumble recovery by cornerback Eli Apple and interception by safety Tyvis Powell. New CB Gareon Conley had good and bad moments as did safety Vonn Bell, the anchor. The Hokies made the entire defense look bad on a couple of misdirection plays for touchdowns.
SPECIAL TEAMS GRADE: D With all the focus ona the quarterback debate, we didn’t know there was a placekicking controversy. Jack Willoughby, transfer from Duke, assumed kickoff and FG duties, taking over the latter for Sean Nuernberger, who was shaky last season. So far no improvement. Willoughby missed a 43-yard field goal, which seemed to energize the Hokies, but there was plenty of misery to go around. Normally reliable Cameron Johnston quacked a punt and Ezekiel Elliott, who shouldn’t be back there to begin with, muffed a punt return, as a replacement for the suspended Jalin Marshall. That set up a gift TD for the Hokies.
COACHING GRADE: B The Buckeyes didn’t panic when they wasted a 14-0 lead and fell behind 17-14 at halftime. That’s a reflection on the staff. We finally got our answer on who the starting QB is, and I’m certainly not going to say Cardale Jones was the right choice, only that there is no wrong choice. (How’s that for being PC?) I don’t know if this is good or bad — obviously it was good Monday night — but the offensive staff did a much better job of involving Braxton Miller than Ezekiel Elliott. Eventually, the Buckeyes will need to lean on Elliott more because Miller hasn’t shown the ability to stay healthy. It was nice to see the braintrust counter after VT made the initial adjustments. Last year there was no Plan B from Ohio State. Given the four key individuals who were out for this one game because of suspension, the second half performance in particular made this a resounding victory.
Braxton Miller, H-Back: Holy smokes. Lost in all of the craziness of last season was the fact that Braxton Miller is pretty damn good at this whole football thing. The two-time Big Ten Player of the Year (making him the Jerry Kill of QBs) is as electric an H-Back as he was a quarterback, and on Monday night he was far and away the best Buckeye on either side of the ball. He began his non-signal-calling career with an insanely athletic grab, but he didn't stop there. He took a Cardale Jones pass 54 yards to the house before conducting his magnum opus: a 53-yard scamper from under center that saw Miller earn his XBRAX360 nickname on multiple levels. It's beyond words. You have to see it, and see it again, to believe it.
Miller finished the day with 140 all-purpose yards and the aforementioned 2 TDs. One area in which he was conspicuously absent was the return game, where he had been listed as a starter on the two-deep. Should Urban Meyer slot Miller in back there, we can certainly expect to see more of the same craziness.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB: Zeke didn't need a ton of touches to show that he's more than ready to take up the title of college football's best running back. After two solid catches in the flat, Elliott took his third touch 80 yards to the endzone. He broke an ankle tackle at the line before heading off to the races, showing early on the kind of flair that allowed him to carry the weight for the Buckeyes again and again down the stretch last season.
He ended the game with just 11 rushing attempts, but still put 122 yards and a score on the board. He added 16 receiving yards to his total, and his two grabs made it pretty clear (if it wasn't already) that he has a fantastic set of hands and great body control with the ball in the air. He made his presence felt in other ways, too, picking up block after block to buy Cardale Jones time in the pocket when his number wasn't called.
Solid Investments, Junk Bonds, Buy/Sell...
Ohio State Celebrates is 42-24 Victory vs VT With Carmen Ohio
The Buckeyes, with 45 letter-winners and 16 starters back from last season, will be looking to avenge last season's 35-21 home loss against the Hokies, while Virginia Tech will be trying to state its case as a program that has returned to the conversation about college football's elite after three consecutive mediocre seasons.
KEY MATCHUP
Ezekiel Elliott vs. the Hokies' defense. Virginia Tech's defense is geared toward linebackers making tackles, and with Elliott among those in the early talk as a Heisman Trophy contender, the ability of the middle of the Hokies' defense to contain him will go a long way to determining how the game goes.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Ohio State: Whether it's T.J. Barrett or Cardale Jones, or both, that Urban Meyer chooses to put behind center, the QB will have to figure out Bud Foster's defense better than Barrett did last season. He threw three interceptions, the last of which Donovan Riley returned 63 yards for the game-clinching touchdown.
Virginia Tech: Bucky Hodges. He's part tight end and part wide receiver, and a favorite target of quarterback Michael Brewer because he presents matchup issues no matter where he lines up. If offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler can find ways to get him loose in the secondary, and Brewer can capitalize, that will big for the Hokies.
FACTS & FIGURES
• Ohio State enters the game riding a 13-game winning streak, and coach Urban Meyer is 13-0 for his career in season-openers.
• The Buckeyes received all 61 first-place votes in the Top 25, making them the first unanimous preseason No. 1 in AP poll history.
• Virginia Tech is starting its season against the defending national champion for the second time in three years. The Hokies lost 35-10 to Alabama to start the 2013 season.
• Since 1996., Only Kansas State with 112 has more defensive and special teams touchdowns than the Hokies' 106. Ohio State is tied for third with 92. Source: Associated Press
Players to Watch September 6, 2015 Source: Eleven Warriors -
Ohio State
Braxton Miller, H-Back
One of the players who wasn’t available for last year’s match-up, Miller is back for his senior season at a new position. The former starting quarterback brings his athleticism to the H-back role and it will be interesting to see how he does in his first college game as a non-quarterback. Miller’s running ability is well known, but will he be able to catch the ball against an aggressive Virginia Tech defense on the national stage in his first game at the position?
Tyquan Lewis, Defensive End
Filling the hole left behind by Steve Miller is Lewis, a sophomore from Tarboro, NC, who has shown signs of being an explosive player. He’ll certainly need to be tomorrow night, with Joey Bosa suspended for the opener. Virginia Tech will want to test Ohio State’s defensive line and Lewis will need to be disruptive. I’ll also be watching the guys filling in for Bosa—sophomore Jalyn Holmes and freshman Sam Hubbard.
Chase Farris, Right Tackle
The lone new starter on the offensive line will need to get up to speed quickly. Virginia Tech likes to quickly get its defensive linemen into gaps, disrupt the offensive line’s flow and gain a numbers advantage with filling linebackers and safeties. It worked last year against a Slobs unit that was just finding its feet. Now it’s a veteran unit and a strength of the team, but the line is only as strong as its weakest unit. Farris has big shoes to fill and he’ll start with a tall task against the Hokies.
Virginia Tech
Kendall Fuller, Cornerback
Lauded as one of the best defensive backs in college football, Fuller typically plays the boundary corner. In this game, however, he may be tasked with following Mike Thomas all over the field and taking Ohio State’s top receiving threat out of the game. Fuller and Thomas will likely each be facing the best individual opponent they’ll see all season. This is a one-on-one match-up which gives a big advantage to whoever can win it for their team. Fuller will also come on the blitz. He had a nine-yard sack in last year’s meeting.
Ryan Malleck/Bucky Hodges, Tight End
Virginia Tech burned Ohio State with passes to the tight end last season. Malleck and Hodges combined for eight receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown. Covering tight ends has long been one of the weaknesses of the Buckeye defense. Can Luke Fickell and Chris Ash lock down Malleck and Hodges and force Michael Brewer to look elsewhere?
Andrew Motuapuaka, Middle Linebacker
Tech’s Mike linebacker will be tasked with diagnosing Ohio State’s running game and running downhill into the correct gaps. If he does it well, the Buckeyes may be outnumbered at the point of attack on rushing plays and could struggle to move the ball against the aggressive Hokies’ front seven. However, if he is slow to read the play or takes a bad angle, Ezekiel Elliott, J.T. Barrett and others could have success on the ground and open up the passing game for play action.
13-0: Ohio State's record in true road games under Urban Meyer since 2012. The Buckeyes have outscored opponents 538-351 in those games. Michigan State and Wisconsin are the only teams that held the Buckeyes to less than 30 points.
7.9: From Nov. 1 through the Buckeyes' playoff run, Ezekiel Elliott averaged 7.9 yards per rushing attempt. He had 156 carries for 1,238 yards and 13 TDs in those eight games. Virginia Tech limited Elliott to eight carries for 32 yards last season, but they'll be facing a more experienced Ohio State offensive line.
63.9: Virginia Tech's Michael Brewer completed 63.9 percent of his passes against the Buckeyes last season. Michigan (69.7) is the only team that did better. If Brewer can hit this number or better, then chances are the Hokies will hang around.
1-3: Beamer repeatedly called this the "most-anticipated game" in Lane Stadium history. The Hokies are 1-3 against top-five teams since 2000. Virginia Tech's last shot against a No. 1 team at home came on Dec. 1, 2001. The Hokies lost 26-24 to Miami.
The big question: Who steps up at receiver for the Buckeyes? Four Ohio State players – Joey Bosa, Jalin Marshall, Corey Smith and Dontre Wilson – are suspended for the opener. That's three offensive playmakers, and the Buckeyes' depth at the position took another blow when Noah Brown was lost for the season with a leg injury. Virginia Tech has two excellent cornerbacks in Kendall Fuller and Brandon Facyson. A lot of eyes will be on Braxton Miller, who switched positions, but Michael Thomas and redshirt freshman Parris Campbell will be counted on just as much.
I expect Miller to "catch" a touchdown pass on a jet sweep touch pass inside the redzone, but I certainly won't be surprised if he accounts for more touchdowns, including one he has thrown himself...
1. Beating the Bear: Go watch Ohio State's first offensive play from last year's loss to Virginia Tech. Taylor Decker has. He's watched it a lot.
The Buckeyes tried to do a little counter with J.T. Barrett, only there were four Hokies to meet him at the line of scrimmage. It mostly looked like confusion on Ohio State's part, and that was the point.
"Any time you confuse an offensive line, that's a bad day for us," Urban Meyer said on his radio show this week.
Virginia Tech wanted to hit the Buckeyes' offensive line with something it had never seen before. Call it "Bear", "Double Eagle", whatever. I'm not a coach and won't break down the Xs and Os because that does nobody any good.
The point is it worked, and Ohio State thinks it won't this year.
"You see little things we messed up and we weren't prepared for, and now we have them figured out," Decker said. "We were in that game down the stretch even not being prepared for the Bear defense. It was a good learning experience."
Other teams tried to mimic what Virginia Tech did the rest of the season, it mostly didn't work. A big reason for that is because the Hokies have the personnel to execute that kind of defense, and the other teams Ohio State played didn't.
But the Buckeyes also adjusted, drawing up plays that Meyer called "Bear beaters."
Mostly, though, Ohio State's offensive line got better throughout the course of the season. Against Virginia Tech, they had four new starters and Decker, who was playing at left tackle for the first time after starting on the right side the year before.
This year, the Buckeyes have one new starter -- right tackle Chase Farris -- everybody else is back to go against what is a very similar Virginia Tech defense. It's one of the best defenses in the country.
The Buckeyes think they're better prepared for whatever the Hokies throw at them.
"We're way further ahead because at this point now we're trying to make each one of them better in little details," offensive line coach Ed Warinner said. "Last year we were teaching them how to play, how to practice, how to get lined up, executing assignments. We're in more detail now of how to take it to the next level."
2. No Navy. Playing Navy has a funny way of affecting teams. That's who Ohio State played last year before losing to Virginia Tech. Turns out the loss was just following a trend.
Ohio State played Navy in 2009, the first game of a two-game series that ended last year. Since 2009, 20 power conference teams have played Navy, then come back the next week against a major college opponent.
Those teams are 9-11 the week after playing Navy.
Preparing for Navy demands the kind of attention that can distract you from your next game. That might have been a factor for Ohio State against Virginia Tech last year.
It won't be this year.
"I think we're a lot more prepared this year," defensive tackle Tommy Schutt said. "I think last year we spent a lot of time preparing for Navy and getting ready for that stuff, and not necessarily overlooked Virginia Tech, but didn't prepare like we would have for a normal game. This year we've been more than focused on getting that game plan in and being ready for next week."
3. Braxton Miller. Meyer shared a story on his radio show this week from when he was an assistant at Notre Dame. He recalled a post-game moment after a loss with former Irish receiver David Givens, a guy who went on to get drafted by the New England Patriots and won two Super Bowls.
Givens was upset because in that loss, he didn't touch the ball. That stuck with Meyer.
"From that point forward, that's unacceptable," Meyer said on the show. "You have good players, you get them the ball."
Meyer knows what he has in Braxton Miller. Maybe Miller won't be running routes like a true receiver, but he'll be a factor on Monday night, because Meyer doesn't want to go through a big game without getting Miller some touches.
"The last three days have been really fluid," Meyer said of Miller on Monday, "and I think a lot of it is just his body's feeling good again after going through the 'What the heck is this?' And that is the constant running that his body wasn't used to. So he looks like an H-back now."
4. Josh Perry will play linebacker. Yes, that obvious. But there was talk early in camp that Perry could play rush end with Joey Bosa being suspended for this game.
We've already told you why you shouldn't get too excited about it.
"You know we've put in a little bit of a package there and I don't know how much we'll use it," Perry said.
Perry said he's spent 99 percent of practice playing linebacker, and very little time working at defensive end.
If Perry did play end, the Buckeyes will take off a defensive lineman and put Dante Booker at linebacker. But it sounds like Perry doesn't expect to play defensive end in this game, which means Ohio State isn't overthinking things by taking players out of the positions they feel most comfortable in.
5. It doesn't matter who the starting quarterback is. It took this long to get to the quarterbacks, because the only mistake Meyer could make is rotating J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones. He won't in this game.
"If you look at J.T.'s game plan when he was our quarterback and Cardale, it's very similar," Meyer said, "in our mindset we're game planning our offense and they're both executing very well."
• The Buckeyes are opening on the road (on an opponent's home field) for the first time since the 1998 opener at West Virginia (W, 34-17).
• Ohio State enters the game having won 13 in a row overall, the longest active streak in the nation.
• Ohio State also has won 13 consecutive road games, the longest active streak in the nation. Its last road defeat came on Nov. 26, 2011 at Michigan.
• Ohio State is 34-2 in its last 36 season-openers. Both of those 0-1 starts took place in the Kickoff Classic at the old Giants Stadium - 1999 to Miami, Fla., and 1986 to Alabama.
• Ohio State is the first school to be voted unanimous No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press poll with all 61 first-place votes.
• Urban Meyer enters the 2015 season with the highest winning percentage (.845) among active coaches with at least 10 years head coaching experience.
• Meyer is 50-5 in his career in games played in August and September.
• Meyer is 13-0 in season openers as a head coach.
• Ohio State returns 16 starters from last season – seven on each side of the ball and two specialists.
• Ohio State has thrown a TD pass in 23 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in school history, trailing only a 24-game streak of TD passes by 1994-96 teams.
MOST WINS IN A SEASON (Since 1937) 14 - Ohio State, 2014
14 - Florida State, 2013
14 - Auburn, 2010
14 - Boise State, 2009
14 - Alabama, 2009
14 - Ohio State, 2002
14 - BYU, 1996
OHIO STATE AT NIGHT Ohio State is officially 46-23 in night games (those starting after 5 p.m. local time), including records of 34-19 in road (22-10) or neutral field (12-9) night games. Last season Ohio State played in a schoolrecord eight night games.
40-3 WITH MORE THAN A WEEK TO PREPARE Coach Urban Meyer is 40-3 in games in which he has more than one week to prepare for an opponent. This figure includes season openers, games after an "off" week and post-season games.
Starter: This is the big question. Coach Urban Meyer won't announce a starter before either J.T. Barrett (R-So.) or Cardale Jones (R-Jr.) take the field for the season opener Monday at Virginia Tech.
Barrett completed 64.6 percent of his passes in 12 starts. Jones appeared in 10 games but started only the last three after Barrett broke his foot, completing 60.9 percent of his passes.
Likely, both will play at some point this season. Meyer has said repeatedly, “I've been spending so much time just making sure we do right by these guys. If you have a good player, what do you do? You play them. They are two of the greatest people I've ever been around. They have different leadership styles, but they're great leaders.”
Backups: Stephen Collier (R-Fr.); and Joe Burrow (Fr.)
Running back
Starter: Ezekiel Elliott (Jr.) is the co-favorite in the Heisman Trophy race, along with Texas Christian quarterback Trevone Boykin, after rushing for 696 yards in the last three games. Elliott scored four touchdowns in the national championship game against Oregon.
Backups: Bri'onte Dunn (Jr.); and Warren Ball (R-Jr.).
H back
Starter: Braxton Miller (R-Sr.) or Curtis Samuel (So.), according to the depth chart. The Wayne graduate Miller is a two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year who missed last season with a shoulder injury. He announced this summer he would switch to H-back and made major strides in the last two weeks of preseason practice.
Meyer has said he wants Miller to start, so expect him to feature heavily in the offense.
“The last three days have been really fluid,” Meyer said Monday, “and I think a lot of it is just his body's feeling good again after going through the ‘what the heck is this,' and that is the constant running that his body wasn't used to. So he looks like an H-back now.”
Jalin Marshall (R-So.) could return to a starting role after serving a one-game suspension in the opener. He ranked second on the team with 38 receptions last season.
Backups: Dontre Wilson (Jr.), who is also suspended for the opener; and K.J. Hill (Fr.).
Tight end
Starter: Nick Vannett (R-Sr.) split time with Jeff Heuerman last season and caught 19 passes for 220 yards and five touchdowns.
“We were both leaders in that group,” Vannett said. “Now that he's gone, (Meyer) is looking up to me to be that guy. We have two freshmen coming in. I have to show them the way, be a good example for them and make sure they understand what it takes. Me and Jeff had a high standard in that room. We were going to go hard. We were going to do whatever the coach asked us to do 100 miles per hour and to the best of our ability.”
Backup: Marcus Baugh (R-So.).
Wide receiver
Starters: Michael Thomas (R-Jr.) returns after leading the Buckeyes with 54 receptions. He caught nine touchdown passes and ranked second on the team with 799 receiving yards.
James Clark (R-So.), Johnnie Dixon (R-Fr.) or Terry McLaurin (R-Fr.), none of whom have caught a pass for the Buckeyes, will also start the opener. Corey Smith (R-Sr.) could start in the second game against Hawaii after serving a one-game suspension.
Backups: Parris Campbell (R-Fr.); and Jeff Greene (R-Sr.).
Offensive line
Starters: Left tackle Taylor Decker (Sr.), a Vandalia Butler graduate, will start for the third season. Joining him in the starting lineup are left guard Billy Price (R-So.), center Jacoby Boren (Sr.), right guard Pat Elflein (R-Jr.) and right tackle Chase Farris (R-Sr.). All but Farris started last season.
Backups: Jamarco Jones (So.); Demetrius Knox (R-Fr.); Brady Taylor (R-Fr.); Centerville grad Evan Lisle (R-So.); and Isaiah Prince (Fr.). Defensive line
Starters: Sam Hubbard (R-Fr.) or Jalyn Holmes (So.) will start at end while Joey Bosa (Jr.) serves a one-game suspension. The All-American Bosa led Ohio State with 13½ sacks and four forced fumbles.
Adolphus Washington (Sr.) returns to start at tackle, along with first-time starter Tommy Schutt (R-Sr.). Tyquan Lewis (R-So.) is the new starter at the other end.
Backups: Donovan Munger (R-So.); Tracy Sprinkle (R-So.); Joel Hale (Sr.); Michael Hill (R-So.); and Darius Slade (R-Fr.).
Linebacker
Starters: Joshua Perry (Sr.) will start for a third straight season. He's one of six team captains along with Decker, Miller, Boren, Barrett and safety Tyvis Powell. Perry led the Buckeyes with 124 tackles.
Darron Lee (R-So.) and Raekwon McMillan (So.) will also start.
Backups: Chris Worley (R-So.); Cam Williams (Sr.); and Dante Booker (So.).
Cornerback
Starters: Eli Apple (R-So.) returns as a starter. Gareon Conley (R-So.) will start for the first time.
Starters: Tyvis Powell (R-Jr.) returns after starting all 15 games last season. Vonn Bell (Jr.), who started 14 games, also returns. Bell led the secondary with 92 tackles and six interceptions.
Backups: Erick Smith (So.); and Trotwood-Madison grad Cam Burrows (Jr.).
Kicker
Starter: Duke graduate transfer Jack Willoughby (Sr.) or last year's starter Sean Nuernberger (So.) have competed throughout camp for the starting job. Meyer said Thursday he had not decided on a starter.
Backup: Tyler Durbin (Jr.)
Punter
Starter: Cameron Johnston (Jr.) has led the Big Ten in punting two years in a row, averaging 44.0 as a freshman and 45.1 last season. He is the only punter listed on the roster.
Longsnapper
Starter: Bryce Haynes (R-Sr.) will handle all longsnapping duties for a second straight season.
Backup: Aaron Mawhirter (Jr.).
Returners
Starters: Miller or Samuel will return punts in the first game. Samuel or Warren Ball (Jr.) will return kickoffs. Marshall and Wilson could factor in the return game when they return from suspension. Marshall returned 24 of the team's 40 punts last season. Wilson returned 22 of 39 kickoffs.
Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech preview: Defending champs seek payback September 6, 2015 Source: Land-Grant Holy Land - Ohio State...The running game for the Buckeyes should be different this season, as we saw Heisman candidate Ezekiel Elliot get just eight carries in last year's contest, totaling just 32 yards. During most of last season, 'Zeke was battling a wrist injury that left him unable to use his left hand. Elliott will be able to make good use of both hands in 2015, and after a strong finisht o last season, we can expect a much better game out of him this time around compared to last season...
Virginia Tech...Virginia Tech returns eight starters on offense, and nine starters on defense. While not thought of as an offensive powerhouse, the Hokies return starting quarterback Michael Brewer, who completed just under 64 percent of his passes against Ohio State for 199 yards, two touchdowns and two picks. Brewer completed 23 passes, seven of which went to different receivers...
Game Preview: Ohio State @ Virginia Tech September 5, 2015 Source: The Buckeye Battle Cry - One of the countries’ most dangerous defenses against what has become College Football’s most vaunted offense. Two legendary coaches facing off for just the second time — with the games’ most touted head man trying to get one back from one of the game’s legendary minds......
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Complete Game Preview September 1, 2015 Source: Bleacher Report - An offseason of hype will finally come to an end on Monday when No. 1 Ohio State invades Blacksburg, Virginia, for a prime-time matchup against Virginia Tech.
The Buckeyes, fresh off their run through the first-ever College Football Playoff, are looking to avenge their only loss of their championship season—a stunning 35-21 defeat in last year's home opener. The Hokies, coming off a disappointing 7-6 campaign, are hoping to prove that last year's game wasn't a fluke.
Beyond that, the highly anticipated season opener should answer a lot of the offseason's biggest questions. Which of the elite quarterbacks will take the field first as Ohio State's starter? Will the suspensions of Joey Bosa and a trio of pivotal receivers play a huge (and potentially decisive) role? Is Virginia Tech ready to reemerge as the national contender it was a decade ago?...
Frank Beamer Discusses Tech's Highly Anticipated Season Opener Against Ohio State August 31, 2015 Source: TheKeyPlay.com - "The one thing that we've never had is beaten a number one team in the country," said Beamer. "We've had our chances...but haven't got it done. So certainly there's a challenge. And I don't know if there's ever been a number one team in the country that is as far number one as this crowd."
If the Hokies hope to pull off another upset over the Buckeyes, they'll need to slow down Ohio State star running back Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott only managed 32 yards on 8 carries in the 2014 matchup, but Beamer knows containing the Heisman hopeful the second time around will be a tall task.
"He's very, very good," said Beamer. "Big, tough, good. Coming down the stretch, he was really instrumental for those guys during that championship run... And you expect him to carry it right over. We got to tackle that old boy, that's the only thing I know. Swarm him and tackle him."...
Hokies Open 29th Season Under Beamer, Rematch With Preseason No. 1 Ohio State Looms
• Buckeyes will be the first active Big Ten school to visit Lane Stadium
• VIrginia Tech hosts defending national champion OSU in one of the most highly-anticipated games in Lane Stadium lore.
• The Hokies handed the Buckeyes a 35-21 loss at Ohio Stadium (9/6/14) before 107,517 fans, the largest in-stadium
crowd ever to witness a VT game, snapping OSU's 25-game regular season winning streak.
• OSU's last two losses have come vs. ACC foes (35-21 to Virginia Tech & 40-35 vs. Clemson on 1/3/14).
• OSU hasn't lost consecutive contests to the same foe in back-to-back years since losing 18-15 vs. USC (9/12/09).
• For the second time in three years, the Hokies open the season against the defending national champions after
facing No. 1 Alabama to start the 2013 season. OSU is 38-3 overall under Urban Meyer.
Virginia Tech Owns One of Nation's Best Homefield Advantages at Lane Stadium
• Dating back to 1995, VT is 105-23 (.820) at Lane Stadium, the seventh-best home win percentage among Power Five
teams over the past 20 seasons. Ohio State tops that list with a 121-16 (.883) mark.
• Since the start of the 1996 campaign, VT is 48-3 (.941) against non-conference foes at home, including a streak of 32
straight wins from 1999-09. VT has held 42 of those foes to 17 points or less.
• The Hokies are 83-3 (.865) overall at Lane Stadium when holding opponents to 17 or less since 1996.
• Dating back to 2000, Tech is 4-4 vs. AP Top 10 foes at home. VT has never defeated the nation's No. 1 squad, but
register a 31-7 home win vs. No. 2 Miami (11/1/03) to end a 39-game Miami regular season win streak.
Turnovers, Big Plays & Third-Down Stats, Foster Leads the #LunchPailD
• Since Bud Foster took over as VT's sole defensive coordinator in 1996, VT (527) ranks fourth among Power Five
squads in total takeaways, trailing only USC (556), Florida State (538) and Oregon (528).
• Over that same span, only Kansas State (112) has more combined defensive and special teams TDs than Virginia
Tech (106). Ohio State is among four teams tied for third with 92.
• In OSU's 38 wins under Meyer, the Buckeyes are +16 in the turnover column have committed 1.5 giveaways per
game (56 total). In three losses, they are -1 (2.5 gives per game, including three gives vs. VT (9/6/14).
• Preseason All-America CB Kendall Fuller pairs with Brandon Facyson to give VT one of the top FBS corner combos.
• Among Power Five teams, only Louisville & TCU (26 apiece) forced more INTs than Ohio State (25) in 2014.
• Dating back to 1996, only Florida State (31.2) has been better in third-down defense than VT (31.5).
• OSU's offense ranked third among Power Five teams with a third-down conversion rate of 52.0 (103 of 198).
• VT's defense held OSU to 25.0 (4 of 16) last year, while VT's offense converted 52.9% (9 of 17) third-down tries. In
two CFB Playoff Games, OSU limited No. 1 Alabama & No. 3 Oregon to a combined 14.8% (4 of 27) on third down.
STREAKS STOP HERE
During the tenure of Frank Beamer, the Hokies have put a halt to
several notable opponent streaks, including a quartet of big streakstoppers
vs. AP Top 25 foes.
After snapping a string of 25 straight
Ohio State wins last season, the Buckeyes visit Blacksburg owning
a streak of 13 consecutive wins, including a 42-20 win vs. No. 3
Oregon in the CFB Playoff National Championship Game (1/12/15).
Other streaks ended:
39 games #2 Miami Regular season 31-7 11/1/03 Lane Stadium
29 games #19 TAMU Home non-conf. 13-3 9/21/02 Kyle Field
25 games #8 OSU Regular season 35-21 9/6/14 Ohio Stadium
9 games #9 Texas Unbeaten streak 28-10 12/31/95 LA Superdome
