OSU rolls in second half to stop Cincinnati

Two armed sheriff’s deputies flanked Tommy Tuberville on each side. The veteran college football coach walked out of the University of Cincinnati halftime locker room and seemed to take in the scene. A curious smile — like he knew something no one else did — hung from his skinny chin.

Behind him an orange hue had settled across the Columbus skyline. The Bearcats left their locker room early. Tuberville told his players to charge down the tunnel leading to the field at Ohio Stadium. They had momentum and “we’ve got work to do.” The players roared back.

Tuberville tried to ride gunslinging Gunner Kiel to a Top 25 upset of Ohio State. The magic ran out. The Buckeyes matched the Bearcats punch for punch and J.T.

Barrett grew up as Ohio State’s quarterback in a 50-28 win.

A record crowd of 108,362 would attest the game seemed closer than the final score.

Urban Meyer watched a 30-7 lead slowly trickle away between the second and third quarters. Tuberville’s sly smile seemed to have something to it when the Bearcats made it a 33-28 game on a 78-yard bomb that torched OSU’s fragile secondary.

“I was pissed,” Meyer said of the lead dwindling. “Great teams don’t do that. I don’t take anything away from UC. That’s probably the best throwing team we’ve faced since we’ve been here. … But we’re Ohio State, too. We better learn how to defend the pass.”

While Barrett took the reigns of the offense, running back Ezekiel Elliott took control of its identity. The 6-foot, 225-pounder ran with a purpose and punished Cincinnati defenders all night. Elliott finished with 182 yards and two touchdowns on ground. He had 233 total yards.

“Running or catching, Ezekiel gives you 110 percent,” Barrett said.

“Before he leaves here, he could be one of the great backs at Ohio State,” Meyer said.

It was the biggest offensive night since the Hoover administration for Ohio State. The Buckeyes gained 710 total yards. When Bri’onte Dunn carried late in the fourth quarter, it put OSU over the record 718 set against Mount Union in 1930. On the next play, Cardale Jones took a 20-yard loss on a ball snapped over his head.

What stands out about OSU’s offense is its balance. The Buckeyes had 380 rushing and 330 in the air.

“This is a balanced offense,” Barrett said. “The only time we (stalled) is when we shot ourselves in the foot. It wasn’t anything they did to us.”

The Bearcats struck first, a 60-yard touchdown pass that sailed over safety Vonn Bell’s helmet because he never turned around to watch the pass. It was a hint of the night that was about to come over OSU’s questionable pass coverage.

Kiel finished with 352 yards passing and completed 21 of 32 passes and four touchdown passes.

“We got back to the drawing board,” Meyer said.

But Barrett directed an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Rod Smith scoring from the 7 to tie the game. The offense threw plenty of its own haymakers.

Ohio State’s offense seemed to take control of the game from there. The Buckeyes led 14-7. Then defensive end Joey Bosa laid a brutal hit on Kiel that forced a fumble into Cincinnati’s end zone. Eric Lefeld, who Bosa beat on the play, swatted the ball through the end zone for a safety.

Devin Smith hauled in a 19-yard TD pass from Barrett for a 23-7 lead.

The stadium rocked when Evan Spencer’s TD pass made it 30-7.

The stadium got nervous after that. Freshman running back Curtis Samuel lost a fumble after OSU crossed the 50 and was heading for 37 points.

The Bearcats answered.

Then OSU dropped three straight passes, including a key third-down drop from Devin Smith.

A door was open for a come back.

Meyer grew anxious on the sideline.

His offense hit its stride again. Sean Nuernberger hit two field goals while the offense got its bearings. Dontre Wilson and Smith would catch TD passes.

“The hardest offense to defend is one that gets vertical and horizontal,” Meyer said. “We have that punch now.”

There were glimpses of a good, if not contending, football team at times.

Meyer shook his head.

It was a few hours after Tuberville’s locker room smile. Meyer had a stone-cold look on his face.

“You don’t give up 300 yard passing and be able to look you in the eye and say we’re a championship-style football team,” Meyer said. “Certain units are. Not all nine.”

Reach Todd at 330-580-8340 or todd.porter@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @toddporter