COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Facing a triple option offense, and a team that likes to muck things up the way Army does, is not exactly what No. 8 Ohio State would have preferred coming off a loss to Oklahoma last week.
Playing the Black Knights is not necessarily a good opportunity to find a cure for what ails you. Games against service academies tend to get a little funky.
But the Buckeyes showed you a glimpse of what their offense will likely be moving forward with a third-quarter sequence that helped seal a 38-7 win on Saturday in Ohio Stadium.
A 52-yard touchdown run from running back J.K. Dobbins to cap a two-play scoring drive gave Ohio State a 24-7 lead, but more importantly, it set up the Buckeyes' next possession. A 31-yard hookup between quarterback J.T. Barrett and tight end Marcus Baugh off of play-action set up another score, this one through the air 20 yards to Terry McLaurin.
If you were looking for the Buckeyes (2-1) to throw the ball all over the yard on Army, then maybe you were left disappointed. If you were hoping to see Ohio State come out against an over-matched opponent and work on building the passing game off of the running game, then you should have been pleased.
Ohio State wasn't going to win anyone over on Saturday. This was the beginning of a month-long stretch to get some stuff figured out before traveling to Nebraska on Oct. 14 (though maybe that's a snoozer now too) and hosting Penn State on Oct. 28.
Toss out the tape of the Buckeyes' defense, because they're not going to see anything like Army's flexbone triple option again until the next time Ohio State plays a game against a service academy. There aren't any of those lined up through 2028.
Army ran 59 times for 259 yards. Ohio State had 586 yards of total offense, despite getting beat in time of possession by nearly 14 minutes.
Pay attention to some of the minor offensive tweaks Ohio State tried. That was working the perimeter with bubble screens, swing passes and the return of the jet sweep. It was running Dobbins inside to the tune of 172 yards on 13 carries. And it was putting Barrett in more comfortable positions, making quick throws to open guys.
Barrett finished 25-of-33 for 270 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed seven times for 32 yards and a touchdown. He broke Drew Brees' Big Ten record for touchdowns responsible for in a career. He's now accounted for 107 touchdowns in his Ohio State career.
Barrett found his two H-backs -- Parris Campbell and K.J. Hill -- a lot in the short passing game. Campbell finished with eight catches for 74 yards. Hill had six catches for 54 yards.
He still missed a deep ball to Campbell in the first quarter. His throw to Baugh down the seam for that 31-yard gain in the third quarter was off target, and caught on a good adjustment by Baugh. Those are things he'll have to work through as the Buckeyes continue to play lesser opponents over the next month.
What it means
A chance for the Buckeyes to feel good after getting beat by Oklahoma last week.
Worley out, Borland stars
Starting middle linebacker Chris Worley left in the second quarter with what looked like a lower leg injury to his right leg. He received treatment from the trainers, but did not return to the game. Redshirt freshman Tuf Borland played in Worley's place.
Borland, playing against the kind of offense that provides a lot of opportunities for a middle linebacker, played well. He finished with 12 tackles to lead the Buckeyes.
OSU rolls with three safeties, Erick Smith saves some TDs
The Buckeyes played the entire game with three safeties: Damon Webb, Jordan Fuller and Erick Smith. They used two linebackers with Worley then Borland at middle linebacker, and outside linebacker Jerome Baker. Defensive coordinator Greg Schiano coached from the sideline instead of in the press box.
Smith made the most of his extended time on the field. He finished with nine tackles and two pass breakups. One of those pass breakups saved a touchdown in the second quarter, when he went full extension and nearly picked off a play-action pass. He also saved a touchdown on a kickoff return in the third quarter.
Haskins makes his debut
There was no plan for backup quarterback Dwayne Haskins, but he did get in the game with 4:36 left in the fourth quarter. He finished 4-for-4 for 46 yards.
What's next?
Ohio State is back home next Saturday for a 12 p.m. kickoff against UNLV. The game will be televised on Big Ten Network.