Ohio State flattens Toledo, 77-21

COLUMBUS — Ohio State football's championship-caliber offense checked in early and never left the field Saturday night.To be sure, tougher tests await than Toledo — buried quickly en route to a 77-21 Buckeye victory. One arrives at the end of this week. Wisconsin should be the most physical, best-coached and closest to talent-equated defense Ohio State will have faced thus far.As the final prelude to that Big Ten-opening challenge, C.J. Stroud and his weapons locked in for an extended stretch of what coach Ryan Day demanded during his Skull Session speech — dominance. The avalanche continued after OSU turned things over to walk-ons and those barely old enough to vote. Saturday's 762 yards were the second-most in program history, behind only the 776 used to bury another MAC opponent, Bowling Green, in 2016.A week earlier against similarly overmatched Arkansas State, the Stroud-led offense still settled for three three-and-outs. Saturday night, OSU converted seven of its first eight third-down tries and over the first 40 minutes of play committed only one penalty while averaging over 10 yards per play.An offense that looked out of synch against Notre Dame and still a bit clunky against the Red Wolves found a lethal groove Saturday night.Ohio State scored on all six of its first-half possessions and the first of the second half as well. Jaxon Smith-Njigba returned from his hamstring injury and started. Yet it was the rest of the receiving corps that lacerated a Toledo pass defense that had allowed merely 2.6 yards per attempt through two games.Marvin Harrison Jr. keeps performing as the 1B who will be ready when Smith-Njigba regains 1A status. His 102-yard, two-touchdown performance gave him multiple touchdown receptions in three of his four career starts. Emeka Egbuka and Jayden Ballard joined him in surpassing the century mark.Yet the Buckeyes used less conventional wrinkles as well. Twice in the first half, when Toledo covered Stroud's other options, tight end Cade Stover hauled in big gains that set up red zone tries. He totaled 83 yards on three receptions.Stover's day would have been even more impressive had Stroud not missed him on a wide-open end zone opportunity. The quarterback had been 9 of 9 before that miss. He settled for 367 yards and five touchdowns on 22 of 27 passing.All of that production came despite OSU only having its championship-level offensive personnel together for one series. Starting running back TreVeyon Henderson suffered an apparent foot injury on the game's opening series and did not return. So the most complete version of the Buckeyes might still be lying in wait.Winning withoutSmith-Njigba started and Julian Fleming entered on the second series, quickly answering both of OSU's game-time decisions from the availability report.However, the biggest questions coming out of Saturday's game concerned players not on that list.• Starting safeties Tanner McCalister and Josh Proctor were both declared unavailable before kickoff. Both participated in pre-game warmups, so those appear to be temporary conditions.• Defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. — the breakout star of the defense through the first two games — was in uniform for the game but also did not play a snap. Hall did something to his shoulder later in the Arkansas State game. Day said then, and reiterated during the week, that Hall was not expected to miss time. He did, in fact, miss time.• TreVeyon Henderson played only one series before going to the locker room with an apparent foot injury. He returned to the sideline but did not play again. Miyan Williams carried the load and true freshman Dallan Hayden spelled him.• Starting cornerback Cam Brown also went to the locker room late in the first half. He did not return with the rest of the team to start the second half.Tough to tackleSo it was an undermanned defense that attempted to contain Toledo quarterback Dequan Finn. Ohio State's first tussle with a dual-threat quarterback — Notre Dame's Tyler Buchner — had been a clear victory.Finn could not keep up with OSU"s eruptions, but he gave the Buckeyes fits. The 70 yards and a touchdown on seven carries were not a surprise. The 2018 Michigan Mr. Football had shown his running skills before.Yet he also burned OSU in the air for gains of 40 and 50 yards – using his legs to elude pressure and keeping his vision downfield. Other than Indiana quarterback Michael Penix's second half in 2020, it might have been the best opposing quarterback performance in Ohio Stadium since Nebraska's Adrian Martinez in 2018.What it meansOhio State improves to 50-0-1 against in-state schools dating back to 1921 (and no blemishes at all since the 1924 tie against mighty Wooster).Toledo's defensive numbers coming in were propped up by games against FCS program Long Island and UMass. Yet six touchdowns in six possessions is not automatic even against lower-level competition (as we have seen before).We'll await word on whether Henderson's absence will be an extended one. If not, OSU could have an offense both tuned up and fully intact for the first time next week.What's nextOhio State opens Big Ten Conference play against Wisconsin with its third night game in four weeks. Wisconsin (2-1) bounced back from a home loss to Washington State with a 66-7 victory over New Mexico State.This has been an anticipated matchup since last season, as Henderson and Badgers running back Braelon Allen will go head-to-head for the first time. However, the more intriguing matchup might be Wisconsin defensive coordinator and players such as linebacker Nick Harbig against C.J. Stroud and this OSU offense.