The Buckeyes jumped out to a big first half lead behind J.T. Barrett, but Gunner Kiel helped Cincinnati close the deficit to 30-21 at the half.
Read: First Half Recap
The Bearcats hung around thanks to a couple big plays, but ultimately could not keep up with Ohio State for a full four quarters.
Quick-hitters:
Gunner Kiel smoked the Ohio State secondary, throwing for 352 yards and four touchdowns.
Chris Moore had just three receptions but they all went for touchdowns, as he scored from 60, 83, and 78 yards out respectively - finishing with a grand total of 221 yards receiving.
J.T. Barrett continued his impressive stretch finishing with 324 yards and four touchdown passes, along with 79 yards rushing.
Ezekiel Elliot turned it on in the second half, carrying the ball 29 times for 188 yards - a new career high.
Key Player: J.T. Barrett - 25/35, 324 yards, four touchdowns, 79 yards rushing
Turning Point: Up by eight late in the third quarter, Barrett found receiver Dontre Wilson for a 26 yard touchdown to open the lead to 43-28.
Even with Cincinnati's high-powered passing game, that score took the momentum away from the Bearcats, essentially icing the game at that point.
What We Learned:
1) Barrett is coming into his own after this performance. After struggling early in the season, he has put up nine touchdowns and xx yards in his last two games.
He should continue to gain confidence as the season wears on, so performances like this should be within his skill set.
2) The Buckeyes secondary is still a work in progress after getting torched by Cincinnati's aerial assault. While the Bearcats have one of the most prolific passing games in the nation, Ohio State's defensive backs looked slow and over-matched on multiple big plays.
3) After a slow start to the season, Ezekiel Elliot turned in the best game of his career on Saturday. If Elliot can continue to produce moving forward, the Buckeyes may have found the missing element needed to open this offense up.
What's Next?
The Buckeyes head to Maryland next week, while Cincinnati hosts Memphis.
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