The Ohio State Buckeyes are advancing within the School Soccer Playoff because of a decisive 42-17 win over the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday evening.
Ohio State strikes onto the quarterfinals the place it is going to play the No. 1 seed Oregon Geese within the Rose Bowl subsequent week.
Will probably be a Massive Ten convention rematch, with Oregon having gained the primary assembly, 32-31, earlier this season.
Listed here are 4 takeaways from Saturday’s Ohio State win.
Ryan Day wanted this
Regardless that Ohio State entered the playoff as a top-10 group and with solely two losses on the season, the vibes across the program appeared a bit of bleak.
Once we final noticed them enjoying they had been shedding — once more — to their fiercest rival (Michigan) and giving freely an opportunity to play within the Massive Ten championship sport, after which humiliated themselves afterward by getting right into a brawl over a flag-planting on the 50-yard line.
It was not nice, and it arrange a scenario the place head coach Ryan Day may must go on an in depth run into the playoff — and even perhaps win the entire thing — to win again the followers.
Nicely, he and the Buckeyes took a giant step towards successful them again on Saturday evening with an emphatic win over Tennessee.
Calling it an emphatic win may not even be doing it sufficient justice. The Buckeyes pummeled the Volunteers as quickly as the sport began, leaping out to a 21-0 lead within the third quarter.
Exterior of a quick stretch in the course of the sport the place Tennessee scored 10 consecutive factors, this was by no means something near a aggressive sport.
Residence groups dominated the primary spherical
This was the primary yr of the School Soccer Playoff having house video games performed on campus, and the house groups feasted in these matchups.
All 4 house groups not solely gained, however all of them gained by double digits.
The one highway group that was inside even 10 factors on the scoreboard was Indiana’s 27-17 loss at Notre Dame on Friday evening, and even that remaining rating was deceptive because the Hoosiers didn’t even discover the tip zone till there have been lower than three minutes to play. That sport was additionally by no means unsure.
Will Howard and Jeremiah Smith had been unstoppable
Just about every little thing Ohio State did on either side of the ball labored to perfection on Saturday evening, however the Howard-to-Smith connection was particularly dominant.
Because it has been all season.
Howard accomplished 24-of-29 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns.
Each touchdowns went to his sensational freshman goal, with the second being a fully excellent throw from Howard the place he simply dropped in over the protection with ease.
