The Buckeyes hung 45 points on Northwestern, but there were at least a few positives to take away from the game.

Stock up

Though they didn’t break off anything big, Ohio State’s running game was fine in the first half, gaining 85 yards on 26 attempts plus a touchdown. But after the break, Northwestern put the clamps on. The Buckeyes attempted 20 runs in the second half, but turned them into just 21 yards. Meanwhile, Northwestern made plenty of impact plays in the run game, finishing with six non-sack tackles for loss.

Explosive offense

Clayton Thorson had another inconsistent performance on Saturday, but he hit some big plays.