Tallying a season-high 28 points in the first half and adding 16 more in the second to register a comfortable 44-28 over Notre Dame, the Buckeye offense set the tone with great success on first down throughout the day.
Scoring four touchdowns on five possessions in the opening 30 minutes, Ohio State chewed up 120 yards on 18 first down plays, good for 6.7 per with a touchdown. Ed Warinner, Urban Meyer (and Tim Beck?) kept the Irish defense at bay with balanced first down playcalling that saw the OSU offense run it 10 times and attempt eight passes.