Off-Script Ohio: Buckeyes bury UCLA, injuries stack up, and Rutgers looms before The Game

On this week’s episode of Off-Script Ohio, presented by Land-Grant Holy Land, Cole and Joey recapped Ohio State’s 48–10 win over UCLA. A game that was never competitive but still delivered plenty to talk about. The Buckeyes dominated on the ground as Bo Jackson (112 yards, TD), Isaiah West (61 yards, TD), and James Peoples (42 yards, 2 TDs) powered an offense that looked more comfortable running the ball than it has all year. The passing game, however, was noticeably out of sync without Carnell Tate and with Jeremiah Smith entering the game banged up. Julian Sayin threw for just 184 yards, and while he spread the ball around effectively, the receivers struggled to create the same separation as Ohio State’s usual stars. Defensively, Ohio State overwhelmed a UCLA offense led by a first-time starting quarterback, holding the Bruins to short throws and predictable calls all afternoon. True freshman Devin Sanchez was targeted often, giving up a few plays, but Cole emphasized that the learning curve is normal and his upside remains sky-high. The bigger concern was injuries, Jeremiah Smith was questionable coming into the game and Carnell Tate was out. C.J Donaldson also did not play in this game, and several defensive players played limited snaps. Nationally, chaos defined the weekend. Notre Dame rolled Pitt behind another dominant showing from Jeremiah Love, Oklahoma stunned Alabama with a defensive-heavy win, USC edged Iowa, and Georgia dismantled Texas in a late-game surge. Texas A&M pulled off a stunning 31–30 comeback after trailing 30–3 at halftime, while Michigan barely escaped Northwestern and we found out they’ve lost Justice Haynes for the season, a major development ahead of The Game. On the basketball front, Ohio State followed a shaky start against App State with a strong second half to win 75–53, then survived Notre Dame 64–63 behind 24 points from Bruce Thornton and a game-winning bucket from Christoph Tilly. Rebounding remains a concern, but the defense looked significantly improved, especially against ND star Markus Burton. Cole tripled down on his prediction that Thornton will be an All-American. Looking ahead, Ohio State hosts a 33-point-underdog Rutgers team that has a respectable offense but one of the worst defenses in the country. With SEC “cupcake week” limiting national matchups, all eyes remain on November 29. For now, the Buckeyes keep rolling, but the health of the roster may define how far this team can ultimately go. Theme music provided by Audiio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices