Ohio State Football: Why They Scored a Final Touchdown Instead of Running Out the Clock.

Ohio State Football: Why They Scored a Final Touchdown Instead of Running Out the Clock

Introduction: The Controversy Around the Final Play

Ohio State called it an exclamation point to its 38-15 victory over Indiana.
Others might have raised their eyebrows at the Buckeyes punching in the final touchdown with 35 seconds left instead of taking a knee.

The play was set up by Tre Veyon Henderson, who broke free with a 39-yard run up the middle and would have scored had he not slid to the turf at the 1.

“I said, ‘You’re a better man than me, dude,’” Howard said when asked his reaction to Henderson not scoring. “I don’t know if I would have gotten that far down the field and slid down at the 1. But hey, he’s being a smart football player.”

The play came after Indiana scored a touchdown and converted a 2-point conversion to make it a two-possession game. That made the Hoosiers mathematically, but infinitesimally, closer to a comeback.

But the bottom line was sealed when the resulting onside kick sailed out of bounds and Ohio State gained possession at the IU 40.

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Day said the Buckeyes took the approach it did at the end of the Penn State game, when it chewed up the final 5 minutes of the game with run plays. On the last play of that game, Howard broke free on a run and had a chance to score but slid instead.

After Henderson’s run, Ohio State was going to take a kneel-down on the final snap of the game.

But Howard ran twice, scoring on the second one.

We’re on the 1-yard line,” Day said, “and we just felt like we wanted to put an exclamation point on the win by going ahead and sneaking it in.”

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said he had no issue with OSU not taking a knee.
No, (Day has) got to do what he’s got to do for his team,” he said.

The touchdown mattered to some bettors because the game’s over/under on total points was about 52 points.

Ohio State silenced whatever critics are out there by dominating No. 5 Indiana on both sides of the ball on Saturday.

It wasn’t so much that the Hoosiers are frauds, although they also aren’t as good as their 10-1 record suggests. It is more that the Buckeyes put it together on offense, defense and specials teams − a good sign moving forward.

The highlight? Caleb Downs’ 79-yard punt return for a touchdown that broke open a 14-7 game and sparked No. 2 OSU to its big finish.

Caleb Downs makes the big play
Let it be left to the best player in the field, as they make their own biggest play in the game. Maybe for the season.

Downs, OSU’s defense equivalent of wide receiver Jeremiah Smith to the offense, delivered a body blow that propelled No 5 Indiana and kept alive OSU’s bid to play Oregon in the Big Ten championship game Dec. 7 in Indianapolis.

With the Buckeyes clinging to a 14-7 lead early in the third quarter, Downs returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown – the first OSU punt return for a touchdown since 2014, when Jaylin Marshall took one back 54 yards against the Hoosiers.

Downs‘ return also made good on coach Ryan Day‘s August promise that the Buckeyes would return a punt or kickoff for six points this year.

“I’m going to guarantee it this year,” Day said Aug. 29 on his weekly radio show. “I’m putting it out there.”

Not to be outdone, former OSU return man Ted Ginn Jr. said on the Big Ten Network tailgate show that “We’re going to get a punt return to the house.”

Downs scooping the bouncing ball at the 21-yard line and scooting effortlessly along the OSU sideline was to see an elite athlete strut his stuff.