Ohio State steamrolls Michigan 42-13

Ohio State's offense learns quickly.

A week after totaling just 132 yards against Michigan State in its first loss of the season, Ohio State ran for 370 yards in a 42-13 win over Michigan on Saturday.

And while the domination is a sign Ohio State's offense wasn't broken beyond repair against the Spartans, it's also going to make Buckeyes fans wonder if things would have been different had Ohio State's offense performed like this earlier in the season.

Ezekiel Elliott ran for 214 yards and two touchdowns, and J.T. Barrett ran for 138 and three touchdowns as the Buckeyes ran over, around and through the Wolverines. With Elliott and Barrett in the backfield, Ohio State made Michigan play gaps, and when the Wolverines overcommitted, one or the other would break a big gain.

Elliott got just 12 carries against the Spartans. The Ohio State coaching staff made sure he was safely past that mark Saturday as he finished with 30 carries. Both offensive coordinator Ed Warriner and co-offensive coordinator Tim Beck moved to the press box for the game. Did the move help? It's impossible to say it did or didn't, unless it was the catalyst for the Buckeyes to stick with the power running game.

Oh, by the way, Elliott was asked about the play-calling in Saturday's game by ESPN's Holly Rowe. He had no complaints.

Ohio State's rushing defense was pretty good too. The Buckeyes held the Wolverines to 55 rushing yards on 24 carries.

After taking a 14-10 halftime lead, Ohio State opened the second half with a touchdown drive. Following a defensive stop, the Buckeyes struck again with a drive that included 16 plays and spanned more than seven minutes. The final play was a Barrett touchdown run, his third of the day, to push the lead to 28-10. The 18-point lead was insurmountable for the Wolverines.

Michigan also lost quarterback Jake Rudock in the fourth quarter to an injury that could keep him out of a bowl game. Rudock was sacked by defensive end Joey Bosa and landed on his left shoulder with Ohio State leading 35-13. After he was attended to by Michigan's medical staff, he was helped to the sidelines and didn't return.

Rudock finished 19-of-32 passing for 263 yards and a touchdown. The Wolverines also utilized defensive back Jabrill Peppers more on offense. Peppers led the team in rushing yards and also had two catches.

At 11-1, Ohio State is undoubtedly going to a prestigious bowl game. The only question is which one. If Michigan State falls to Penn State, the Buckeyes could head to the College Football Playoff with a win in the Big Ten title game. If MSU wins Saturday afternoon, the more likely scenario is a New Year's Six bowl game, perhaps the Fiesta Bowl. And with the way the Buckeyes played on Saturday, there's no one who wants to face them.