Snap Judgments: Ohio State offense roars back to life in relentless Purdue beatdown

COLUMBUS — Ohio State may still be looking for another complete performance.

But the Buckeyes had no trouble finding another win, this time letting the offense tap back in for a turn leading the way.

After a couple weeks of relying on the defense to set the tone, the nation’s most explosive attack was back to its old ways by slicing up Purdue from start to finish. Ohio State could seemingly only stop itself with the football, scoring at will in a 59-31 beatdown of a ranked opponent on Saturday in the Horseshoe.

There will surely be a few questions about that second number in the scoreline, especially after issues that had seemingly been solved on defense popped back up again. Of course, there also wasn’t a whole lot being asked of that unit considering just how much support the Buckeyes were getting on the other side of the ball.

Either way, Ohio State isn’t going to complain about another Big Ten win — particularly in blowout fashion.

Bottom Line: The Buckeyes somehow can still get better, and that’s a scary thought after easily picking apart Purdue.

That’s where the Snap Judgments begin as Lettermen Row looks at yet another Big Ten victory for Ryan Day and Ohio State.

Ohio State offense still doesn’t need C.J. Stroud to run

After all the hand-wringing about the offensive breakdowns over the last two weeks, it turns out C.J. Stroud’s legs weren’t the problem — or the solution. Ohio State rolled up six straight touchdowns to open the game without the quarterback rushing even once, focusing instead on better execution up front and more creative play-calling to get the desired balance back in the attack. It obviously helps to have Garrett Wilson back in the fold, and he provided an unmistakable spark as both a receiving and rushing threat. The Buckeyes have simply too much talent to have struggled for long, and they were back to their explosive ways on Saturday afternoon.

Buckeyes get results when shortening rotation at linebacker

The production points didn’t lie, and Ohio State could no longer afford to ignore them with championships on the line. So, Steele Chambers started at linebacker for the Buckeyes — and stayed on the field for almost every meaningful snap in the first half. In short order, the converted running back has become arguably the most important piece of the revamped Silver Bullets. Along with Cody Simon, the Buckeyes finally appeared ready to shorten the rotation and stick with the tacklers who have made the most impact. And they found trouble when they mixed in different combinations off the bench, particularly against the pass. If Ohio State can stick with what works, that will be critical down the stretch in terms of building chemistry and continuity with physical run-game tests coming against Michigan and Michigan State.

Garrett Wilson is truly game-changing weapon for Ohio State

The impact on the overall offense is obvious, but it bears repeating: Garrett Wilson is special and changes almost everything for the Ohio State offense. The Buckeyes are blessed with plenty of playmakers, and Wilson’s running mates Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Chris Olave both showed why they are future NFL stars as well in the blowout of Purdue. But the fantastic routes, the jaw-dropping aerial grab and the blinding speed for Wilson deserve all the acclaim after his four-touchdown masterpiece. The fact that he was returning from a week off due to a concussion made it all the more impressive for Wilson and Ohio State.