Ohio State lost a step without J.T. Barrett, but Cardale Jones did enough to get No. 3 Ohio State a 28-14 victory over a feisty Minnesota team Saturday night.
The Buckeyes (9-0) are still alive in the College Football Playoff race, and they're in sole possession of the lead in the Big Ten East after Nebraska upset No. 7 Michigan State.
Here's how the Buckeyes graded out from their 14-point win over the Gophers.
Ohio State Buckeyes Grade Analysis
Pass Offense
Cardale Jones had a golden opportunity to reinsert himself back into the quarterback conversation against Minnesota, but the same struggles that got him benched showed up Saturday night.
Through most of the first half, Jones struggled with his accuracy and was unable to convert on third down. He completed just five of his first nine passes for 44 yards, but he doubled that total on one play when he found Jalin Marshall behind the Minnesota secondary to set up the offense's first score of the game.
Jones finished the game completing 12 of 22 passes for 187 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, although he did fumble the ball late in the third quarter.
Run Offense
With Jones' struggles in the passing game, Ezekiel Elliott and the rushing attack didn't have many lanes in the first half.
That didn't slow Elliott completely, though, as he still managed 55 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. He was the only one gaining ground through two quarters, as Braxton Miller and Jones combined for minus-six yards.
Things picked up for the Buckeyes in the second half, though. Ohio State bulldozed its way to 140 rushing yards in the second half, and Ezekiel Elliott finished with 114 yards, eclipsing 100 yards for the 14th consecutive game.
Pass Defense
Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner eclipsed 300 passing yards for the first time in his career two weeks ago when the Gophers played Nebraska, and last week against Michigan's stingy defense, he netted a career-high 317 yards.
There was a lot of momentum for Minnesota's passing attack, but that was halted almost entirely by Ohio State's secondary.
The Gophers couldn't get anything going in the air, gaining just 88 passing yards in the first half and 281 total, most of which came in garbage time as Ohio State was preventing the big play. Leidner completed 61.3 percent of his passes, and he was picked off in the second quarter by Vonn Bell, who returned it 16 yards for the game's first score.
Simply put, it was a dominant performance from the Buckeyes.
Run Defense
Ohio State was just as good against the run.
The Buckeyes had given up some big games on the ground to Maryland quarterback Perry Hills, who ran for 170 yards, and Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, who ran for 194. They tightened the screws against Rutgers before the bye week, and against Minnesota, they proved that they hadn't skipped a beat.
The Gophers gained just 33 yards on 26 carries, averaging 1.3 yards per carry.
Special Teams
Jalin Marshall and Cameron Johnston paced the special teams unit in the first half.
Marshall was pretty much the only spark with the ball in his hands through two quarters, averaging 16 yards on three punt returns. Johnston was solid as usual punting the ball, pinning Minnesota inside its own 20 on three of four punts before the break.
It was a quiet second half that turned disappointing when Jack Willoughby missed a chip-shot 35-yard field goal that would have put the game away midway through the fourth quarter.
Coaching
The Buckeyes had a full week to get the offense ready and adjusted with Jones under center, but they came out extremely flat against the Gophers. Part of that's on Jones, who just doesn't look like the same quarterback we saw tear through the postseason last year.
Is head coach Urban Meyer saving the package of plays that involve Miller throwing the ball for the two-week stretch against Michigan State and Michigan? If so, that seems counterproductive—the Buckeyes could have used the lift, and it's not like the Spartans and the Wolverines are blind to the possibility.
The offense seemed to be hitting its groove with Barrett at the helm. He'll likely get the nod against Illinois next week, so we'll see if the Buckeyes can get back on track.
David Regimbal is the Ohio State football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.
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