In the film room of the Ohio State Buckeyes’ 49-14 victory over Marshall

The Ohio State Buckeyes did a good job against the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday afternoon, but it wasn't the cleanest performance from Ohio State. They got off to a sluggish start and it took a quarter or two to really get into a rhythm.

One reason they couldn't find a good rhythm was because Marshall's offense was on the field for most of the first half. Ohio State ran just six plays in the first quarter and 20 in the first half. Part of that was because Marshall put together some drives. The other reason was because Ohio State made the big bucks thanks to the big play.

In the first half alone, the Buckeyes scored touchdowns of 68 and 86 yards, resulting in two and one-play drives, respectively. Marshall was able to withstand Ohio State's physicality when they had the football, but Ohio State's offense completely overwhelmed the Thundering Herd.

A few new nuances in Ohio State's offense emerged on Saturday. Chip Kelly's running game continues to evolve in both scheme and players, especially as the front line continues to work better together. The improvement week-to-week is clearly visible and bodes well for Big 10 play that begins next week.

Ohio State will hit the road next week to face the Michigan State Spartans in the opener of its Big 10 schedule. Michigan State will be followed by Iowa and then a trip west to face the Oregon Ducks in the two schools' first meeting as Big 10 opponents.