Lesmerises is the dean of Ohio State beat writers....I love reading his stuff year in and year out. This has pretty much been the talk about and around Ohio State football of late.
http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2016/10/the_only_team_scared_of_ohio_s.html#incart_big-photo
Every issue with Ohio State's passing game that popped up in the overtime win at Wisconsin, that popped up in the loss at Penn State, popped up again against the Wildcats in a 24-20 OSU win.
That's a trend. Here's a reality.
The only team scared of Ohio State's passing game is Ohio State.
Northwestern added to the blueprint for attempting to hold down this offense, dropping eight defenders, rushing three, not allowing J.T. Barrett to scramble and either run or make throws off broken plays. The result was the return of the pump-fake dance so familiar over the past month.
Barrett wants to throw. No one is open. He can't throw or won't throw. So he pump fakes.
They'll have to keep proving themselves that way the rest of the season. Because no defense is going to fear it.
http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2016/10/the_only_team_scared_of_ohio_s.html#incart_big-photo