Troy Smith threw three touchdown passes,
Antonio Pittman ran for two scores as Ohio State started its second
month as the No. 1 team in the nation with an easy 35-7 victory over
Bowling Green on Saturday.
The Buckeyes (6-0) toyed with the Falcons (3-3), tacking on two
touchdowns in the final quarter to turn a surprisingly close 21-7
game into a rout. Ohio State stretched the nation's longest winning
streak to 13 in a row.
Smith didn't do anything to hurt his Heisman Trophy candidacy,
completing 17-of-20 passes for 191 yards with no interceptions. His
touchdowns covered three yards to Rory Nichol, 11 yards to Ray Small
and a lightning strike 57-yarder to Ted Ginn Jr.
The 85-per cent completion rate was the third best ever for an
Ohio State quarterback.
Pittman carried 13 times for 61 yards, scoring on two eight-yard
runs.
Early in the fourth quarter, Ginn got a rare chance to return a
punt _ the Falcons punted out of bounds rather than give up a big
return _ and brought it back 21 yards to the Ohio State 43. On the
next play, Smith dropped back in the pocket and fired to Ginn, who
had streaked past defender Antonio Smith to catch the ball at the
seven, racing in the rest of the way untouched.
Ginn caught a career-high 10 passes for 122 yards. The 57-yard
score was the junior's 18th career play covering at least 50 yards.
He has caught eight passes of at least that distance, all from
Smith.
It didn't take long for Ohio State to show its superiority over
their in-state rivals, scoring on three of their first four
possessions for a quick 21-0 lead.
Smith's three-yard touchdown pass to Nichol, a tight end used
mostly for blocking, got the scoring started.
The Falcons took over and drove to a first down at the Ohio State
34. But the Falcons 50-yard field-goal attempt by Sean Ellis' was
blocked by Kurt Coleman.
The Buckeyes made the most of that turnover by methodically
slicing through the Falcons. On third-and-26 at the Bowling Green
42, Smith dropped the snap out of the shotgun formation, then picked
it up and had to avoid a diving tackler at left end. Smith cut
across the grain, racing to the right corner where he was caught
from behind by cornerback Antonio Smith after a 34-yard gain.
On the next play, Pittman skirted left end for the first of his
two eight-yard scores.
Bowling Green turned it over again on its next possession, with
lineman Vernon Gholston grabbing a tipped pass at the Falcons 21.
Three plays later, Pittman sidestepped a tackler at the goal line
to make it 21-0.
The crowd booed loudly each time Bowling Green's Alonso Rojas _ a
rugby-style kicker _ punted out of bounds to avoid putting the ball
in Ginn's hands.
The Falcons put together an impressive drive to start the second
half, moving 85 yards in 15 plays on a mix Anthony Turner's passes
and Chris Bullock's runs. On first down from the Ohio State 12,
Turner, who completed 16-of-24 passes for 179 yards with one
interception, play faked and sprinted left, then threw a pass over
the middle that Corey Partridge snagged with one hand for the
touchdown.
The Buckeyes came right back on a lengthy 14-play drive, scoring
when Smith hit Small on the right side.
