Ohio State DE Jack Sawyer reveals true feelings on how the Week 2 blowout win over Western Michigan felt

Ohio State took care of their Week 2 opponent Western Michigan in dominant fashion and did something they hadn’t in a half-decade during the process.

The Buckeyes 56-0 win over Western Michigan was the first shutout that Ohio State has had since 2019 when they blanked Cincinnati. It was something that the Buckeyes were dialed in on doing and it started with their leadership.

“It’s huge. We’ve been close 100 times in the last three years,” senior defensive end Jack Sawyer said after the game . “It’s something that we’re chasing week in and week out. We know we have the guys to do it. To get that first one was great, but I hope we get a couple of more.”

Ohio State allowed just 99 total yards on defense compared to the 683 that they had on offense . Cornerback Davison Igbinosun led the way with seven tackles and safety Caleb Downs totaled six of them. Overall, the Buckeyes recorded three sacks. Sawyer and linebacker Cody Simon both had their first of the season and Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton combined for a sack.

The Buckeyes did not force a turnover, but Ryan Day has to be happy with the way that Jim Knowles’ defense played in Week 2. Western Michigan is a team that only lost 28-14 to Wisconsin to open their season.

“All I could hear the defensive guys talk about at halftime was ‘shutout,’” Ryan Day said after the game. “So yeah, there's a mindset there and our guys are competitive. I think you can see that. Even in the end, they are competing. That’s a good sign. I’ve said that all summer, and you can feel it on the field. So, yeah it's something these guys have pride in.”

Ohio State was able to rotate their depth in for the fourth quarter and some of the third. It was the early season win that you need to test your depth for later down the road. With the expanded College Football Playoff, that depth is going to matter more than ever.

Ohio State is 2-0 and pitched their first shutout of the season on defense against Western Michigan. All is good in Columbus through two weeks of the college football season.

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