The Significance of Ohio State's 34-10 win vs. Michigan State

Buckeyes dominate their first ranked opponent with big second quarter

Ohio State coach Ryan Day has talked about his team's charmed start leaving one box unchecked on the list of qualifying characteristics all national championship contenders must exhibit.

Now he need no longer fret about the fourth-ranked Buckeyes failure to play four full quarters and handle the accompanying duress.

No. 25 Michigan State put more pressure on OSU Saturday night in Ohio Stadium than all five of the Buckeyes previous opponents combined and it did not matter in a 34-10 final.

Here are the significant takeaways from Ohio State's victory that allows it to enter the first of two bye weeks having navigated the first half of its regular-season schedule without a loss.

• Day passed the test against an elite defensive strategist in Mark Dantonio.

• Quarterback Justin Fields shook off a shaky start to deliver a dominant second quarter and held together in the second half after throwing his first collegiate interception and later suffering a second turnover on a lost fumble.

• OSU's offensive line got its ego bruised by a Spartans defense that dominated early, but by the break the Buckeyes had cleared the way for almost 150 yards on the ground, nearly three times the amount MSU averaged giving up through its first five games.

Day finds  way to get the Buckeyes in the end zone

Ohio State's first touchdown, a 60-yard strike to Binjamin Victor, should make OSU fans feel good about a future College Football Playoff matchup with Alabama.

 Dantonio is a Saban disciple and former assistant on his staff. But the way Day used a Zone Read look from Fields to free Victor in the flat for the catch-and-run touchdown shows OSU's play-caller can hang with anyone.

 Likewise, Fields will grow from this game.

He experienced no stress at all via OSU's first five opponents.

MSU made him work through a difficult first quarter in which the Buckeyes gained only 16 yards on 16 plays.

Second-quarter touchdown passes give Buckeyes control

Fields overthrew Luke Farrell early, took a bad sack and seemed befuddled by MSU's rush.

But he responded in a big way in the second quarter, finding Victor for OSU's first touchdown and then Farrell after looking off coverage for another TD.

A fourth-quarter touchdown run from the 1 allowed Fields to score via the rush and via TD pass for the sixth straight game.

He is the first Big Ten player in the last 20 years to accomplish that feat.

Offensive line took its lumps in the first quarter

Fields success coincided with the Ohio State offensive line finding its footing. Until it did, scary scenarios started cropping up about future Playoff matchups with dominant defensive lines from Bama or Clemson.

Maybe this line needed to be stretched like that. The fact it adjusted on the fly is a good thing, because if J.K. Dobbins gets space to rush for well over 100 yards, the Buckeyes are going to be a very tough out.