Week 6 was more of the same for Ohio State. Minnesota came to Columbus and received a 42-3 drubbing at the hands of the defending champions. The Buckeyes are now 5-0, still No. 1 in the AP Poll. The only issue so far was that the offense wasn’t humming. That got fixed against the Gophers. Julian Sayin completed 23 of his 27 passes for 326 yards and three TDs. Carnell Tate, their WR2, had a night to remember. 183 yards on nine receptions. Even their freshman RB Bo Jackson looked the part. But when you are that good every week, it’s bound to get boring. Especially when you’re not allowing opposing defense even seven points. Can that be an issue down the line?

On the October 5 episode of his podcast, Josh Pate discussed the Minnesota game, and he immediately got into the ‘boring’ aspect of how Ohio State wins these days. “If you’re not an Ohio State fan, I ask, how much of Ohio State have you watched since Texas? Have you watched them? I guarantee you a lot of you haven’t even watched them because they’re so dominant.”

The Texas game feels like ages ago now. Remember all that hype around Arch Manning and Texas? Pre-season No. 1? Six weeks down the line, that 14-7 win doesn’t even seem that significant anymore. Only because Texas has been so bad since then. But it was still an elite squad, and the Buckeyes’ offense was tested at various points during the game. The defense, with Matt Patricia starting his Ohio State tenure, showed signs of continuity from last year. However, Ryan Day’s team hasn’t been tested since then.

Even in the Washington game, where the Huskies had a 22-game winning streak at home and Demond Williams Jr.’s dual-threat ability, the Buckeyes took a half to figure it out and then just destroyed the streak. Other games were simply one-sided. The Ohio Bobcats never stood a chance. The same goes for Grambling State. And we all saw what they did to Minnesota.

That brings us to a worrying concern. Can these one-sided affairs become an issue down the line? “Is it going to be one of those situations where we get to the end of the year or we get to the Big 10 Championship game, and Ohio State hasn’t had parts of their team challenged all year?” asked Pate.

Looking at their schedule, they travel to Illinois next week, who are coming off a good win against USC. Then later in the season, Ohio State will host Penn State. A few weeks ago, this was a tough matchup. However, looking at what UCLA did to the Nittany Lions, you can just imagine the damage that the Buckeyes can inflict on them. But they may be challenged away at Ann Arbor. That game doesn’t need anything to be competitive. It’s the ultimate rivalry, and Ryan Day has lost the last 4 editions.

But Josh Pate’s point still stands. Ohio State may get through all these games easily and then have Oregon in the B1G Championship game. But Ryan Day has tasted glory now. He knows how to win a national championship. You can rest assured that he’d tackle every sign of complacency.

Brian Hartline’s offense looks different

Ohio State has clearly shifted from a fast-paced attack to a more deliberate, slower-paced offense. Many believe the reason for the change is OC Brian Hartline. Since his arrival, the Buckeyes’ up-tempo game has changed to a methodical approach. While that is not a bad thing, it’s the decision to be slow even when you are scoreless, which is a concerning factor.

Their game against Washington is an example of them adopting a slow offense. The first quarter was frustrating for the fans because Ohio State played a slow offense in a scoreless stage of the game. They repeated the same offensive tactics against Minnesota, scoring only one touchdown in the first quarter.

A possible reason could be the addition of a strong defense this season. Having a solid defense could take the pressure off the game. The offense can then slowly build its attacks. And it is working despite the criticism. Whether it will come back to bite Ryan Day remains to be seen. They may be required to pick up the pace when the defense isn’t its usual self, but looking at how Matt Patricia’s unit has played so far, that day isn’t coming anytime soon.