Ohio State-Purdue final score: Buckeyes thrash Boilers, 56-0

If you missed just the opening minute of the game, you would have missed the entirety of Purdue's puncher's chance against Ohio State. On the game's second play from scrimmage, Ohio State cornerback Doran Grant intercepted Purdue quarterback Danny Etling and returned the pick 33 yards for a touchdown. With that, Ohio State was off and running on their way to their largest shutout Big Ten win since defeating Northwestern 63-0 in 1980.

Following a three-and-out from Purdue, on Ohio State's second offensive play, Heisman candidate quarterback Braxton Miller found tight end Jeff Heuerman alone near the Ohio State sideline for a 40-yard touchdown.

Miller and Heuerman would connect for long gains in each of the next two drives, the first a 24-yard gain in a drive that ended with a Miller interception by Purdue's Ricardo Allen, the next a 34-yard pickup in the middle of Ohio State going 62 yards on six plays to make extend their lead to 21-0 with 2:37 left in the first quarter.

Collecting another Purdue turnover when Noah Spence recovered a Brandon Cottom fumble, Ohio State closed their first quarter scoring with a two-play, 21-yard drive capped by a scrambling Miller finding Philly Brown on the receiving end of a pitch in the end zone.

On 10-of-12 passing, Miller finished the first quarter with 149 yards through the air, three touchdowns and an interception. Heuerman led the air attack with 98 yards receiving on four receptions. The Ohio State defense held Purdue to 71 yards on 21 plays, forcing two turnovers.

The second quarter would be more of the same.

Ohio State conceded 16 second-quarter yards to the Boilermakers, Michael Bennett and Ryan Shazier each collecting sacks during three-play drives that netted negative yardage for Purdue. While the Boilermakers found no traction against the Buckeyes defense, there was little that could stop the Ohio State backfield of Miller and senior running back Carlos Hyde.

Completing five of six passes in Ohio State's first drive of the second quarter, Miller passed for 54 yards, connecting with four different Buckeye receivers. It would be Miller who lined up as a receiver when the 11-play, 80-yard drive ended with a touchdown as Kenny Guiton took the snap and found Chris Fields in the back of the end zone for a one-yard touchdown.

Ohio State's next drive would yield the half's lone three-and-out. But the Buckeyes made it five touchdowns on seven drives in the first half with a five-play drive that needed only 90 seconds to go 93 yards. Taking handoffs from Miller on the drive's first three plays, Hyde rushed for gains of 21, 9, and 42 before being spelled by freshman Ezekiel Elliott, who received back-to-back catches from Miller, receptions for 10 and 11 yards that led the Bucks into the end zone.

Urban Meyer began to disperse secondary units into the game throughout the second half, Miller not stepping onto the field at all, and the pace of the Ohio State offense slowed. But not before the Buckeyes added another touchdown to the scoreboard. After receiving the second-half kickoff, Guiton guided Ohio State 81 yards down the field on seven plays, a drive beginning with a 20-yard run for Hyde, including a 25-yard rush for Guiton and 24-yard pass to Dontre Wilson. Guiton ended the drive with his own number, scrambling four yards up the middle to make it a 49-0 contest.

With Ohio State controlling the ground game, Purdue only had two third-quarter drives. And it was the Buckeyes that controlled the eight offensive plays Purdue ran. Shazier picked up his second sack of the game and Steve Miller would be the fourth Buckeye to tackle Etling behind the line of scrimmage as Purdue would net one negative yard of offense in the quarter. Ohio State was unable to further expand the lead when a 10-play, 67-yard drive that milked 5:20 off the clock ended on downs after a Guiton pass to Fields fell incomplete on at the Purdue 26-yard line.

With 1:29 left in the third quarter, Ohio State began a drive from their 13 that would produce the day's final score. A 13-yard pass from Guiton to tight end Nick Vannett and Guiton runs of 14 and 16 yards spurred the 13-play drive that ended with Guiton's second rushing touchdown, a plunge from one yard out.

Two Purdue punts sandwiched Ohio State's second and final punt of the game before the clock expired with Ohio State kneeling just beyond midfield to end their 21st consecutive victory.

Ohio State's dominant defense held Purdue to 116 total yards while the Buckeyes racked up 640 yards. Miller finished the game with 19 completions on 24 attempts for 233 yards and four touchdowns. Guiton added 59 yards on 8-of-11 passing with a touchdown. Ohio State held Purdue to 89 yards passing, Etling completing 13 of 29 attempts.

On the ground, Ohio State held a 345-27 advantage, Hyde leading Ohio State with 111 yards on eight carries. Guiton rushed for 98 yards on nine carries and Elliott picked up 37 on five attempts.

Heuerman became the first Ohio State tight end to have 100 yards receiving since Rickey Dudley in the 1996 Citrus Bowl with 116 yards on five receptions. The Ohio State receiving corps was led by Heuerman's five catches as 11 different Buckeyes caught a pass.

Though Ohio State wouldn't collect a turnover after the first quarter, nor turn the ball over themselves, they sacked Etling six times and forced five three-and-outs. Purdue's best drive was an eight-play, 31-yard drive in the first quarter.