Virginia Tech vs. Ohio State final score: Hokies blitz Buckeyes for 35-21 win

The odds were stacked against Virginia Tech, as the eighth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes came in to the game 15-0 at home under Urban Meyer. OSU’s ranking or home record didn’t scare the Hokies though, as they became the one in 15 and 1 at home under Urban Meyer for Ohio State—taking down the Buckeyes 35-21.

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With the rest of the Big Ten’s marquee matchups not going the way of the conference, the hopes of staying nationally relevant rested on Ohio State’s shoulders and Virginia Tech made sure the Buckeyes couldn’t do anything about the failing reputation of the Big Ten.

After a questionable performance in Week 1 of the season, Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer came up big on the big stage for the Hokies. He went 23-for-36 passing for 199 yards and two touchdowns, but did have two interceptions as well.

Brewer’s steady performance behind center was important, but so was Virginia Tech’s swarming defense against Ohio State’s run game. OSU gained just 108 yards on the night and its offensive line allowed seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss on the night.

The constant pressure led to OSU’s J.T. Barrett completing just two passes in the second half and going 9-of-29 for 219 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

Virginia Tech drew first blood in the matchup, marching 43 yards in 10 plays and capping it off with a two-yard touchdown run from Shai McKenzie.

Ohio State would respond right back with its own two-yard touchdown run, as quarterback J.T. Barrett evened the score at 7-7 with 3;51 left in the first quarter. The Buckeyes went 83 yards on seven plays on the drive, with Barrett going for

However, the rest of the first half was all Virginia Tech on both sides of the ball. The Hokies responded right back to the Ohio State score with a touchdown on the very next possession and traded field position for most of the second quarter before going up 21-7 on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Brewer to Sam Rodgers with 52 seconds left on the clock.

September 25, 1999 was last time Ohio State came back from a 14-point or more deficit, and it appeared that OSU was about to make that comeback happen in the second half as Barrett connected on one of two completions in the half for a 53-yard touchdown on a third-and-four slant to Michael Thomas. Ohio State went and got back to even on the next series, with Ezekiel Elliot going for a 15-yard touchdown run to make it 21-21.

The Hokies had an answer for just about everything OSU did on the night and following the tie ballgame they went and untied it immediately after it became tied. Virginia Tech went on a quick six play, 65-yard touchdown drive in just 2:56.

From there it was all Virginia Tech defense, who put the final nails in the coffin with a series of sacks on J.T. Barrett and taking Barrett’s final pass of the game the other way for a 63-yard clinching touchdown with 46 seconds left.

Ohio State will move on with a visit by Kent State next weekend, while Virginia Tech will be challenged by East Carolina in Blacksburg.