The Ohio State Buckeyes entered Saturday’s action against the Northwestern Wildcats certainly expecting an easy win, and while it certainly could turn out that way, it wasn’t easy at first.

Yes, Ohio State went into halftime with a 21-7 lead over Northwestern, including some wild plays toward the end of the second quarter.

However, the Buckeyes also went scoreless in the first quarter and fell behind 7-0 early in the second period for a small wave of deja vu.

Ohio State has started slow far too often this season against inferior opponents, and it should be somewhat concerning for the Buckeyes as we inch closer to the College Football Playoff.

That said, Ohio State showed off its immense talent at several points in the first 30 minutes.

Jeremiah Smith barely canceled out what looked to be a great one-handed touchdown catch, Carnell Tate made a couple of fantastic grabs (including a touchdown at the end of the half) and the Buckeyes’ special teams took advantage of a huge miscue. on a botched punt by Northwestern to set up their second touchdown of the afternoon.

Quinshon Judkins also scored twice for Ohio State, and quarterback Will Howard made some great throws to keep Northwestern’s defense on its heels.

The point is, the Buckeyes should win this game fairly handily, so they don’t really deserve flowers for taking care of business.

Perhaps the most pressing issue is whether Ohio State’s frequent slow starts will ultimately doom the team against stiffer competition. Like next week against Indiana.