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Barrett, Elliott lead Buckeyes by Bearcats, 50-28

By WTOP Staff

RUSTY MILLER
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Urban Meyer was thrilled with his offense — and disgusted by his pass defense.

J.T. Barrett threw for 330 yards and four touchdowns and Ezekiel Elliott ran for 182 yards and a score to lead No. 22 Ohio State past Gunner Kiel and Cincinnati 50-28 on Saturday night.

“When you have a horizontal and vertical punch, that’s the hardest offense to defend,” the third-year Buckeyes coach said.

Kiel, the first-year starter for the Bearcats (2-1), completed 21 of 32 passes for 352 yards and four scores in a game of wild momentum swings before a stadium-record crowd of 108,362.

“Defensively, we’re back to the drawing board in pass coverage,” Meyer said.

The Buckeyes (3-1), who won their 40th consecutive game over an in-state opponent, totaled 710 yards. But their defense couldn’t stop the Bearcats, who had wide-out Chris Moore catch three passes for TDs of 60, 83 and 78 yards.

Not until Barrett hit Devin Smith with a 29-yard scoring pass early in the fourth quarter was it clear the Buckeyes would survive. That made it 50-28 and finally eased the anxiety of the huge crowd.

Barrett hit on 26 of 36 passes and also ran for 79 yards on 14 carries.

“All props go to the O-line,” said the freshman, who took over when three-year starter Braxton Miller was lost for the season after shoulder surgery. “Coach Meyer always talks about the offensive line keeping the offense going. They did a hell of a job today.”

It was the first time Ohio State had topped 700 yards in offense since totaling 715 against Utah on Aug. 27, 1986. The school record is 718 — all on the ground — against Mount Union in 1930.

Still, Moore was completely alone on a simple crossing pattern, going 78 yards in the third quarter to put the Bearcats within reach.

Down 36-28, Cincinnati had a chance to pull even on its next possession but Johnny Holton was called for offensive pass interference. Replays showed a defender was holding onto his jersey, but the Bearcats were forced to punt and the chance to catch up vanished.

With Elliott and Rod Smith (61 yards on 11 carries) doing most of the damage on the ground, the Buckeyes covered 62 yards in six plays to push the lead to 43-28 before Barrett’s final TD pass put it out of reach.

“We got whupped pretty good up front on the defensive and offensive lines for a lot of the game,” said Bearcats coach Tommy Tuberville, who came in 2-0 against Meyer — the best record of any coach with more than one game against him.

The Bearcats scored stunning TDs on their first and last possessions of the first half. The first covered 60 yards from Kiel to Moore on the fourth play from scrimmage and the last was an 83-yard bomb that Kiel lofted to Moore, who was running clear on a post pattern.

“We’ve got to get that fixed,” Meyer said. “You can’t play championship football until that gets fixed.”

In between those scores, Ohio State dominated. The Buckeyes scored on their first four possessions — 3-yard runs by Rod Smith and Elliott and 19-yard completions by Barrett to Devin Smith and Evan Spencer — and also notched two points when Joey Bosa sacked and stripped Kiel, resulting in a safety.

But with the Buckeyes leading 30-7 and at the Cincinnati 38 midway through the second quarter, Jeff Luc knocked the ball loose from Ohio State’s Curtis Samuel and Leviticus Payne recovered for the Bearcats. Kiel led a six-play, 58-yard march capped by a 19-yard TD pass to Holton before hitting Moore on another defensive gaffe.

“I told (a teammate) before the play, ‘We’re going to score on this play,'” Kiel said. “‘I’m going to throw a touchdown right here, guys.'”

___

Follow Rusty Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/RustyMillerAP

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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