Here are 5 things we learned from the Ohio State Buckeyes' win over Purdue.

Did you see that game? No, seriously, did you? Because many didn't get to watch Ohio State's 41-7 win over Purdue on Saturday because they didn't want to pay for Peacock, and others who did pay for it were subjected to technical glitches, buffering, frozen frames, sound going in and out, and other bothers.

Some folks probably still have the fixed image of Devin Brown on their TV screen. Consider it family-room art of the backup quarterback genre.

Anyway, what some saw and some missed was a manhandling in a place that used to be a house of horrors for the Buckeyes. It's a good day when you sit your No. 2 receiver and two of your top three running backs, then watch the team's other top running back nearly have his head taken off, and you still roll to an easy win.

Penn State is next, and that's when things get serious for the Buckeyes.

As for the rout at Purdue, here are five things we learned:

Angry Ryan Day is a thing now

For so long, Ohio State coach Ryan Day was the anti-Urban. He was calm, composed, cheery and seemingly happy with his life. He didn't appear to be someone who might lose his health on a sideline. Then came consecutive losses to Michigan and some overdone criticism of a coach who is 51-6 and among the best in the nation.

Consider Day's happy place a thing of the past. The intensity has escalated quickly this year, first with the now-famous Lou Holtz rant and then some sideline tirades to remember on Saturday.

With the Buckeyes leading 20-0 in the second quarter at Purdue, Day lost his cool in a big way after a possession that included a holding call on tackle Josh Simmons and then a delay of game penalty. Even more red-faced than usual, Day screamed at running backs coach Tony Alford, then quarterback Kyle McCord, then Simmons, then at anyone standing near him. Quickly, there was nobody standing near him.

You sure you want to redshirt Dallan Hayden?

With plenty of quality running backs on the roster, Day said last week that the Buckeyes hoped to redshirt sophomore Dallan Hayden.

But Hayden was needed at Purdue because starter TreVeyon Henderson and third-stringer Miyan Williams were unavailable with unspecified injuries, and No. 2 Chip Trayanum was sidelined early in the game after taking a hard blow to the head.

Enter Hayden, who proceeded to rush for 76 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Hayden, who ran for 146 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries against Maryland last year, was smooth and quick and rarely went sideways. He seemed to use his blocks well. After the game, guard Donovan Jackson was asked about Hayden's strengths, and Jackson answered, “He runs downhill and goes north and south very fast.”

Hayden can appear in no more than two additional games and still qualify for a redshirt. But the way he looked Saturday, and with the inability of Henderson and Williams to stay healthy, the redshirt idea might be scratched.

Ohio State goes back to the J.T. Barrett, Tim Tebow offense, plus the 'tush push'

Ohio State's short-yardage offensive woes have been well documented, so Day mixed things up on Saturday, quite possibly to keep Penn State guessing.

Instead of the Buckeyes' traditional way of running backs charging into the backs of stymied linemen, Day inserted backup quarterback Devin Brown as a wildcat back, much the way Urban Meyer used Tim Tebow and J.T. Barrett. It was an instant success on a 2-yard touchdown run, with tight end Gee Scott Jr. caving in the right side of the Purdue defensive line and Trayanum clearing room as a lead back.

But there was a hiccup with the new wrinkle when Brown fumbled into the end zone in the second quarter. (And how did Hayden not recover that fumble that landed right in his gut?) To Day's credit, he put Brown back in after the fumble, working to perfect the strategy.

The Buckeyes also finally used a regular old quarterback sneak, putting defensive end Caden Curry behind McCord and pushing him, Philadelphia Eagles style, for a first down.

Both helped address a weakness. Also, a guess here: Day is setting up the Brown wildcat package for a surprise pass in a big game.

Also, kudos to former Ohio State assistant coach Zach Smith for saying on his podcast last week that this Brown package is the very thing the Buckeyes should do.

Xavier Johnson is a true football player and should be appreciated

"Star" players come and go, some missing a lot of games with injuries, but when the Buckeyes are in trouble they look to Mr. Reliable, Xavier Johnson.

He's a receiver. He's a running back. He returns kicks. He has played cornerback. He leads by example. He shows up every day.

On Saturday, with the running back room in tatters, Johnson rushed for 39 yards on five carries, caught a pass for 21 yards and returned two kickoffs for 49 yards. Last year, he caught a pivotal touchdown pass in the win against Notre Dame and made a great spin move to cap a 37-yard touchdown catch against Georgia.

He also wears the No. 0 jersey, called the "Block O" jersey, an Ohio State tradition that began in 2020 to honor the legacy of Buckeye great Bill Willis.

It's understandable if you've had difficulty keeping track of Johnson. He wore No. 19 as a freshman, then 8, then 25, then 10 last year.

Ohio State's pass rush is becoming a factor

The five-star ends haven't been putting up big sack numbers, although J.T. Tuimolau and Jack Sawyer each had 1½ on Saturday, but quarterbacks are feeling an increasing level of heat when facing the Buckeyes.

Tuimolau, Sawyer and Caden Curry are winning one-on-one battles and pinching in quickly while tackles Michael Hall and Tyleik Williams are collapsing the middle. Coordinator Jim Knowles also is mixing in different blitzes, causing havoc that could lead to interceptions down the road.

The Buckeyes were credited with only one quarterback hurry on Saturday, but Purdue quarterback Hudson Card, in the "Air-Raid offense," was dumping the ball off quickly and running for safety.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football defeats Purdue: 5 things we learned about OSU