Auburn continues to dominate.

In their first game against a high major opponent since losing to Duke, the Tigers looked as good as ever, beating Ohio State 91-53 in the annual Holiday Hoopsgiving event in Atlanta.

The game was never competitive, as Auburn quickly created a big lead and never looked in danger of getting it up. It was a chance for the Tigers to remake their case for the No. 1 ranking after the loss to Duke.

Here are three takeaways from Auburn’s win:

Fast start

Like Auburn had already done in many games this season, the Tigers put somewhat of a blitz on Ohio State to start the game.

They led the Buckeyes 25-8 at the second media timeout, a run led by five made 3-pointers and not allowing Ohio State’s guards to be effective from the perimeter.

It was also another case of Auburn’s best players showing up. Johni Broome had 11 points in that run, scoring in a variety of ways. Whether it was on the block, driving to the basket or from the 3-point line, Auburn’s All-American big man was quickly able to open up the offense for everyone else, creating more space for Auburn’s shooters.

Ohio State weathered the initial storm, but never really got itself back in the game. Even with a near seven-minute scoreless drought, Auburn took a 28-point lead into halftime and never lost control.

3-point defense

Arguably Ohio State biggest strength this season has been 3-point shooting, especially from its guards. Against Auburn, success from the outside was hard to come by.

Ohio State’s first made didn’t come until the 1:29 mark of the first half and the Buckeyes missed their first four attempts before that point. The Buckeyes finished the game with just six made 3-pointers and had a season-low 16 attempts.

The defensive performance was similar to what Auburn did against Memphis, a game where Auburn held Memphis to nine 3-point attempts. The combination of Auburn running Ohio State off the 3-point line and having a hot shooting night of its own allowed the game to get out of hand quickly.

Back to business

If there were any doubts about whether Auburn had a case to be the No. 1 team in the country after the Duke loss, they were erased on Saturday.

Auburn was dominant, but that’s nothing new. What stands out is the level of dominance given the opponent. Ohio State isn’t on the level of teams like Duke, Iowa State or Houston, but the Buckeyes are still formidable.

They came into the game as the No. 28 team in KenPom’s efficiency rankings and have wins against Texas and Rutgers. Auburn, however, handled the Buckeyes like they did teams such as Richmond and North Alabama.

Auburn was No. 1 in KenPom coming into the game and that’s unlikely to change. What the voters decide will be determined on Sunday and Auburn definitely gave them something to think about.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at prauterkus@al.com