You're right about the regional breakdown. Hillary is licking her lips (sorry for the visual). She knows the South is lost to her forever. The Dems needed Ohio and some other Midwest areas to go blue to give them power back in Congress and the presidency. Sadly they seem to have gotten it tonight.
How it happened I don't know. Probably Iraq, Iraq, Iraq.
Blackwell lost Ohio the day he was nominated. Half the Republicans in this state thought he was crazy.
Taft and his corruption/scandals also screwed the Republicans for at least one cycle.
As for DeWine, most Republicans viewed him as a weak sister who voted wrong with the Gang on the judicial rules. Good riddance many have said. Sherrod Brown will be a one-termer as a senator.