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LGHL Stock Market Report: Ohio State shatters narratives in win over Penn State
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Stock Market Report: Ohio State shatters narratives in win over Penn State
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ryan Day won a big game, James Franklin lost another one to Ohio State and the offensive line showed up when it mattered most
In another “same day, same story” situation, No. 4 Ohio State defeated No. 3 Penn State 20-13 to hand the Nittany Lions their first loss and give Ryan Day his first win against a team that was 7-0 or better. He previously was 0-7 in those games.
This was a narrative-shifting game for the Buckeyes and Ryan Day, and now the Buckeyes still control their own destiny to get to Indianapolis.
Here is who and what we are higher and lower on after the showdown in Happy Valley.
Offensive line
All week long, the conversation was about the offensive line and how they were the team’s weakness. The criticism was fair since the line had struggled in the six quarters since Josh Simmons went down with an injury. But they absolutely stepped up today.
That final drive was the best evidence of this. They needed to step up and put together a drive to kill the clock and make sure Penn State did not get the ball back and have a chance to tie the game again. The offensive line stepped up hugely, and they deserve to be complimented.
Caleb Downs
It is hard to overstate how important Caleb Downs has been to this defense. He constantly saves touchdowns, plugs holes in the running game, shadows tight ends and running backs out of the backfield, and has been the best defender on the team through the first eight games.
Quinshon Judkins
Judkins and the offensive line both showed a different gear in this contest, and this was the game that showed why the Buckeyes brought in Judkins this season. He runs hard and plays hard, showing the toughness that the Buckeyes have needed and some people did not know if they had this season.
Costly turnovers
Will Howard does not make many mistakes. However, when he does, they tend to be incredibly significant. If that trend continues in the playoffs, it will be tough to overcome, and those one to two mental lapses per game have to stay in October with Halloween.
Buy: Ryan Day against Penn State
Ryan Day may struggle to beat SEC teams, and he is 1-3 against Michigan, but the guy knows how to get the job done against the Nittany Lions. Day is now 6-0 against Penn State and 3-0 in Happy Valley. He has to win some other games, too, but it’s safe to say he has Penn State’s and James Franklin’s numbers.
Buy: Brandon Innis
Although Innis hasn’t been a breakout player this year, given the quality of the receiving room, he has shown flashes of his potential and what he can bring next season when he is a main part of the rotation. In this one, he had two big catches and one that went for a touchdown. Innis is going to be a big piece to the Ohio State offense sooner rather than late.
Sell: James Franklin against Ohio State
At some point, there has to be a tipping point with Franklin against top teams, and this game may have been it. He is now 1-10 against Ohio State, and the one was due to a blocked field goal. We thought Andy Kotelnicki could be the difference, but Franklin has had six offensive coordinators in his time in Happy Valley, and only one of them has been able to get him over the hump.
Sell: Big Noon commercials
They could change the name of Big Noon Kickoff to Big Noon Commercials. Nothing is worse for a product than a score, commercial, kickoff, and commercial. That is 15 minutes of real-time and two plays. It’s not fun.
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ryan Day won a big game, James Franklin lost another one to Ohio State and the offensive line showed up when it mattered most
In another “same day, same story” situation, No. 4 Ohio State defeated No. 3 Penn State 20-13 to hand the Nittany Lions their first loss and give Ryan Day his first win against a team that was 7-0 or better. He previously was 0-7 in those games.
This was a narrative-shifting game for the Buckeyes and Ryan Day, and now the Buckeyes still control their own destiny to get to Indianapolis.
Here is who and what we are higher and lower on after the showdown in Happy Valley.
Blue Chip
Offensive line
All week long, the conversation was about the offensive line and how they were the team’s weakness. The criticism was fair since the line had struggled in the six quarters since Josh Simmons went down with an injury. But they absolutely stepped up today.
That final drive was the best evidence of this. They needed to step up and put together a drive to kill the clock and make sure Penn State did not get the ball back and have a chance to tie the game again. The offensive line stepped up hugely, and they deserve to be complimented.
Solid Investments
Caleb Downs
It is hard to overstate how important Caleb Downs has been to this defense. He constantly saves touchdowns, plugs holes in the running game, shadows tight ends and running backs out of the backfield, and has been the best defender on the team through the first eight games.
Quinshon Judkins
Judkins and the offensive line both showed a different gear in this contest, and this was the game that showed why the Buckeyes brought in Judkins this season. He runs hard and plays hard, showing the toughness that the Buckeyes have needed and some people did not know if they had this season.
Junk Bond
Costly turnovers
Will Howard does not make many mistakes. However, when he does, they tend to be incredibly significant. If that trend continues in the playoffs, it will be tough to overcome, and those one to two mental lapses per game have to stay in October with Halloween.
Buy/Sell
Buy: Ryan Day against Penn State
Ryan Day may struggle to beat SEC teams, and he is 1-3 against Michigan, but the guy knows how to get the job done against the Nittany Lions. Day is now 6-0 against Penn State and 3-0 in Happy Valley. He has to win some other games, too, but it’s safe to say he has Penn State’s and James Franklin’s numbers.
Buy: Brandon Innis
Although Innis hasn’t been a breakout player this year, given the quality of the receiving room, he has shown flashes of his potential and what he can bring next season when he is a main part of the rotation. In this one, he had two big catches and one that went for a touchdown. Innis is going to be a big piece to the Ohio State offense sooner rather than late.
Sell: James Franklin against Ohio State
At some point, there has to be a tipping point with Franklin against top teams, and this game may have been it. He is now 1-10 against Ohio State, and the one was due to a blocked field goal. We thought Andy Kotelnicki could be the difference, but Franklin has had six offensive coordinators in his time in Happy Valley, and only one of them has been able to get him over the hump.
Sell: Big Noon commercials
They could change the name of Big Noon Kickoff to Big Noon Commercials. Nothing is worse for a product than a score, commercial, kickoff, and commercial. That is 15 minutes of real-time and two plays. It’s not fun.
Continue reading...
LGHL If This Were a Movie: Will Howard and Buckeyes channel Rocket Boys’ grit vs. Penn State
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If This Were a Movie: Will Howard and Buckeyes channel Rocket Boys’ grit vs. Penn State
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Look to the sky in Happy Valley, and you’ll see footballs soaring through the air, much like Homer Hickam’s rockets in “October Sky”
Growing up just a few hours from Penn State, Will Howard dreamed of one day donning a Nittany Lions jersey. His father went there (and his sister is currently a senior there), and with his sights set on his goal, Howard went to work. His mother recalled recently to The Athletic that when he was in high school, she would find him playing football alone in the front yard at midnight, practicing until she finally called him in.
So heading into this week’s top-5 matchup between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 3 Penn State, Howard was “stoked.” These were the kind of marquee matchups he probably dreamt of when practicing into the wee hours. Only he wouldn’t take the field wearing the white and navy jersey he had once longed for.
During a post-game interview last week, the Ohio State quarterback said, “I grew up a Penn State fan. I wanted to go there my whole life,” he said. “They didn’t think I was good enough. I guess we’ll see next week if I was.”
For him, this was personal. He had something to prove, a redemption storyline to work for.
It was reminiscent of another young man who had the odds stacked against him and set out to prove people wrong: Homer Hickam, the rocket scientist from Coalwood, West Virginia, whose life is portrayed in the 1999 film “October Sky,” based on Hickam’s memoir of the same name.
At the center of Coalwood’s economy is, well, a coal mine and Hickam is expected to grow up and work there like his father and most men in the town. But when Hickam watches the Russian satellite Sputnik soar across the night sky, Hickam, along with some of his friends, becomes fixated on rockets, much to the dismay of his father.
This brings us to Saturday, when Howard and his friends took the field in Happy Valley. Now, Howard wasn’t the only one facing doubts—the Ohio State offensive line was coming off one of their worst performances in recent memory and had to make further adjustments to account for injuries. The defense faced some criticism after the Oregon game for their inability to put pressure on Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Howard and his friends, like the Rocket Boys, were ready to defy expectations.
Defensively, the team couldn’t have been better, keeping the Nittany Lions out of the end zone even with two first-and-goal situations from within OSU’s five-yard line. The offensive line, with left guard Donovan Jackson taking over at left tackle to account for injuries, did a helluva job creating space for the run game and giving Howard time to read the play through the air.
Howard, for his part, didn’t play his cleanest game. He threw a pick-six on just his third play of the game (putting the Buckeyes behind 10-0 very early in the game), had a few messy incompletions that could have been disastrous, and fumbled at the goal line (turning what would have been a touchdown into a touchback and returning the ball the Nittany Lions).
Hickam, too, had some hiccups. Hickam similarly struggled early in his rocket-building ventures, with one of his first small rockets landing near his father’s office and nearly injuring some workers. It led to his father banning him from building rockets on the property.
Still, both Howard and Hickam persevered, and without giving away the ending, Hickam’s efforts came to a head at the National Science Fair in much the same way Howard’s did this weekend.
For Howard, the early nerves and adrenaline, the turnovers and incompletions didn’t keep him from having the last laugh: He finished the game with 16 of 24 passes and 24 rushing yards, including a 7-yard rush for the first down that sealed the team’s 20-13 victory.
And while his rockets flew through a November sky instead of an October one, they did just as much to impress as he secured the win for a team that now controls its own destiny.
Continue reading...
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Look to the sky in Happy Valley, and you’ll see footballs soaring through the air, much like Homer Hickam’s rockets in “October Sky”
Growing up just a few hours from Penn State, Will Howard dreamed of one day donning a Nittany Lions jersey. His father went there (and his sister is currently a senior there), and with his sights set on his goal, Howard went to work. His mother recalled recently to The Athletic that when he was in high school, she would find him playing football alone in the front yard at midnight, practicing until she finally called him in.
So heading into this week’s top-5 matchup between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 3 Penn State, Howard was “stoked.” These were the kind of marquee matchups he probably dreamt of when practicing into the wee hours. Only he wouldn’t take the field wearing the white and navy jersey he had once longed for.
During a post-game interview last week, the Ohio State quarterback said, “I grew up a Penn State fan. I wanted to go there my whole life,” he said. “They didn’t think I was good enough. I guess we’ll see next week if I was.”
For him, this was personal. He had something to prove, a redemption storyline to work for.
It was reminiscent of another young man who had the odds stacked against him and set out to prove people wrong: Homer Hickam, the rocket scientist from Coalwood, West Virginia, whose life is portrayed in the 1999 film “October Sky,” based on Hickam’s memoir of the same name.
At the center of Coalwood’s economy is, well, a coal mine and Hickam is expected to grow up and work there like his father and most men in the town. But when Hickam watches the Russian satellite Sputnik soar across the night sky, Hickam, along with some of his friends, becomes fixated on rockets, much to the dismay of his father.
This brings us to Saturday, when Howard and his friends took the field in Happy Valley. Now, Howard wasn’t the only one facing doubts—the Ohio State offensive line was coming off one of their worst performances in recent memory and had to make further adjustments to account for injuries. The defense faced some criticism after the Oregon game for their inability to put pressure on Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Howard and his friends, like the Rocket Boys, were ready to defy expectations.
Defensively, the team couldn’t have been better, keeping the Nittany Lions out of the end zone even with two first-and-goal situations from within OSU’s five-yard line. The offensive line, with left guard Donovan Jackson taking over at left tackle to account for injuries, did a helluva job creating space for the run game and giving Howard time to read the play through the air.
Howard, for his part, didn’t play his cleanest game. He threw a pick-six on just his third play of the game (putting the Buckeyes behind 10-0 very early in the game), had a few messy incompletions that could have been disastrous, and fumbled at the goal line (turning what would have been a touchdown into a touchback and returning the ball the Nittany Lions).
Hickam, too, had some hiccups. Hickam similarly struggled early in his rocket-building ventures, with one of his first small rockets landing near his father’s office and nearly injuring some workers. It led to his father banning him from building rockets on the property.
Still, both Howard and Hickam persevered, and without giving away the ending, Hickam’s efforts came to a head at the National Science Fair in much the same way Howard’s did this weekend.
For Howard, the early nerves and adrenaline, the turnovers and incompletions didn’t keep him from having the last laugh: He finished the game with 16 of 24 passes and 24 rushing yards, including a 7-yard rush for the first down that sealed the team’s 20-13 victory.
And while his rockets flew through a November sky instead of an October one, they did just as much to impress as he secured the win for a team that now controls its own destiny.
Continue reading...
LGHL All the news, analysis from Ohio State’s 20-13 win over Penn State
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All the news, analysis from Ohio State’s 20-13 win over Penn State
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
Late Goal-Line Stand Lifts Buckeyes to 20-13 Win at Penn State
Ohio State Athletics
Defense lifts No. 4 Buckeyes to 20-13 win over No. 3 Penn State
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State Defeats Penn State, 20-13, For Eighth Straight Win over Nittany Lions
By Dan Hope
Ryan Day, Ohio State bounce back as Buckeyes coach admits Penn State win was ‘big game’ for program
Grant Hughes, 247Sports
Ohio State finally took ‘action’ in win over Penn State, altering our view of the Buckeyes’ ceiling
Ari Wasserman, On3
Record Breaking: Jeremiah Smith breaks Cris Carter’s freshman receiving record in just eight games
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
Tyleik Williams injury update: Ryan Day shares latest after Ohio State DT leaves Penn State game
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Ohio State vs. Penn State Notebook: Will Howard Bounces Back After “Worst Game of the Year,” Jayden Fielding Proves Dependable
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Football: No. 4 Buckeyes take the Happy out of the Valley, down No. 3 Penn State 20-13
Noah Weiskopf, The Lantern
Everything Penn State coach James Franklin said post-game about Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
James Franklin Said Ohio State “Had A Championship Drive” To Ice Win Over Penn State In Top-Five Matchup
Jack Emerson, Eleven Warriors
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25712825/Screenshot_2024_11_03_at_8.05.00_AM.png)
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 20-13 win over Penn State
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
Snap Judgments: Buckeyes fight off mat in slugfest win at Penn State
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes
4 things we learned from Ohio State’s win at Penn State
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
First thoughts: Buckeyes grind out critical top-five win at Penn State
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Quick Takes: Will Howard, offensive line respond; Buckeye defense stands tall vs. Penn State
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Buckeyes show championship-level toughness in grind-it-out win
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Moment of the Game: Ohio State’s rebuilt offensive line won the game vs. Penn State
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Football: Photos: Ohio State vs. Penn State
Ohio State Athletics
Instant opinions: Chip Kelly earns his millions in win over Penn State
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State’s New-Look Offensive Line Carries Buckeyes to Victory at Penn State
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
‘He willed it to happen’: Will Howard made his Beaver Stadium moment count
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
How OSU defense made late goal-line stand in win at Penn State
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State’s Defense Shows It Can Still Be A Championship-Caliber Unit with Shutdown Performance Against Penn State
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Buckeye Leaves: Game-changing plays make the difference in top-four, road showdown
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Reshuffled OSU offensive line paves way to victory over Penn State
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
For your Earholes...
Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
Recapping Ohio State’s 20-13 win over Penn State
Late Goal-Line Stand Lifts Buckeyes to 20-13 Win at Penn State
Ohio State Athletics
Defense lifts No. 4 Buckeyes to 20-13 win over No. 3 Penn State
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State Defeats Penn State, 20-13, For Eighth Straight Win over Nittany Lions
By Dan Hope
Ryan Day, Ohio State bounce back as Buckeyes coach admits Penn State win was ‘big game’ for program
Grant Hughes, 247Sports
Ohio State finally took ‘action’ in win over Penn State, altering our view of the Buckeyes’ ceiling
Ari Wasserman, On3
News From Ohio State’s 20-13 win over Penn State
"It just shows the grit and toughness of this team. There's a smile right here on my face and I'm really proud of this team and the physicality." @JennyTaft catches up with @OhioStateFB's Ryan Day after a massive win over Penn Statepic.twitter.com/dto7zA1tJs
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 2, 2024
Record Breaking: Jeremiah Smith breaks Cris Carter’s freshman receiving record in just eight games
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
Tyleik Williams injury update: Ryan Day shares latest after Ohio State DT leaves Penn State game
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Ohio State vs. Penn State Notebook: Will Howard Bounces Back After “Worst Game of the Year,” Jayden Fielding Proves Dependable
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Football: No. 4 Buckeyes take the Happy out of the Valley, down No. 3 Penn State 20-13
Noah Weiskopf, The Lantern
Everything Penn State coach James Franklin said post-game about Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
James Franklin Said Ohio State “Had A Championship Drive” To Ice Win Over Penn State In Top-Five Matchup
Jack Emerson, Eleven Warriors
Analyzing Ohio State’s 21-17 win over Nebraska
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 20-13 win over Penn State
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
Snap Judgments: Buckeyes fight off mat in slugfest win at Penn State
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes
4 things we learned from Ohio State’s win at Penn State
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
First thoughts: Buckeyes grind out critical top-five win at Penn State
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Quick Takes: Will Howard, offensive line respond; Buckeye defense stands tall vs. Penn State
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Buckeyes show championship-level toughness in grind-it-out win
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Looking at the Performances From Ohio State’s
Moment of the Game: Ohio State’s rebuilt offensive line won the game vs. Penn State
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Football: Photos: Ohio State vs. Penn State
Ohio State Athletics
Instant opinions: Chip Kelly earns his millions in win over Penn State
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State’s New-Look Offensive Line Carries Buckeyes to Victory at Penn State
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
‘He willed it to happen’: Will Howard made his Beaver Stadium moment count
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
How OSU defense made late goal-line stand in win at Penn State
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State’s Defense Shows It Can Still Be A Championship-Caliber Unit with Shutdown Performance Against Penn State
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Buckeye Leaves: Game-changing plays make the difference in top-four, road showdown
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Reshuffled OSU offensive line paves way to victory over Penn State
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Continue reading...
LGHL Why My Team Will Lose: Ohio State and Penn State alums strive to lower expectations
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Why My Team Will Lose: Ohio State and Penn State alums strive to lower expectations
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Two writers try to preemptively take the sting out of their team potentially losing.
It’s not often here at Land-Grant Holy Land that we get to do an article featuring two of our writers who graduated from schools that are facing each other in a college football game. While we do have some Ohio State-loving MAC school grads on our writer rosters, I venture to say that for those games the former Kent State Flashes would probably prefer Ohio State to win.
However, today is a bit different as our women’s basketball beat writer Thomas Costello is a Penn State grad. But instead of trash-talking with OSU alum Matt Tamanini, they are going to do what all good Buckeye and Nittany Lion fans do, they are going to be pessimistic, cynical, and misanthropic.
So, here in the first — and probably last (until OSU and PSU play again) — installment of a new column we are calling “Why My Team Will Lose.”
At Land-Grant Holy Land, I’m the site’s women’s basketball beat writer and resident Penn State graduate. When it comes to basketball coverage, the focus stays down the middle, even when the Buckeyes are facing the Penn State Nittany Lions.
However, when it comes to football, my sports fandom heart has the same name etched on it as is on my degree from Penn State University.
With that said, that same heart tells the painful truth that Penn State is not going to win this game. Here’s why.
First, it’s Ohio State and Penn State. The Nittany Lions have a whopping two wins over the Buckeyes in the last 15 editions of the cross-border rivalry.
Even when it looks like Penn State will turn the corner, Ohio State always finds a way. For a perfect example, take a look back at 2017. Penn State led by as much as 17 points in the first half and still held onto a 15-point lead to start the fourth quarter.
I don’t have to tell Ohio State fans what happened next. J.T. Barrett threw three of his four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, part of a 328-yard passing and 95-yard rushing game that ended with a soul-crushing 39-38 Penn State defeat.
There are obviously scars, but the pessimism is also wrapped in current reality, not ghosts of James Franklin losses past.
Penn State is the higher-ranked side, but the AP ranking isn’t good for much more than a stronger argument for the playoff committee and bulletin board material for unranked sides.
The Nittany Lions don’t have the home run threat like the Buckeyes and Jeremiah Smith. The freshman wide receiver, who plays more like an NFL wide receiver, is guaranteed at least a touchdown a game and is capable of the fantastic. Those touchdowns go beyond the six points on the scoreboard and give the Buckeyes momentum to add more.
What makes matters worse, Smith has the same birthday as me (I won’t talk about the number of years difference between the dates on the calendar), rubbing his skill in my face even more.
For the Nittany Lions, they have to try and score against a Buckeyes defense that’s ranked in the top three for lowest rushing and passing totals allowed. Running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen will be the defensive focus because the Nittany Lions still haven’t completely addressed their need for their own big play threat down the field.
The closest Penn State has is tight end Tyler Warren. If you haven’t watched the Nittany Lions yet this season, you’ll hear multiple times from the over-ecstatic commentators how Warren’s lined up as a tight end, running back, wide receiver, quarterback, and even center this season. Warren leads the team with 559 receiving yards, with the closest wide receiver with 200 less than the Swiss Army knife tight end.
Not exactly the most diverse attacking threat.
Penn State will mask this through Andy Kotelnicki’s offensive schemes hiding what the real plan is with multiple formation shifts on each play.
It’s the same kind of smoke and mirrors that Franklin will implore this week with the question marks around the availability of Drew Allar. While the native-Ohioan did get hurt in the win over the Wisconsin Badgers, it feels like there’s a bit of “Tom Brady is always on the injury report” from the Penn State staff. A bold move.
There’s a lot of hope from Penn State fans that this is the year that the power shifts, especially playing in Happy Valley. Even so, it doesn’t feel right. It feels like another heartbreaker.
Abdul Carter, Zane Durant, and Dani Dennis-Sutton.
Donovan Jackson playing out of position. Austin Siereveld stepping in to start.
We have known for years that Ohio State’s weakness was on the offensive line, and entering the second game with their best o-lineman out (Josh Simmons), the Buckeyes are going to have to reshuffle things again as it is believed that Zen Michalski, who started at left tackle last week against Nebraska will be unable to go against Penn State.
Whether that is actually to the detriment of the Buckeyes or not is still very much up in the air, but what that likely means is that Donovan Jackson will kick over from left guard to left tackle and Austin Siereveld will go from being the backup right guard to the starting left guard — a position he played earlier this season when Jackson was injured.
While I do think that this configuration is probably better for the Buckeyes than what was run out there last week, it means that Jackson — who has been spotty at best this fall — is having to play a new position, and Siereveld will have to flip the side of the line he is used to playing on — despite having experience at LG.
We hear constantly about how important it is for offensive lines to gel and have cohesiveness. While a lot of these guys have played together a lot, this will be the first time for them to line up in this arrangement. However, if the goal is to get the best five guys on the field, then I do think that this probably accomplishes that.
However, even at their best, the Ohio State offensive line has not been especially effective this season. Admittedly, I do think that the pass protection has been generally solid, but it’s the run-blocking that has been south of suspect this season. We saw against the Huskers how detrimental it can be to the running game when one side of an already deficient line is blown up by injury, so I really question the ability of this group to go up against one of the best defensive front-sevens in the country.
Now, the Nits are dealing with injury concerns of their own as Dennis-Sutton is a game-time decision. Even if he plays, you can’t expect him to be 100%, so that could negate a portion of Penn State’s ability to disrupt the run game, but I still think that the PSU defense can make things very difficult for the OSU o-line.
The only way that I see to negate this is for Chip Kelly to scheme something up for Will Howard to get the ball into the hands of the playmakers as quickly as possible. Short drops, screens, quick outs, slants, mesh, pop passes, etc. That should prevent the pass rush from causing too much damage and from having to overly rely on the traditional running game.
However, if Ohio State loses, in my opinion, it will likely be because they just can’t get enough production against an intimidating Penn State defensive front.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Two writers try to preemptively take the sting out of their team potentially losing.
It’s not often here at Land-Grant Holy Land that we get to do an article featuring two of our writers who graduated from schools that are facing each other in a college football game. While we do have some Ohio State-loving MAC school grads on our writer rosters, I venture to say that for those games the former Kent State Flashes would probably prefer Ohio State to win.
However, today is a bit different as our women’s basketball beat writer Thomas Costello is a Penn State grad. But instead of trash-talking with OSU alum Matt Tamanini, they are going to do what all good Buckeye and Nittany Lion fans do, they are going to be pessimistic, cynical, and misanthropic.
So, here in the first — and probably last (until OSU and PSU play again) — installment of a new column we are calling “Why My Team Will Lose.”
Thomas’ Take: Why his alma mater will lose
At Land-Grant Holy Land, I’m the site’s women’s basketball beat writer and resident Penn State graduate. When it comes to basketball coverage, the focus stays down the middle, even when the Buckeyes are facing the Penn State Nittany Lions.
However, when it comes to football, my sports fandom heart has the same name etched on it as is on my degree from Penn State University.
With that said, that same heart tells the painful truth that Penn State is not going to win this game. Here’s why.
First, it’s Ohio State and Penn State. The Nittany Lions have a whopping two wins over the Buckeyes in the last 15 editions of the cross-border rivalry.
Even when it looks like Penn State will turn the corner, Ohio State always finds a way. For a perfect example, take a look back at 2017. Penn State led by as much as 17 points in the first half and still held onto a 15-point lead to start the fourth quarter.
I don’t have to tell Ohio State fans what happened next. J.T. Barrett threw three of his four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, part of a 328-yard passing and 95-yard rushing game that ended with a soul-crushing 39-38 Penn State defeat.
There are obviously scars, but the pessimism is also wrapped in current reality, not ghosts of James Franklin losses past.
Penn State is the higher-ranked side, but the AP ranking isn’t good for much more than a stronger argument for the playoff committee and bulletin board material for unranked sides.
The Nittany Lions don’t have the home run threat like the Buckeyes and Jeremiah Smith. The freshman wide receiver, who plays more like an NFL wide receiver, is guaranteed at least a touchdown a game and is capable of the fantastic. Those touchdowns go beyond the six points on the scoreboard and give the Buckeyes momentum to add more.
What makes matters worse, Smith has the same birthday as me (I won’t talk about the number of years difference between the dates on the calendar), rubbing his skill in my face even more.
For the Nittany Lions, they have to try and score against a Buckeyes defense that’s ranked in the top three for lowest rushing and passing totals allowed. Running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen will be the defensive focus because the Nittany Lions still haven’t completely addressed their need for their own big play threat down the field.
The closest Penn State has is tight end Tyler Warren. If you haven’t watched the Nittany Lions yet this season, you’ll hear multiple times from the over-ecstatic commentators how Warren’s lined up as a tight end, running back, wide receiver, quarterback, and even center this season. Warren leads the team with 559 receiving yards, with the closest wide receiver with 200 less than the Swiss Army knife tight end.
Not exactly the most diverse attacking threat.
Penn State will mask this through Andy Kotelnicki’s offensive schemes hiding what the real plan is with multiple formation shifts on each play.
It’s the same kind of smoke and mirrors that Franklin will implore this week with the question marks around the availability of Drew Allar. While the native-Ohioan did get hurt in the win over the Wisconsin Badgers, it feels like there’s a bit of “Tom Brady is always on the injury report” from the Penn State staff. A bold move.
There’s a lot of hope from Penn State fans that this is the year that the power shifts, especially playing in Happy Valley. Even so, it doesn’t feel right. It feels like another heartbreaker.
Matt’s Take: Why his alma mater will lose
Abdul Carter, Zane Durant, and Dani Dennis-Sutton.
Donovan Jackson playing out of position. Austin Siereveld stepping in to start.
We have known for years that Ohio State’s weakness was on the offensive line, and entering the second game with their best o-lineman out (Josh Simmons), the Buckeyes are going to have to reshuffle things again as it is believed that Zen Michalski, who started at left tackle last week against Nebraska will be unable to go against Penn State.
Whether that is actually to the detriment of the Buckeyes or not is still very much up in the air, but what that likely means is that Donovan Jackson will kick over from left guard to left tackle and Austin Siereveld will go from being the backup right guard to the starting left guard — a position he played earlier this season when Jackson was injured.
While I do think that this configuration is probably better for the Buckeyes than what was run out there last week, it means that Jackson — who has been spotty at best this fall — is having to play a new position, and Siereveld will have to flip the side of the line he is used to playing on — despite having experience at LG.
We hear constantly about how important it is for offensive lines to gel and have cohesiveness. While a lot of these guys have played together a lot, this will be the first time for them to line up in this arrangement. However, if the goal is to get the best five guys on the field, then I do think that this probably accomplishes that.
However, even at their best, the Ohio State offensive line has not been especially effective this season. Admittedly, I do think that the pass protection has been generally solid, but it’s the run-blocking that has been south of suspect this season. We saw against the Huskers how detrimental it can be to the running game when one side of an already deficient line is blown up by injury, so I really question the ability of this group to go up against one of the best defensive front-sevens in the country.
Now, the Nits are dealing with injury concerns of their own as Dennis-Sutton is a game-time decision. Even if he plays, you can’t expect him to be 100%, so that could negate a portion of Penn State’s ability to disrupt the run game, but I still think that the PSU defense can make things very difficult for the OSU o-line.
The only way that I see to negate this is for Chip Kelly to scheme something up for Will Howard to get the ball into the hands of the playmakers as quickly as possible. Short drops, screens, quick outs, slants, mesh, pop passes, etc. That should prevent the pass rush from causing too much damage and from having to overly rely on the traditional running game.
However, if Ohio State loses, in my opinion, it will likely be because they just can’t get enough production against an intimidating Penn State defensive front.
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LGHL Hangout in the Holy Land: Ohio State embraces the chaos and defeats Penn State
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Hangout in the Holy Land: Ohio State embraces the chaos and defeats Penn State
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ryan Day moves to 6-0 against Penn State, while James Franklin falls to 1-10 against the Buckeyes.
The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast is here! Join LGHL’s Josh Dooley and Justin Golba as they discuss Ohio State football, basketball, recruiting, and much more! Come for the hot takes. Stay for the warm ones.
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We are back for another recap episode of Hangout in the Holy Land, and we must let our blood pressure settle down after this one.
No. 4 Ohio State (7-1) takes down No. 3 Penn State (7-1) by a score of 20-13 in one of the more roller coaster and chaotic games you will ever see. Both teams had a turnover in the red zone and the game started with a pick-six, but after all that the Buckeyes settled in and controlled the game in Happy Valley for the most part.
How did Ohio State pull this off? Who were the Buckeyes that made it happen? And how did this game shift all the narratives surrounding this team? We answer all of those questions and more.
Plus, our full thoughts about this game and the season in general now that the Buckeyes’ path to Indianapolis is a bit clearer.
Make sure to like and subscribe to the podcast. As always, Go Bucks!
Connect with the pod:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod
Connect with Josh Dooley:
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye
Connect with Justin Golba:
Twitter: @justin_golba
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justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ryan Day moves to 6-0 against Penn State, while James Franklin falls to 1-10 against the Buckeyes.
The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast is here! Join LGHL’s Josh Dooley and Justin Golba as they discuss Ohio State football, basketball, recruiting, and much more! Come for the hot takes. Stay for the warm ones.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
We are back for another recap episode of Hangout in the Holy Land, and we must let our blood pressure settle down after this one.
No. 4 Ohio State (7-1) takes down No. 3 Penn State (7-1) by a score of 20-13 in one of the more roller coaster and chaotic games you will ever see. Both teams had a turnover in the red zone and the game started with a pick-six, but after all that the Buckeyes settled in and controlled the game in Happy Valley for the most part.
How did Ohio State pull this off? Who were the Buckeyes that made it happen? And how did this game shift all the narratives surrounding this team? We answer all of those questions and more.
Plus, our full thoughts about this game and the season in general now that the Buckeyes’ path to Indianapolis is a bit clearer.
Make sure to like and subscribe to the podcast. As always, Go Bucks!
Connect with the pod:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod
Connect with Josh Dooley:
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye
Connect with Justin Golba:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
LGHL The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 20-13 win over Penn State
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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 20-13 win over Penn State
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
The Buckeyes went on the road and defeated the No. 3 team in the country.
No. 4 Ohio State overcame some adversity on Saturday, falling behind 10-0 almost immediately before rallying to defeat No. 3 Penn State 20-13 in Happy Valley. The Buckeyes’ defense, which had come under fire over the last few weeks, did not allow an offensive touchdown in the game as the Nittany Lions were stuffed on 4th-and-goal on their final possession before Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins and the offense ran out the clock on a big win for Ryan Day’s group.
Here is the good, the bad and the ugly from Ohio State’s victory over Penn State.
The Defense
After a terrible performance against Oregon and a less-than-impressive outing against Nebraska, many began to question Jim Knowles’ defense. On Saturday, the Ohio State defensive coordinator completely flipped the script, allowing zero offensive touchdowns and coming up big in the fourth quarter against Penn State.
The Buckeyes were especially effective at stopping the run. The Nittany Lions came into the game with the third-best rushing attack in the Big Ten, but Knowles’ group managed to hold the dynamic duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton to 18 carries for 42 yards. Overall, Ohio State held the Nittany Lions to just 270 yards of total offense, and James Franklin’s group was limited to 3-of-11 on third down as well as 1-of-2 on fourth down — including, of course, the huge stop on 4th-and-goal on Penn State’s final possession of the game.
The goal line stand was one of two huge plays for the Silver Bullets in the red zone, the other being an impressive toe drag interception by Davison Igbinosun at the end of the first half in the end zone. Penn State had first-and-goal at the Ohio State 3-yard line twice in the game, and came away with zero points both times.
Run the Damn Ball
With the defense stuffing Penn State on the goal line, Ohio State got the ball back on their own 1-yard line, needing to escape the shadow of their own end zone and avoid a safety with a little over five minutes remaining. After Will Howard picked up four yards on a QB keeper up the middle, Quinshon Judkins ran the ball three-straight times to put the Buckeyes in position to ice the game.
The Ole Miss transfer rushed for nine yards on his first touch to pick up a first down, followed by gains of six yards and 15 yards to move the chains yet again, moving the ball to the 35-yard line and getting the game clock down near the final two-minute timeout. From there, a mixture of run plays by Howard and TreVeyon Henderson picked up two more first downs, and that would be all she wrote.
Those first three runs by Judkins were critical in allowing Ohio State to run out the clock on a one-score victory. Overall, the Buckeyes ran the football 10 consecutive times to end the game, not including the final kneel down by Howard, in an impressive feat of bully ball. Which brings us to our next point...
The Offensive Line
Ohio State had two weeks to figure out its offensive line after losing Josh Simmons to injury in the Oregon game, and yet came out against Nebraska with one of the worst blocking performances the program has seen in quite some time. After Simmons’ backup Zen Michalski went down with an injury of his own against the Cornhuskers, Justin Frye was once again tasked with coming up with a plan — this time against one of the nation’s top defensive lines.
The solution was to move Donovan Jackson to left tackle and insert Carson Hinzman at left guard, and that will likely be the formula for the Buckeyes moving forward after an impressive showing by the offensive line against Penn State. Ohio State put Jackson in some impossible 1-on-1 scenarios against future NFL first-rounder Abdul Carter, leading to a pair of sacks, but the unit otherwise played tremendously in what was a massive test for the offense as a whole.
Howard was sacked just one other time in the game on a scramble outside the pocket, and the Buckeyes’ rushing duo of Henderson and Judkins combined for 149 yards on 24 carries, good for more than 6.2 yards per carry against a team that entered the day allowing only 93 yards per game on the ground. It was a very promising performance for a group that looked much maligned a week ago.
Jeremiah Smith
In case you missed it, Jeremiah Smith broke the Ohio State freshman receiving record against Penn State with his 14 catches for 95 yards. After only eight collegiate games, Smith has racked up 678 yards and eight touchdowns on 39 receptions, surpassing the 648 yards amassed by Cris Carter during his freshman campaign in 1984. He will likely break the program’s freshman record for receptions in his next game, needing just two more catches to tie Carter’s first-year mark of 41, and is currently tied with Carter with his eight scores.
Saturday’s game against Penn State marked the first time this season that Smith did not score a touchdown. Looks like he will have to make up for it with two of them against Purdue next week...
Making Donovan Jackson block Abdul Carter 1-on-1
As previously mentioned, it was unfair to Donovan Jackson to make him block one of the country’s premiere edge rushers in his first career start at tackle. The Buckeyes did a decent job most of the afternoon with helping to chip Carter on the outside with either a tight end or a running back — or both — but on the few occasions they left Jackson on his own, things did not go particularly well.
It’s hard to blame Jackson for allowing those sacks, especially with both coming on obvious passing downs. Carter’s first sack was on a 3rd-and-7 play, and his second was on a 3rd-and-8. You cannot expect a guy to hold up in those situations playing out of position against a truly elite player like Carter, and in both instances there should have been at minimum a running back there to help alleviate some of that pressure.
Overall, it seemed like Jackson played pretty well given the circumstances, and he will hopefully get more comfortable at tackle moving forward with the Buckeyes almost certainly sticking with this group the rest of the way.
Five-Star Defensive Ends
As a whole, Ohio State’s defense played well. It’s hard to argue with the results, given that the Buckeyes did not allow an offensive touchdown. That being said, I am still waiting to see something from the pair of senior five-star defensive ends that specifically came back for another season to try and lead the charge for a national title.
Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau have both had pretty pedestrian seasons for Ohio State. Tuimoloau had been credited with four sacks heading into Saturday, and Sawyer with 2.5, but neither have been able to get any sort of consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season — especially in the team’s biggest games. Against Penn State, the duo combined for 0.5 sacks, as Tuimoloau helped clean up a sack that was started by Kenyatta Jackson. Sawyer tallied one solo tackle, and whiffed on at least two sacks where he had a clear lane to Drew Allar in the backfield.
The Buckeyes simply need to get more from these two guys if they are going to continue to see the lion’s share of the snaps. Now more than ever it seems as though both guys are having trouble winning their 1-on-1 battles, which is basically the only situation Larry Johnson’s archaic system puts them in. We have seen flashes from both Jackson and Caden Curry when thrust into action, and maybe it is time those guys start to play a bit more if the starters aren’t getting the job done.
The Pick-Six
Ohio State had the worst possible start to the game it could’ve had offensively, with Howard’s very first pass of the afternoon being picked off and returned for a touchdown by Zion Tracy to give Penn State a 10-0 lead. It was a poor read by Howard and a bad throw behind Smith that the safety saw coming the entire way, and it put the Buckeyes in a precarious spot right from the jump.
Credit to Chip Kelly and the Ohio State offense for not letting it alter their plans, as the Buckeyes responded by scoring touchdowns on their next two drives to take a 14-10 lead that they would never relinquish. Howard made some really good decisions with the football the rest of the way, completing 16 of his 24 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns as well as picking up some big first downs with his legs, but he has also now thrown an interception in five of his last six games.
A Super Unfortunate Fumble
Speaking of Howard’s turnover woes, his fumble midway through the second quarter was an incredibly unlucky turn of events that had a chance to completely change the game.
Ohio State had driven the ball all the way down the field, set up with a first down inside the Penn State 15-yard line. A first down keeper by Howard originally looked like it may have resulted in a touchdown. Instead, it was a catastrophic turnover.
Defensive back Zakee Wheatley knocked the ball free from Howard along the sideline at the 2-yard line, and the ball bounced off Howard’s knee into the end zone and out of bounds, resulting in a touchback for Penn State. The Buckeyes were able to get a stop on the Nittany Lions’ ensuing drive to limit any damage, but Ohio State easily could have held a 21-10 lead with what would have been three-straight scoring drives and a chance to put the game away in the first half.
Another Injury
Already missing its best offensive lineman, Ohio State could’ve suffered another big injury on the other side of the line after Tyleik Williams went down late in the fourth quarter.
On Penn State’s final possession, the defensive tackle fell awkwardly and got rolled up on following a short run by Kaytron Allen. Williams was helped off the field by trainers, walking on his own power but hobbling, and was taken straight into the injury tent. Luckily for the Buckeyes, Kayden McDonald stepped in and was a key part of making the goal line stop to effectively end the game, but of course the worry postgame was the severity of Williams’ injury.
It sounds as though Ohio State dodged a bullet, as Ryan Day said after the game that Williams ‘should be fine.’ The Buckeyes do have some good depth along the defensive line, but it is obviously good news that Williams’ injury doesn’t seem to be long term, as he has been one of the team’s most consistent players in that unit. The tackle is tied for second on the team with 2.5 sacks despite missing two games, adding 20 total tackles and four tackles for loss.
That being said, Larry Johnson should consider getting McDonald some more playing time, as the sophomore has looked excellent in his limited reps. It would be a lot of fun to see an interior defensive line of McDonald and Williams playing side-by-side.
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Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
The Buckeyes went on the road and defeated the No. 3 team in the country.
No. 4 Ohio State overcame some adversity on Saturday, falling behind 10-0 almost immediately before rallying to defeat No. 3 Penn State 20-13 in Happy Valley. The Buckeyes’ defense, which had come under fire over the last few weeks, did not allow an offensive touchdown in the game as the Nittany Lions were stuffed on 4th-and-goal on their final possession before Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins and the offense ran out the clock on a big win for Ryan Day’s group.
Here is the good, the bad and the ugly from Ohio State’s victory over Penn State.
The Good
The Defense
After a terrible performance against Oregon and a less-than-impressive outing against Nebraska, many began to question Jim Knowles’ defense. On Saturday, the Ohio State defensive coordinator completely flipped the script, allowing zero offensive touchdowns and coming up big in the fourth quarter against Penn State.
The Buckeyes were especially effective at stopping the run. The Nittany Lions came into the game with the third-best rushing attack in the Big Ten, but Knowles’ group managed to hold the dynamic duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton to 18 carries for 42 yards. Overall, Ohio State held the Nittany Lions to just 270 yards of total offense, and James Franklin’s group was limited to 3-of-11 on third down as well as 1-of-2 on fourth down — including, of course, the huge stop on 4th-and-goal on Penn State’s final possession of the game.
The goal line stand was one of two huge plays for the Silver Bullets in the red zone, the other being an impressive toe drag interception by Davison Igbinosun at the end of the first half in the end zone. Penn State had first-and-goal at the Ohio State 3-yard line twice in the game, and came away with zero points both times.
Run the Damn Ball
With the defense stuffing Penn State on the goal line, Ohio State got the ball back on their own 1-yard line, needing to escape the shadow of their own end zone and avoid a safety with a little over five minutes remaining. After Will Howard picked up four yards on a QB keeper up the middle, Quinshon Judkins ran the ball three-straight times to put the Buckeyes in position to ice the game.
The Ole Miss transfer rushed for nine yards on his first touch to pick up a first down, followed by gains of six yards and 15 yards to move the chains yet again, moving the ball to the 35-yard line and getting the game clock down near the final two-minute timeout. From there, a mixture of run plays by Howard and TreVeyon Henderson picked up two more first downs, and that would be all she wrote.
Those first three runs by Judkins were critical in allowing Ohio State to run out the clock on a one-score victory. Overall, the Buckeyes ran the football 10 consecutive times to end the game, not including the final kneel down by Howard, in an impressive feat of bully ball. Which brings us to our next point...
The Offensive Line
Ohio State had two weeks to figure out its offensive line after losing Josh Simmons to injury in the Oregon game, and yet came out against Nebraska with one of the worst blocking performances the program has seen in quite some time. After Simmons’ backup Zen Michalski went down with an injury of his own against the Cornhuskers, Justin Frye was once again tasked with coming up with a plan — this time against one of the nation’s top defensive lines.
The solution was to move Donovan Jackson to left tackle and insert Carson Hinzman at left guard, and that will likely be the formula for the Buckeyes moving forward after an impressive showing by the offensive line against Penn State. Ohio State put Jackson in some impossible 1-on-1 scenarios against future NFL first-rounder Abdul Carter, leading to a pair of sacks, but the unit otherwise played tremendously in what was a massive test for the offense as a whole.
Howard was sacked just one other time in the game on a scramble outside the pocket, and the Buckeyes’ rushing duo of Henderson and Judkins combined for 149 yards on 24 carries, good for more than 6.2 yards per carry against a team that entered the day allowing only 93 yards per game on the ground. It was a very promising performance for a group that looked much maligned a week ago.
Jeremiah Smith
In case you missed it, Jeremiah Smith broke the Ohio State freshman receiving record against Penn State with his 14 catches for 95 yards. After only eight collegiate games, Smith has racked up 678 yards and eight touchdowns on 39 receptions, surpassing the 648 yards amassed by Cris Carter during his freshman campaign in 1984. He will likely break the program’s freshman record for receptions in his next game, needing just two more catches to tie Carter’s first-year mark of 41, and is currently tied with Carter with his eight scores.
Saturday’s game against Penn State marked the first time this season that Smith did not score a touchdown. Looks like he will have to make up for it with two of them against Purdue next week...
The Bad
Making Donovan Jackson block Abdul Carter 1-on-1
As previously mentioned, it was unfair to Donovan Jackson to make him block one of the country’s premiere edge rushers in his first career start at tackle. The Buckeyes did a decent job most of the afternoon with helping to chip Carter on the outside with either a tight end or a running back — or both — but on the few occasions they left Jackson on his own, things did not go particularly well.
It’s hard to blame Jackson for allowing those sacks, especially with both coming on obvious passing downs. Carter’s first sack was on a 3rd-and-7 play, and his second was on a 3rd-and-8. You cannot expect a guy to hold up in those situations playing out of position against a truly elite player like Carter, and in both instances there should have been at minimum a running back there to help alleviate some of that pressure.
Overall, it seemed like Jackson played pretty well given the circumstances, and he will hopefully get more comfortable at tackle moving forward with the Buckeyes almost certainly sticking with this group the rest of the way.
Five-Star Defensive Ends
As a whole, Ohio State’s defense played well. It’s hard to argue with the results, given that the Buckeyes did not allow an offensive touchdown. That being said, I am still waiting to see something from the pair of senior five-star defensive ends that specifically came back for another season to try and lead the charge for a national title.
Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau have both had pretty pedestrian seasons for Ohio State. Tuimoloau had been credited with four sacks heading into Saturday, and Sawyer with 2.5, but neither have been able to get any sort of consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season — especially in the team’s biggest games. Against Penn State, the duo combined for 0.5 sacks, as Tuimoloau helped clean up a sack that was started by Kenyatta Jackson. Sawyer tallied one solo tackle, and whiffed on at least two sacks where he had a clear lane to Drew Allar in the backfield.
The Buckeyes simply need to get more from these two guys if they are going to continue to see the lion’s share of the snaps. Now more than ever it seems as though both guys are having trouble winning their 1-on-1 battles, which is basically the only situation Larry Johnson’s archaic system puts them in. We have seen flashes from both Jackson and Caden Curry when thrust into action, and maybe it is time those guys start to play a bit more if the starters aren’t getting the job done.
The Ugly
The Pick-Six
Ohio State had the worst possible start to the game it could’ve had offensively, with Howard’s very first pass of the afternoon being picked off and returned for a touchdown by Zion Tracy to give Penn State a 10-0 lead. It was a poor read by Howard and a bad throw behind Smith that the safety saw coming the entire way, and it put the Buckeyes in a precarious spot right from the jump.
Credit to Chip Kelly and the Ohio State offense for not letting it alter their plans, as the Buckeyes responded by scoring touchdowns on their next two drives to take a 14-10 lead that they would never relinquish. Howard made some really good decisions with the football the rest of the way, completing 16 of his 24 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns as well as picking up some big first downs with his legs, but he has also now thrown an interception in five of his last six games.
A Super Unfortunate Fumble
Speaking of Howard’s turnover woes, his fumble midway through the second quarter was an incredibly unlucky turn of events that had a chance to completely change the game.
Ohio State had driven the ball all the way down the field, set up with a first down inside the Penn State 15-yard line. A first down keeper by Howard originally looked like it may have resulted in a touchdown. Instead, it was a catastrophic turnover.
Defensive back Zakee Wheatley knocked the ball free from Howard along the sideline at the 2-yard line, and the ball bounced off Howard’s knee into the end zone and out of bounds, resulting in a touchback for Penn State. The Buckeyes were able to get a stop on the Nittany Lions’ ensuing drive to limit any damage, but Ohio State easily could have held a 21-10 lead with what would have been three-straight scoring drives and a chance to put the game away in the first half.
Another Injury
Already missing its best offensive lineman, Ohio State could’ve suffered another big injury on the other side of the line after Tyleik Williams went down late in the fourth quarter.
On Penn State’s final possession, the defensive tackle fell awkwardly and got rolled up on following a short run by Kaytron Allen. Williams was helped off the field by trainers, walking on his own power but hobbling, and was taken straight into the injury tent. Luckily for the Buckeyes, Kayden McDonald stepped in and was a key part of making the goal line stop to effectively end the game, but of course the worry postgame was the severity of Williams’ injury.
It sounds as though Ohio State dodged a bullet, as Ryan Day said after the game that Williams ‘should be fine.’ The Buckeyes do have some good depth along the defensive line, but it is obviously good news that Williams’ injury doesn’t seem to be long term, as he has been one of the team’s most consistent players in that unit. The tackle is tied for second on the team with 2.5 sacks despite missing two games, adding 20 total tackles and four tackles for loss.
That being said, Larry Johnson should consider getting McDonald some more playing time, as the sophomore has looked excellent in his limited reps. It would be a lot of fun to see an interior defensive line of McDonald and Williams playing side-by-side.
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LGHL Record Breaking: Jeremiah Smith breaks Cris Carter’s freshman receiving record in just eight games
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Record Breaking: Jeremiah Smith breaks Cris Carter’s freshman receiving record in just eight games
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
The Buckeyes’ freshman phenom is already in the record books.
With his 18-yard catch against Penn State to end the third quarter, Jeremiah Smith has officially broken Ohio State’s freshman receiving record, taking only eight games to do it. The five-star phenom came to Columbus with all of the hype in the world, and he has backed up his recruiting rankings immediately with a spot in the Buckeyes’ record book.
Carter played for Ohio State from 1984-86, and has long been lauded as one of the greatest wide receivers to ever suit up for the scarlet and gray. The eventual NFL Hall of Famer and eight-time Pro-Bowler made his mark in Columbus immediately once he arrived on campus, posting 41 catches for 648 yards and eight touchdowns as a freshman — marks that have all stood for 40 years as the best for a first-year player even with an increased focus on the passing game in today’s world of college football.
That is, until today.
A 6-foot-3 pass-catcher out of Opa Locka, Florida, Smith came to Ohio State as the No. 1 wide receiver and No. 1 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class. Virtually no comparisons to the greatest to ever play the position seemed off-limits to liken to Smith’s talent, drawing comparisons to once-in-a-generation-type prospects like Julio Jones and AJ Green.
Here is just part of the scouting report on Smith from 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins:
After becoming an immediate starter at wide receiver for the Buckeyes this season, it has become clear that all of the hype surrounding Smith as a high school prospect is warranted and then some. Even with a treasure trove of fellow former five-star talents in the position group ahead of him, Smith has instantly vaulted himself into at worst the 1B to Emeka Egbuka’s 1A, if not the top dog on some Saturdays.
It took Smith no time at all to adjust to the college game, going off for 92 yards on six catches with two touchdowns in Ohio State’s first contest of the season against Akron. He followed that up with a team-high 119 yards on five catches with another touchdown against Western Michigan the following week and has recorded at least 70 receiving yards and at least one touchdown catch in each of his first seven career games.
It isn’t just the statistics that jump off the page for Smith, but how he is getting it done. The immensely talented pass-catcher has already put on seemingly a full career’s worth of highlight plays in only a few games, whether it be a short catch he turns into a 70-yard touchdown or a one-handed grab in the face of a defender. Virtually any ball in Smith’s vicinity is almost definitely going to be caught, and he has already become a reliable and consistent safety blanket for Will Howard in any situation despite being a freshman.
It seems hard to believe that someone with his physical makeup and skillset is only 18 years old, but he is truly a special player that now holds a place in the Ohio State record books. With the receiving yardage record already in the books, it is only a matter of time — likely one of the next few games — before Smith also holds the freshman record for both receptions and receiving touchdowns (having already tied the TD mark).
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Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
The Buckeyes’ freshman phenom is already in the record books.
With his 18-yard catch against Penn State to end the third quarter, Jeremiah Smith has officially broken Ohio State’s freshman receiving record, taking only eight games to do it. The five-star phenom came to Columbus with all of the hype in the world, and he has backed up his recruiting rankings immediately with a spot in the Buckeyes’ record book.
Carter played for Ohio State from 1984-86, and has long been lauded as one of the greatest wide receivers to ever suit up for the scarlet and gray. The eventual NFL Hall of Famer and eight-time Pro-Bowler made his mark in Columbus immediately once he arrived on campus, posting 41 catches for 648 yards and eight touchdowns as a freshman — marks that have all stood for 40 years as the best for a first-year player even with an increased focus on the passing game in today’s world of college football.
That is, until today.
A 6-foot-3 pass-catcher out of Opa Locka, Florida, Smith came to Ohio State as the No. 1 wide receiver and No. 1 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class. Virtually no comparisons to the greatest to ever play the position seemed off-limits to liken to Smith’s talent, drawing comparisons to once-in-a-generation-type prospects like Julio Jones and AJ Green.
Here is just part of the scouting report on Smith from 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins:
After becoming an immediate starter at wide receiver for the Buckeyes this season, it has become clear that all of the hype surrounding Smith as a high school prospect is warranted and then some. Even with a treasure trove of fellow former five-star talents in the position group ahead of him, Smith has instantly vaulted himself into at worst the 1B to Emeka Egbuka’s 1A, if not the top dog on some Saturdays.
It took Smith no time at all to adjust to the college game, going off for 92 yards on six catches with two touchdowns in Ohio State’s first contest of the season against Akron. He followed that up with a team-high 119 yards on five catches with another touchdown against Western Michigan the following week and has recorded at least 70 receiving yards and at least one touchdown catch in each of his first seven career games.
It isn’t just the statistics that jump off the page for Smith, but how he is getting it done. The immensely talented pass-catcher has already put on seemingly a full career’s worth of highlight plays in only a few games, whether it be a short catch he turns into a 70-yard touchdown or a one-handed grab in the face of a defender. Virtually any ball in Smith’s vicinity is almost definitely going to be caught, and he has already become a reliable and consistent safety blanket for Will Howard in any situation despite being a freshman.
It seems hard to believe that someone with his physical makeup and skillset is only 18 years old, but he is truly a special player that now holds a place in the Ohio State record books. With the receiving yardage record already in the books, it is only a matter of time — likely one of the next few games — before Smith also holds the freshman record for both receptions and receiving touchdowns (having already tied the TD mark).
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LGHL Moment of the Game: Ohio State’s rebuilt offensive line won the game vs. Penn State
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Moment of the Game: Ohio State’s rebuilt offensive line won the game vs. Penn State
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
I did not expect that o-line performance, but they were masterful.
What a game, what a win, what a collection of moments. Ryan Day, his staff, and his team put together a championship effort against a very good Penn State Nittany Lions team. It wasn’t a perfect effort, and it wasn't a perfect Penn State team, but it was one that was full of progress and fixes to problems that had plagued the Buckeyes throughout the season and especially since the game in Eugene against the Oregon Ducks.
To me, the major storylines were the dominance of the defense (for the second year in a row against PSU) and the completely out-of-left-field performance by a reconfigured Ohio State offensive line. While I was surprised by how often they let Donovan Jackson — in his first-ever start at left tackle — go one-on-one against the fantastic Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter on third downs.
Aside from that, without going back to rewatch the game, I have very few complaints about how they played. The way that the unit routinely got incredible push off of the snap, allowing Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson, and Will Howard to pick up solid yardage at almost every turn was not something that I expected against a very good Penn State.
Nonetheless, that was one of the best big-game offensive line performances that I can remember (admittedly, I have a terrible memory), and it was never more dominant than on the final, game-sealing drive. Chip Kelly and/or Ryan Day knew what was at stake and knew what their team was doing well, so after getting the ball on their own one-yard line with 5:13 left in regulation, they called 11 straight runs to ice the game.
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What made that all-run drive possible was the fact that the Buckeyes were able to stay ahead of the chains. In the last 5:13, OSU averaged 5.75 yards on first down — again, all runs — and only got to third down twice.
On 3rd and 2 from OSU’s 43, Howard kept it and ran behind Jackson and Hinzman to pick up three yards with 1:19 remaining.
Then, after three timeouts — one from OSU, one from PSU, and one for the two-minute break — the Buckeyes found themselves in 3rd and 3 from Penn State’s 47 with 1:11 left, and again Howard kept it and ran to the left again, picking up 7 yards and sliding (this time appropriately) to effectively end the game.
I think Howard could have kept running and potentially even scored a touchdown, but there was no need for that; we’ve seen how what appears to be a clear touchdown can end up being a turnover.
So, Howard got down and then knelt down on the next play to get Ohio State a top-5 victory and essentially save their championship hopes. OSU certainly could have still made the College Football Playoff with two losses, but I sure like their chances with only one L.
Yes, I am a prisoner of the moment, but my faith in this team (and humanity at large) has been restored, and I am back to looking for Atlanta hotels in mid-January!
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
I did not expect that o-line performance, but they were masterful.
What a game, what a win, what a collection of moments. Ryan Day, his staff, and his team put together a championship effort against a very good Penn State Nittany Lions team. It wasn’t a perfect effort, and it wasn't a perfect Penn State team, but it was one that was full of progress and fixes to problems that had plagued the Buckeyes throughout the season and especially since the game in Eugene against the Oregon Ducks.
To me, the major storylines were the dominance of the defense (for the second year in a row against PSU) and the completely out-of-left-field performance by a reconfigured Ohio State offensive line. While I was surprised by how often they let Donovan Jackson — in his first-ever start at left tackle — go one-on-one against the fantastic Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter on third downs.
Aside from that, without going back to rewatch the game, I have very few complaints about how they played. The way that the unit routinely got incredible push off of the snap, allowing Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson, and Will Howard to pick up solid yardage at almost every turn was not something that I expected against a very good Penn State.
Nonetheless, that was one of the best big-game offensive line performances that I can remember (admittedly, I have a terrible memory), and it was never more dominant than on the final, game-sealing drive. Chip Kelly and/or Ryan Day knew what was at stake and knew what their team was doing well, so after getting the ball on their own one-yard line with 5:13 left in regulation, they called 11 straight runs to ice the game.
What made that all-run drive possible was the fact that the Buckeyes were able to stay ahead of the chains. In the last 5:13, OSU averaged 5.75 yards on first down — again, all runs — and only got to third down twice.
On 3rd and 2 from OSU’s 43, Howard kept it and ran behind Jackson and Hinzman to pick up three yards with 1:19 remaining.
Then, after three timeouts — one from OSU, one from PSU, and one for the two-minute break — the Buckeyes found themselves in 3rd and 3 from Penn State’s 47 with 1:11 left, and again Howard kept it and ran to the left again, picking up 7 yards and sliding (this time appropriately) to effectively end the game.
WILL HOWARD FIRST DOWN THAT'LL DO IT@OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/RGN19JW9si
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 2, 2024
I think Howard could have kept running and potentially even scored a touchdown, but there was no need for that; we’ve seen how what appears to be a clear touchdown can end up being a turnover.
So, Howard got down and then knelt down on the next play to get Ohio State a top-5 victory and essentially save their championship hopes. OSU certainly could have still made the College Football Playoff with two losses, but I sure like their chances with only one L.
Yes, I am a prisoner of the moment, but my faith in this team (and humanity at large) has been restored, and I am back to looking for Atlanta hotels in mid-January!
Continue reading...
