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Following his performance against Penn State, J.T. Tuimoloau adds his name to list of great Ohio State J.T.s
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

The sophomore defensive end willed Ohio State to victory against Penn State with his legendary performance in Happy Valley.


There have been some great individual defensive performance in Ohio State history. It’s hard to remember any of them matching up to what J.T. Tuimoloau did in State College today. Joey Bosa had a walkoff sack in 2014 against the Nittany Lions where he blew up running back Akeel Lynch, pushing him into Christian Hackenberg on the final play of the game. While what Bosa did was memorable, Tuimoloau terrorized Sean Clifford all day long.

It’s scary to think of what the result of the game would have been had Tuimoloau not been on the field for the Buckeyes in State College. Ohio State did get a test in the game, which could help them later in the season in a close game, as they can call on what they did against the Nittany Lions. Without Tuimoloau, Ohio State definitely isn’t winning today’s game by two scores. Hell, they might even have lost to Penn State.

Coming into today’s game, Tuimoloau had been pretty quiet this season, recording just nine tackles and a sack. Four of Tuimoloau’s stops prior to today had been behind the line of scrimmage. The sophomore defensive end finished today’s game with six tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for loss. Tuimoloau also recorded his first career forced fumble and interceptions of his college career.

Even though he is still only a sophomore, there were probably some wondering how Tuimoloau was one of the top prospects in the country coming out of high school. Over the past decade, Ohio State had been spoiled by guys like the Bosa brothers and Chase Young at defensive end. With a performance like we saw from Tuimoloau today, there is no reason to think he won’t be mentioned with some of those greats when his Ohio State career comes to a close.

One thing that is for sure is Tuimoloau can be now mentioned with some of the great J.T.’s in Ohio State history. While these are mostly former Buckeye football players, we were able to find a few other greats with J.T. as initials.


Jim Tressel

James Patrick Tressel might not have attended classes at Ohio State, but there’s no question that he is a huge part of the history of the university. Tressel not only led the Buckeyes to a national title, he was 7-3 against Penn State. Three of Tressel’s wins against Penn State came at Beaver Stadium.


J.T. Barrett

If you look at Ohio State’s passing records, most of them are held by J.T. Barrett. While C.J. Stroud has taken many of the single-game records, it will likely be hard for Stroud to pass Barrett for the career record since the quarterback from Texas started for most of the four seasons he was in uniform.

Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Barrett also had a great deal of success against Penn State, going 3-1 against the Nittany Lions. The only blemish on his record against Penn State came in 2016, when a block field goal for a touchdown was what gave the Nittany Lions the win. Barrett atoned for the loss the next year, leading the Buckeyes back from a 28-10 deficit to win 39-38. In four games against Penn State, Barrett completed 77 of 105 passes for 677 yards, eight touchdowns, and just two interceptions. The dual-threat quarterback also ran the football 65 times for 298 yards and two scores in those games.


Jack Tatum

One of the most famous defenders in Ohio State history is “the Assassin”. After being recruited as a running back, Tatum was moved to the defensive side of the football at the urging of assistant coach Lou Holtz. The move would turn out to be a smart one, as Tatum was named First-team All-Big Ten three times, and a two-time All-American. During his time in Columbus, Tatum was a part of national title teams in 1968 and 1970.

Tatum didn’t face Penn State during his time at Ohio State since the Nittany Lions weren’t a part of the Big Ten at the time. The safety was taken in the first round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. Tatum grabbed 37 interceptions during his career, earning Pro Bowl honors three times, and he was part of the Oakland team that won Super Bowl XI.


Jon Thoma

We’ll take an excuse we can to talk about some of the punters of Ohio State past. Thoma was the starter in the 2009 season. Thoma was especially busy in the Penn State game, punting eight times for 304 yards in the 24-7 win over the Nittany Lions.


Jae’Sean Tate

Now we’ll head over to the hardwood. Jae’Sean Tate was at Ohio State for four years, becoming a fan favorite for the effort he always gave on the court. Tate might not have been the biggest or strongest player, but he certainly made up for it with how hard he played the game. Tate defied a lot of the experts by earning an NBA contract a few years ago, carving out a role with the Houston Rockets.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Tate saw a lot of Penn State during his time in Columbus, as the Buckeyes met Penn State seven times in his four years with the team. Tate’s history against the Nittany Lions started off well, with Ohio State winning the first four meetings before dropping the three games the teams played in Tate’s senior year. In those games, Tate averaged 11.7 points per game and six rebounds per contest.


Jack Taylor

For this one we are looking back 70 years. Before becoming a naval aviator, Jack Taylor swam for the Buckeyes. Taylor would go on to win a bronze medal at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki in the 100-meter backstroke. Unfortunately, Taylor wasn’t able to appear in another Olympics, as he died at age 24 practicing aircraft carrier landings near Guantanamo Bay.


James Thurber

After being born in Columbus in 1894, James Thurber attended Ohio State from 1913 to 1918. Even though Thurber wasn’t able to graduate from the university because poor eyesight kept him from taking a mandatory ROTC course, he was posthumously awarded a degree in 1995. Thurber is still recognized in Columbus, as the house he rented at 77 Jefferson Avenue just to the west of I-71 between Long Street and Broad Street is named Thurber House. Just across the street from the house he rented is also Thurber Park.

Thurber would go on to become a famous writer and cartoonist. After moving to New York City, he would go on to have many works published in The New Yorker. Also, he wrote a number of works that would go on to be adapted into movies. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was made into a movie in 1947 and 2013, while ‘The Catbird Seat’ was turned into The Battle of the Sexes in 1959.


John Tatgenhorst

I’ll be honest, I don’t know very much about composers. John Tatgenhorst will forever have a place in Ohio State history, not only because he went to college here, but also because he is the main reason “Hang on Sloopy” by The McCoys is a staple of TBDBITL. Tatgenhorst hounded band director Charlie Spohn to allow him to arrange a version of the song for the band. While Spohn rejected the idea a number of times, he eventually relented, and the rest is history.

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Instant Recap Podcast: Tuimoloau’s performance, late offensive surge leads Ohio State past Penn State
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

On the backs of their 5-star recruits, Ohio State was able to survive in Happy Valley in 44-31 win over Penn State.

Ohio State traveled to Penn State to take on the Nittany Lions in their first real test of the season coming away 44-31. Jordan Williams is joined by Chris Renne to bring you the Land-Grant Holy Land “Instant Recap Podcast.”

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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To get the show started, start the show off getting their anger out from Ohio State’s play-calling issues that kept Penn State in the game until the fourth quarter.

In the first discussion the guys discuss the bubble screens, the run-play failures, and why the Buckeyes wouldn’t keep attacking down the field. After this discussion, they discuss what needs to change and why it takes so long for Ryan Day to be good at his jobs. Then we discuss why this game was 100 percent on coaching and why the players almost suffered a loss on those coaching failures.

The defense showed up, but more specifically one player dominated in key moments, and you can easily guess who it was. We talk about J.T. Tuimoloau’s performance and how he won the game for the Buckeyes on that side of the ball. The rest of the defense played well, and we realize that none of the players really played bad.

After that, Jordan and Chris discuss the Players of the Game as well as their games and their favorite moments including Cade “Baby Gronk” Stover scoring a late touchdown.

To conclude, the show they give their final thoughts on the performance, discuss injuries, and what’s next for the Buckeyes.


Connect with Chris Renne:
Twitter: @ChrisRenneCFB

Connect with Jordan Williams
Twitter: @JordanW330

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Irrational Overreactions(?): J.T. Tuimoloau just had the greatest defensive game in Ohio State history
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

Also, I’m going to reference that thing that some of you all hate, but I am absolutely right about and have been for a year.

Ohio State fans live in the extremes, whether good or bad. As they say, we have no chill. So, I am going to give voice to those passionate opinions by running through my completely level-headed, not-at-all over-the-top, 100% unbiased takeaways from Saturday’s 44-31 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions.

J.T. Tuimoloau just had the greatest defensive game in Ohio State history


I have been watching Ohio State football for a very long time, but I also have the memory of a goldfish, but I am still pretty darn comfortable saying that Ohio State edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau just had the best game by a defender in Ohio State history. Sure, some of you people that actually have fully functioning neo-cortexes might be able to point to a better game in 1926 in which 5-foot-6, 162-pound linebacker Theodore Stimelweiss had 27 tackles, six fumble recoveries, and 13 tackles for loss, but I’m not having that.

On the day, Tuimoloau had six tackles — three of which were for a loss, two sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a tipped pass that resulted in a Zach Harrison interception, and two INTs of his own, including this game-sealing pick-six.


I dare you to show me a stat line from Three-Finger Armstrong back in aught-nine that compares to that. Absolute insanity.

According to 247Sports’ Chris Hummer and Sports Reference, Tuimoloau is only “only the second FBS player since 2000 to post at least 2 INTs, 2 sacks and a forced fumble in a single game.” I’d imagine when you throw in the fumble recovery, touchdown, and the other tackle sand TFLs, that list probably shrinks to just one name.

Tuimoloau took his time in deciding where he wanted to play his college football, and I am sure that there were some out there that didn’t like the deliberateness that he displayed throughout that process, not deciding to become a Buckeye until just a handful of weeks before he had to be on campus. But today’s performance showed why you wait on a dude of that caliber.

He has been very good through his first year and a half as a Buckeye, but neither he nor fellow sophomore phenom Jack Sawyer has yet put up the consistent numbers that we had imagined that they would; even though I argue that they have been dynamite this season and a big part as to why OSU is a top-10 defense.

However, perhaps today’s absolutely unfathomable game against the best competition that the defense has faced all year will be the beginning of the next phase of J.T.’s Buckeye career, the one in which he asserts his will against each and every opposing offense.

Ryan, my guy, it’s time. I know it will sting, but it’s what’s best for the team.


I hate having to say some version of this every week, so I’m not going to. I’m just going to point you to three articles written over the past 10 months that all say the same thing that is painfully obvious to anyone paying attention.

Quick gut overreactions:


- Going 26-of-33 for 354 yards on the heels of his 20-for-30 for 286 yards against the two best defenses that the Buckeyes will face until after Thanksgiving should not only keep C.J. Stroud in the Heisman conversation, but it should remind every voter out there, that he is the Heisman conversation.

- I am a big proponent of using both TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams in every game, especially given their propensity to get injured. But, Henderson needs to focus on hitting holes and not getting preoccupied trying to turn every play into a 70-yard scamper. Dancing behind the line of scrimmage far too often results in negative yards, especially with an offensive line that is far better equipped to pass block than run block.

- We all need to take deep breaths during games.

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The fucking second quarter. SMDH

Column: Proximity makes perspective practically impossible for college football fans
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Loving a team can be a blessing and a curse when it comes to appreciating everything that they accomplish

Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror? Like really looked at yourself in the mirror? Looked so closely that you could see just how big your pores were; where every single random hair was popping up at inopportune spots on your face; the exact, bizarre angle that your ears stick out from the side of your head?

Have you ever gotten so close to the mirror that you actually lose perspective on what your full face looks like? No one is ever going to look at you as closely as you look at yourself; perhaps your significant other, but even that won’t come with the same frequency and intensity as you looking at yourself; like really looking at yourself.

You notice everything; you notice every single imperfection, and — because you notice it, and because you were looking so closely — your mind conflates the little things into big things. You become obsessed with everything that is not exactly like you want it to be and you leave the mirror thinking that you are uglier, weirder, more misshapen, more deficient than anybody else who ever looks at you from a normal distance.

That is what it means to be a college football fan. When we as Buckeye fans watch an Ohio State game, we see everything; we see the deficiencies at cornerback, we see C.J. Stroud occasionally over-throwing open wide receivers, we see a defensive line that causes pressure, but rarely gets home.

But do you know what most non-Ohio State fans see when they watch Ohio State? A fucking juggernaut. They see a team that is nearly perfect; they see a Deathstar that would be the absolute envy of 99% of all college football fans.

But we don’t see that. We intellectually comprehend just how good the team can be, but we want perfection. Those expectations are both the blessings and the curses of being completely devoted to a single team. We have the extreme, utter joys of all of the wins, conference titles, College Football Playoff berths, and NFL Draft picks that the Buckeyes routinely produce, but we also are stuck with the inability to appropriately appreciate all of those things, because we are just too damn close to thing to take in in its totality.

We see the blackheads, we see the scars, we see all of the imperfections — imagined or otherwise — and we compare them to the teams that we perceive to be closer to perfect.

But you know what? The fans of those teams do the exact same thing. Be it Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, TTUN, all fans that are incredibly invested in a single team invariably become hypercritical of perceived shortcomings, because they look at their team so closely that they fail to see the forest through the trees; they focus on everything that the team doesn’t do perfectly and overlook the infinitely more obvious areas in which they succeed.

This is not a Buckeye Nation problem, this is a fandom problem, and I hope that we (collectively and individually) can move beyond it, because it robs us of the enjoyment of this sport and the teams that we love.

Being a prisoner of the moment and harping on every missed assignment, every overthrow, every fumble, every poor play call obviously doesn’t make the team play any better, but it also doesn’t make our experience watching the game any better; in fact, all it does is make us more miserable and the conversation around our team more toxic, and prevents us from being able to truly appreciate all of the greatness that our teams are routinely capable of.

If you follow the Twitter account @BoardGeniuses, you are painfully aware that overreacting is a universal part of being a college football fan and no matter how good a team is, no fanbase is immune.

Of course, there is being objective and then there is being insane. Being critical of legitimate, long-term issues is one thing, but being apoplectic over a bad drive or two is another altogether.

So, I — for one — am choosing to try and avoid giving in to my baser fandom demons and to instead focus on the positives. While there might be a zit here or there; while one nostril might be slightly larger than the other; while the right ear might be a millimeter higher than the left, when you step back from the mirror and take in the entire picture at a normal, healthy distance, you will see just how beautiful and special it actually is.

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LGHL Asks: Ohio State fans predict the score of today’s game against 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

You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.

Every day for the entirety of the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.

Forget Notre Dame, forget Wisconsin, forget Michigan State, forget Iowa, today is the day that all of Buckeye Nation — and really college football — has been looking toward in an effort to fully realize what this Ohio State is really made of. Statistically, there is arguably no team better in the country, but the Buckeyes have yet to play a team that could even come close to measuring up against them this season.


So, at 12 noon ET in State College against the No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions, we will learn a lot about just how good this year’s Ohio State team really is. Before we get to the on-field action, we wanted to take the temperature of Buckeye fans on a few major questions while also getting an approximate, collective score prediction.

Question 1: After the 54-10 victory over Iowa, what was your general feeling about the game?



I took away a lot of different things from last weekend’s blowout victory over Iowa, but if I’m being fair, none of them were really on the defensive side of the ball, mainly because of how horrendous the Hawkeyes are on offense. If Jim Knowles’ unit can pull off a similar feat today against the Nits, then I think all of college football will stand up and take notice.

For me, the biggest takeaway from last Saturday was how fickle and volatile fans can be. This is obviously nothing new — especially in our considerably overanxious fanbase — and I admit that I can be part of this problem, but man, last week I got a bit of whiplash trying to bounce back and forth between folks being ready to blow a gasket and ready to claim the national championship in the course of a single drive.

I’ll have a short column on this later this morning, about 30 minutes before kickoff, but that was a bit much for me last week.

Question 2: What do you think about Jaxon Smith-Njigba limping off the field?



I have absolutely zero inside information, but based on things that C.J. Stroud said this week and how long it took to get him back following the Toledo game, I’m beginning to think that we’ve not only seen the last of Jaxon Smith-Njigba this season, but potentially in an Ohio State uniform.

I hope that’s not the case, and if he is going to come back at some point this year, I hope that they are exceedingly over-protective of him, but I just don’t think that it’s looking good. Obviously, the offense would benefit from having the best receiver in the country in the rotation, but — thanks to Brian Hartline’s recruiting prowess — there hasn’t been a tremendous dip in receiver production this year.

So, if he can come back for The Game, great. If they wait until the College Football Playoff, that’s fine too. I just hope that he is doing everything that he can to be as healthy as possible for the NFL Draft process, if that is in fact what he decides his next step is going to be.

Question 3: How many points do you think Ohio State will score against Penn State?



In the “LGHL Tailgate” podcast this morning, I made my official prediction to be 41-20 in favor of the Scarlet and Gray, and it looks like exactly half of our respondents agreed with me on the Buckeyes’ total.

In fairness, even putting up 35 or 41 would still be considerably under OSU’s average of 49.8 points per game, so that is in deference to Penn State’s defensive abilities.

Question 4: How many points do you think Penn State will score against Ohio State?



Since I picked the Nits to go for 20 points, the majority of Buckeye fans were in line with my prediction as well. Penn State is averaging 33.4 points per game this season, so this would be under their season average, but given Ohio State’s defensive performances this season, I think that there is every reason to believe that they are capable of holding Penn State to under three touchdowns.


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Bold Predictions: Julian Fleming has a big game in his return to Pennsylvania
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Adam Ruff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Ohio State receiver has scored six touchdowns in the five games he has appeared in this year.

Before each Ohio State game this year, LGHL is going to bring you some “bold predictions”. This will include a few hot takes for the game, whether it be passing yards, points scored, sacks, or some other things that we could see happening during the game.

We’d love to hear your bold predictions. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your bold predictions in the comments.

Julian Fleming scores two touchdowns


Julian Fleming has undoubtedly had this game circled on his calendar for quite a while. The Ohio State wide receiver grew up in Catawissa, which is 90 miles east of State College. When deciding where to go to college, the five-star prospect’s two main choices were Ohio State and Penn State. Fleming ended up deciding to leave the state and play for the Buckeyes, which led to a lot of anger amongst Penn State fans.

Following a quiet first two years at Ohio State, Fleming is finally starting to live up to the hype, scoring at least one touchdown in each of the five games he has played this season. The junior has a ton of momentum and confidence heading into this game, coming off his first 100-yard performance in his college career after finishing the 54-10 victory over Iowa with 105 yards receiving.

Penn State does have a really tough secondary with Joey Porter Jr. and Ji’Ayir Brown. Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, they haven’t had to try and slow down a passing attack quite like Ohio State’s this year. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka demand a ton of attention, which will leave a number of Buckeye receivers open. Expect Fleming to be eager to not only return to his home state, but to break the hearts of Penn State fans, many of which who watched him play high school football in hopes that he would be playing for the Nittany Lions.

Ohio State earns their biggest win ever in State College


Beaver Stadium has been a house of horrors for Ohio State over the years. Even when the Buckeyes win on Penn State’s turf, it feels like they have to expend every ounce of energy they have, and then some. There is a very noticeable difference about this game than some of the recent trips Ohio State has made to central Pennsylvania, though.

Usually when Ohio State hits the road to take on Penn State, the Nittany Lions have a “white out” planned for a night game against the Buckeyes. That won’t be the case this year, as Penn State used up their “white out” last week against Minnesota. This week will just be a game that gets FOX’s Big Noon treatment. Squaring off with Penn State while the sun is out isn’t nearly as frightening as when their army of freakshow fans have all day to get sauced.

Today’s game will mark Ohio State’s 16th trip to State College, with the Buckeyes posting a 9-6 record in their previous trips. The biggest win in those games was a 37-17 victory in 2007. Could Penn State play the Buckeyes tough and today’s game come down to the wire? Of course it is possible. I’m not banking on it, though. The Nittany Lions have a nice defense, it just isn’t as scary as in the past. Michigan ran all over Penn State a couple weeks ago and won 41-17. Even though the game was in Ann Arbor, there’s no reason to think that a superior Ohio State offense won’t be able to do the same.

Tommy Eichenberg records at least 10 tackles


The Ohio State linebacker has made a habit of performing his best on the brightest stages. Eichenberg closed out last season with a Rose Bowl record 17 tackles in the win over Utah. Then to start the 2022 season, Eichenberg notched nine tackles and two sacks against Notre Dame. Eichenberg’s highest tackling output of the season came in the Wisconsin game when he recorded 14 tackles.

Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

This feels like the type of game where Eichenberg will be all over the field. Ohio State knows they are going to face their toughest defensive test of the season so far. There’s a reason why Eichenberg was named one of the captains of the Buckeyes this year, and it is for games like this. Eichenberg knows he is in the running for the Butkus Award this year. There would be no better way to state his case for the award than by having a huge impact on today’s game. The linebacker has 57 tackles this year, putting him on track to become the first Buckeye linebacker since Raekwon McMillan to record 100 stops in a season.

Ohio State allows their highest point total of the season


Usually when a prediction like this is made, it might lead one to believe Ohio State is on the ropes in this game. That’s not the case here. The most points Ohio State have given up this year is 21 points, which both Toledo and Wisconsin scored against the Buckeyes. I still think Ohio State is going to win comfortably, but we could see some lapses on the defense at times.

Penn State will get a little bit of a boost from the home crowd, but as noted earlier, it won’t be quite like their previous night games against Ohio State. We have seen the Buckeyes start a bit slow in games this year, taking a while to get going against Notre Dame and Iowa. It’s not crazy to think Penn State could score two touchdowns in the first half and add another touchdown and at least a field goal in the second half. When it comes to the result, it’s not going to make a huge difference since the Buckeyes have displayed that when they get going, they can score at will. What it will do is give Jim Knowles something to work on with his defense in the next three games before Michigan comes to Columbus.

Penn State running back Nick Singleton runs for 100 yards


Every time Ohio State and Penn State meet, it seems like there is one Nittany Lion player on offense that has an insane game against the Buckeyes. Recent recipients of this award are Jahan Dotson, Saquon Barkley, and DaeSean Hamilton. If there was a Penn State offensive player that would be a good bet to be primed for a breakout game today, it would be freshman running back Nick Singleton.

Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images

Singleton has had a strong first season with the Nittany Lions, running for 561 yards and seven touchdowns so far. Earlier in the year, Singleton notched his first 100-yard rushing game, scampering for 179 yards against Ohio, and following that performance up with 124 yards rushing at Auburn. Singleton did all that damage on just 10 carries in each of those contests. After struggling against Michigan a few weeks ago, Singleton rebounded with 79 yards rushing and two scores against Minnesota last week.

The best defense for Ohio State’s offense is to keep the football out of the hands of the Buckeyes. If Penn State wants to have a shot at winning today’s game, they’ll need to lean heavily on their ground game, which could lead to an expanded role for Singleton. Even though Ohio State has been solid against the run this year, Singleton is looking like a special talent that could cause some headaches for the Buckeyes over the next few years.

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OHIO STATE GAMEDAY: It’s a bad day to be an Penn State Nittany Lion
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 Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Buckeyes prepare for a Top-15 matchup in Happy Valley.

Wake up, everyone. It’s Ohio State game day!

The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes are set for the first of two big marquee matchups left in the regular season as they take on the No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. A rare noon kick between the two schools in Happy Valley, James Franklin’s team always seems to find a way to keep things closer than Ryan Day and his guys would like, although that still has resulted in Ohio State winning each of the last five matchups and seven of the last eight overall. Will we finally see the Buckeyes get tested, or will C.J. Stroud and company continue to roll?

Over the past week, our talented group of writers and podcasters have put together preview pieces, analytical breakdowns, and everything in-between.

If you missed out on any of the coverage, we have you... well, covered. Below, each type of story is categorized. If you’re looking for podcasts and previews we’ve done, you can find them; if you’re looking for the betting lines and film studies, they are there, too.

Enjoy the day everyone. As always, Go Bucks!

Football Podcasts

• Silver Bullets: Iowa Rewind and Penn State Preview
• Hangout in the Holy Land: Will Ohio State finally be tested by Penn State?
• LGHL Uncut: Day, Knowles, Wilson talk injuries, Penn State game plan
• Buck Off: Penn State report, the story of Sean Clifford, more
• I-70 Football: A weekend full of surprising Big Ten blowouts

Previews

• Ohio State vs. Penn State: 2022 game preview and prediction
• Penn State Defensive Players to Watch: CB Joey Porter Jr., S Ji’Ayir Brown
• Penn State Offensive Player to Watch: Running back Nick Singleton
• Inside information on Penn State before Saturday’s game
• Three Things To Watch from the Penn State Nittany Lions

Sports Betting

• Ohio State opens as 14.5-point favorites over Penn State
• Week 9 National Games
• Week 9 B1G Conference Games

Film Studies

• Iowa Film Review
• Penn State Film Preview

Basketball

• Big Ten men’s basketball team previews: Michigan State Spartans
• Big Ten men’s basketball team previews: Michigan Wolverines
• Previewing Michigan Wolverines women’s basketball with Maize n Brew
• Ohio State women’s basketball player preview: Rikki Harris
• Ohio State women’s basketball player preview: Taylor Thierry
• Women’s basketball coach Kevin McGuff challenges Columbus, Buckeye fans
• Will Ohio State be a top-four team in the Big Ten this season?

Recruiting

• Four-star athlete from Pennsylvania impressed as Buckeyes handle Iowa
• Ohio State offers 2025 Georgia linebacker following Iowa game visit
• 2025 linebacker from Georgia talks Ohio State visit
• Ohio State picks up Crystal Ball for 2024 top-100 wide receiver
• Ohio State looks to be in good position for two top targets in 2023, 2024

Ask LGHL

• How did you feel about Iowa win? Score prediction against Penn State?

Other Podcasts

• Bucketheads: Secret scrimmages, pre-season Final Four picks, and more
• Play Like a Girl: We’ve always believed in you, Justin Fields

Other Columns

• Checking in on the 2022 Buckeye freshmen
• What player is most likely to surprise us on Saturday?
• Could Ohio State play for a different kind of trophy in the B1G Championship?
• Big Ten stat leaders through Week 8
• B1G Thoughts: Jim Knowles, the mad scientist
• What is your favorite non-offensive Ohio State touchdown?
• Let’s discuss the running back situation
• Will Jaxon Smith-Njigba return to an important role for Ohio State this season?

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LGHL Tailgate Podcast: Everything you need to know to watch today’s Ohio State vs. Penn State game
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

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No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (-15) vs. Iowa | over/under 60.5


Game Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 29 at 12 noon ET
Location: State College, Pa.
TV: FOX
Online: Sling TV
Radio: 97.1 FM/1460 AM

This is Ohio State and Penn State, things are almost assuredly going to be weird, and likely won’t go according to plan. Statistically, Ohio State should be a dominant favorite to win, but the eye test and recent history would suggest that it will be close.

Penn State ranks 63rd nationally in rushing yards allowed per game at 140.29, but they are actually worse against the pass, coming in at 78th giving up just around 233 yards per game. On the whole, their defense is ranked 63rd but, interestingly enough, their scoring defense jumps all the way up to 20th, perhaps revealing a little bit about the type of bend-but-don’t-break football that the unit plays.

On the other side of the ball, the Nittany Lions rank 49th in total offense at 423.6 yards per game and 39th in scoring at 33.4 points. They are 46th nationally rushing the ball and 64th passing it. Pretty pedestrian numbers for a team that recruits as well sd James Franklin’s squad does. But, outside of one bad half against TTUN, they have looked much better than the mid-tier FBS team that their stats would indicate.

To put those numbers in perspective, Ohio State enters the game with the country’s second-ranked scoring offense, putting up 49.6 points per game, and the fourth-ranked total offense at 517.4 yards per game. On defense, OSU has the No. 2 unit allowing just 239.9 yards per game, and the No. 5 scoring defense — giving up just 14.9 points per game.

Will these stats hold up, giving the Buckeyes a dominant victory? Or will the ghosts of Happy Valley rear their heads this Halloween weekend and lead to a result similar to 2016? We will find out in a few hours.

Matt’s Game Prediction: Ohio State 41-20


C.J. Stroud: 315+ passing yards, 3 TD
OSU running backs: Each around 100 yards
OSU Defense: 5 sacks, 8 TFLs, 1+ INTs


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Ohio State vs. Penn State: Game time, TV schedule, streaming and more
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 Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

No matter the rankings, statistics, or rosters, this game is always weird, and likely will be again today.

Today, Saturday, Oct. 29 at 12 noon ET, the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0) will visit the No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1, 3-1) at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa. on FOX in what will presumably be the Buckeyes’ first legitimate test of the college football season.


The rivals have a history of playing weird, close games, no matter the records or who makes up the respective rosters in any given year, and this season is likely no exception. Despite being nearly two months into the campaign the second-ranked Buckeyes have rarely been tested thus far in 2022 as they remain the only team in FBS to win every game by double-digits.

The Nittany Lions are a team — that despite fairly middling statistical outputs on both sides of the ball — is exceptionally talented and has the ability to win any game, especially at home in Happy Valley.

James Franklin’s squad enters the contest having lost only one game on the season, two weeks ago against Jim Harbaugh’s team in Ann Arbor. Despite being down just two points at halftime, 16-14, the Nittany Lions ended up surrendering 418 yards on the ground in a 41-17 rout.

Conversely, despite winning 54-10 last week, Ohio State could only muster 66 rushing yards against Iowa, even though they have been fairly well-balanced on offense all season. Undoubtedly, head coach Ryan Day will look to reestablish some consistency with running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams today, especially since the Nittany Lions theoretically have one of the best secondaries in the Big Ten, led by cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

While I don’t foresee any defense that doesn’t regularly play on Sunday being able to completely stop OSU’s prolific passing game, if Penn State is able to keep C.J. Stroud and his cadre of five-star receivers somewhat in check, that puts a whole lot of pressure on a running game that is still trying to prove itself after being ineffective against quality defenses in 2021.

On offense, PSU is led by quarterback Sean Clifford who has seemingly been behind center for the Lions since the late 90s. While the QB is unlikely to dazzle with his arm ability, he certainly has the talent to make plays both throwing and running, especially when flanked by running back Nick Singleton.


This game will have massive ramifications for both teams; for PSU, a second loss on the season essentially ends their season and could usher in the start of the Drew Allar era. For Ohio State, a defeat would put them behind the 8-ball and take their postseason destiny — at least in part — out of their hands, and putting even more pressure and importance on The Game at the end of the regular season.

Will the Buckeyes win their sixth-straight game in the series and put themselves in position to be in one of the top spots in Tuesday’s first College Football Playoff rankings? Or, will Penn State reestablish itself as a Big Ten contender by pulling off the upset? We will have to wait until noon to find out.

When is the game and how can I watch it?


Game Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 29 at 12 noon ET
Location: State College, Pa.
TV: FOX
Online: Sling TV
Radio: 97.1 FM | 1460 AM

DraftKings Sportsbook line: Ohio State -15 | o/u 60.5

Official LGHL Prediction: Ohio State 38, Penn State 18

Matt’s Prediction: Ohio State 41, Penn State 20

Join the conversation


Below is your Ohio State vs. Penn State GameThread. Be respectful, be kind and — as always — keep it classy, BuckeyeNation. If you like GIFs, lay ‘em on us. In all, be good fans, cheer for your teams, be cool to each other (even if somebody else isn’t) and everyone wins. Let’s finish the season strong!

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

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Behind Enemy Lines: Inside information on Penn State before tomorrow’s game
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Our friends from Black Shoe Diaries pull the curtain back to give us the unbiased truth about the Nittany Lions.

In preparation for the No. 2 Ohio Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0) taking on the No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1, 3-1) in Beaver Stadium today, we chatted with Brian Bennett from Black Shoes Diaries, our SB Nation sibling site that covers Penn State athletics.

It doesn’t matter who is on each team, or how their seasons have gone up until this point, because anytime the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions square off, you just know that it’s gonna get weird. On Saturday, Oct. 29, Ohio State will make only its second road trip of the season when the team travels to Happy Valley to take on James Franklin’s Nittany Lions. PSU’s only loss of the season came in a 41-17 defeat to TTUN in which the Skunk Bears rushed for 418 yards on 55 carries.

There’s no doubt that the Nits will have a game plan to prevent a repeat of that performance, but the Buckeyes will assuredly be looking to reestablish their ground game after an underwhelming outing against Iowa last week.

If you want more of the Nittany Lions’ perspective on the game, make sure that you check out all of BSD’s coverage on their website or on Twitter @BSDTweet.


LGHL: What would you consider the identity of this Penn State team? They are in the middle of the Big Ten pack in most statistical categories, but the talent and eye-test would indicate that they are much more than the raw numbers would indicate.

BSD: This is a great question and one that a lot of Penn State fans have asked, especially on offense. I’ll tell you what James Franklin wants it to be: a team that hits explosive plays, but has the ability to grind out games with its run game. Basically, be Ohio State. Defensively, I’d say they’ve lived up to what Franklin wants (with Michigan being the clear outlier): a physical, fast, and opportunistic unit that uses a ton of different players.

Ultimately, I’d say the most identifiable aspect of Penn State is its inconsistency. That’s been the case for much of Franklin’s tenure - this year included. The Lions have spent time ranked in the Top Ten in the country every year since, and including, 2016. But in that same time, there have been some inexplicable collapses and no shows. Those inconsistencies even show up within individual games - like last Saturday when Penn State’s offense was lifeless and couldn’t even muster a first down for much of the first quarter before scoring on six out of seven drives in the second and third quarters.

LGHL: Ohio State has one of the most consistent and prolific passing attacks in the country, but really hasn’t faced a great secondary yet this season. That will change on Saturday. Who are the guys that Ryan Day and C.J. Stroud should be concerned about and what does this PSU secondary do best?

BSD: As I alluded to in the previous question, I think one strength Penn State has with its secondary is its sheer numbers. I won’t give you a full roster rundown, but you’ll see eight or nine players get significant snaps at the corner and safety positions. The two most notable are the starting cornerbacks. Also, all of those guys are aggressive. Joey Porter Jr. gets the headlines because of his length, his bloodlines, and for being a three-year starter. Quietly on the other side of the field though, sophomore Kalen King might be just as good. I won’t pretend to be a draft expert, but I do feel confident in saying that in 2025, if not sooner, both of those guys will be on NFL rosters. Sometimes, however, that group gets too physical. They’ve cut down on penalties, but last year, it was a big problem - especially with Porter. I’d also be remiss to not mention all-conference safety Ji’Ayir Brown, who has eight interceptions since the beginning of the 2021 season.

You didn’t ask, but I’ll tell - Penn State should be scared about Ohio State exploiting the middle of the field. The weakness, which I’ll get into more with your next question, is Penn State’s linebacker group. They weren’t good in coverage against Purdue early in the year and some of those same concerns showed up in a rather non-eventful win against Central Michigan. I think we’ve all been holding our breath for the past few weeks thinking about how Day/Stroud will look to attack there.

LGHL: Everyone is aware of how many rushing yards the Nittany Lions gave up in their lone loss on the season. While OSU’s running game is constructed differently, do you think that that type of performance is replicable, or was that just a weird, flukey outlier?

BSD: Well, that was the third most rushing yards a Penn State team has ever allowed. So as a fan, I’m really hopeful that Ohio State can’t replicate what happened in Ann Arbor. I don’t doubt, however, that the Buckeyes can have success running against Penn State. Manny Diaz made some adjustments, something he didn’t do in Michigan Stadium, and Penn State was stout against the run against Minnesota. Keep in mind, all of that was with the reality that the Golden Gophers were playing a backup quarterback who they were trying to protect in the White Out.

I know Ohio State had some struggles with its rushing game at home against Iowa, so Day and offensive line coach Justin Frye (shout out to Frye, who I played high school football and basketball against) will want to establish that again as November approaches. Penn State’s defensive line, outside of defensive tackle P.J. Mustipher, is undersized and the Lions’ linebackers tackled terribly against Michigan. Penn State has passed two of its three tests against opponents with talented backs, but Ohio State has the explosiveness to carve up this defense on the ground.

LGHL: All Big Ten fans (especially PSU fans) kind of know what they are going to get from Sean Clifford; not the best passer in the league, but someone who is experienced, reliable, and able to make plays with both his arm and his legs. For Nittany Lion fans, has that been enough this season, or are they itching for Drew Allar to take the reigns sooner, rather than later?

BSD: Oh boy, how much time do we have? Here’s a fact for you: Justin Fields famously committed to Penn State back in December 2016. That verbal happened more than a year AFTER Sean Clifford committed to Penn State. Having followed Penn State football since the early 1990s, I’m well versed in a lot of quarterback conversations and controversies. Yet, I’ve never seen one quite like this. Seemingly every single game day or post game thread on our site winds up a referendum on Clifford. He has twice been named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, including last week against Minnesota. But, like Penn State’s identity, Clifford is most known for his inconsistency. He should also be known for his resilience. There was a real question as to whether or not Clifford was even going to play last week and he answered with one of the best games of his career.

The simple answer to your question is this: most Penn State fans are ready to see Drew Allar in extended action. He’s done enough in limited action to generate excitement. However, I disagree with the sentiment shared by some that Penn State fans would be willing to sacrifice victories to get Clifford out of the lineup. You can’t pin the Michigan loss on Clifford. At the same time, I think many in the fanbase are viewing this weekend’s game as Clifford’s Waterloo. Spring an upset of the No. 2 Buckeyes and Clifford has a career defining moment and Penn State remains in the playoff hunt. But, in the more likely event of a loss on Saturday, most would agree that it should be Allar starting the final four games of the regular season.

LGHL: I won’t ask you to pick a score for the game (although you are welcome to provide one if you would like), but how do you think this game plays out?

BSD: I think it will mirror last season’s game at Ohio Stadium in many ways. I think Clifford will be up to the task of keeping it interesting, though I also fear the backbreaking turnovers like he had in 2021. In that one, Penn State tightened in the red zone and frustrated Day/Stroud, forcing Ohio State to settle for a few field goals. I think Penn State tests the Buckeyes, but the Lions lack the firepower to get enough touchdowns of their own to pull the upset.

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Penn State Offensive Player to Watch: Running back Nick Singleton
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

The top running back in the 2022 recruiting class has made a smooth transition to college football, and will be looking to run past the Buckeyes in Happy Valley.

The Buckeyes will be hitting the road again this weekend and heading to Happy Valley, for what is likely to be a tough matchup in a traditionally hostile environment. Ohio State is set to face Penn State, the 13th-ranked team in the country. While the Nittany Lions will not technically be OSU’s highest-ranked opponent to date, they will be the most deserving of their top-tier status (sorry Notre Dame fans, but we go through this every year).

PSU is 6-1 on the season, and seems to have found its pre-pandemic groove once again. After compiling an 11-11 record between 2020 and 2021, James Franklin has his guys back in the national spotlight and ready to compete for Big Ten relevancy.

The biggest issue plaguing Penn State in recent seasons was a subpar offense. Said offense was weighed down even further by poor offensive line play, leaving the Nittany Lion defense to try and win games essentially on their own. And it is a shame, because those units had a ton of talent. But getting back to the offense: PSU may have finally solved the puzzle up front.

The team is averaging 178.4 rushing yards per game, on 5.0 yards per carry, and they have generally protected quarterback Sean Clifford when he drops back to pass. But perhaps it is all coincidental. Perhaps Clifford has finally developed better pocket presence after nearly a decade in college, and what if improvements in the run game are not O-line driven, but a result of significant talent upgrades in the backfield?

Ignoring the Clifford factor briefly, I believe Penn State’s offensive line has improved. But not so much so that the big men up front should suddenly be viewed as road graders. I think the unit has gone from below-average to average, and benefitted from a better collection of backs behind them. But still, the team’s second-leading rusher, Kaytron Allen, is only averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Keyvone Lee, the team’s leading rusher last season, sits at 3.8 YPC. And Clifford, while being sacked less, is not making chunk plays with his legs. Those players have been rather pedestrian as runners.

So where is the upgrade? It comes in the form of one true freshman named Nick Singleton. The top RB from the 2021 recruiting class – who grew up just a few hours from the PSU campus – has hit the ground running (literally and figuratively), and appears to be the answer these Nittany Lions have been looking for since Saquon Barkley toted the rock for them. Singleton, while somewhat inconsistent, is one of the most explosive backs in the country, and this week’s Offensive Player to Watch.


Singleton was an absolute star in high school, finishing as the No. 1 RB in his class according to 247Sports. One of their analysts compared him to the Cleveland Browns’ Nick Chubb, and I can’t honestly say they were far off. At 6-foot, 215 pounds, not only did Singleton run over players on the football field, but he also ran sprints and threw the shotput for his school’s track team. I myself threw shotput in high school, and let me tell you: Field event athletes do not typically excel at anything to do with running. That takes a special type of athlete. Singleton was named Gatorade National Player of the Year, finishing with over 2,000 yards and 44 touchdowns as a senior.

Once on campus in Happy Valley, the true freshman was expected to compete for a role right away. Because not only did Penn State struggle to run the ball in 2021, but they had limited depth returning. Noah Cain moved on to LSU, and (Keyvon) Lee had done little to cement himself as an unquestioned alpha in the RB room. After a rough opener for all PSU ball carriers, in which they combined for 98 yards on 32 carries, Singleton quickly began to establish himself at “the man” in Week 2.

Against an inferior Ohio Bobcat team, Singleton did what he was supposed to do against a weaker opponent. He ran over, around, and past them. On just 10 carries, the fab frosh gained 179 yards and scored two TDs. He also returned two kicks for 40 yards, netting him a total of 219. His first career score was a 70-yard run, during which he blew by nearly all of the Bobcat defenders, displaying that impressive track speed. He also added a 44-yard score in the second half, to go with a number of other chunk plays.

Singleton took a huge step back and was not nearly as efficient against Auburn in Week 3, finishing with only 124 yards on the same number of carries (10). For shame! 20 carries for 303 yards and 2 TD, over a two-game span, is real amateur hour if you ask me. But in all seriousness, Singleton had established himself as a Freshman All-American candidate after just a few weeks.

He then began a bit of an actual drop-off, with the Nittany Lions encountering stiffer competition and Allen shouldering more of the load. Singleton rushed for 42 yards against Central Michigan, while Allen led the team with 111 and a TD. In three games since, the two freshmen have put near-identical stats against Northwestern, TTUN, and Minnesota – to the point where you would think I am making them up.

During that three-game stretch, Allen carried the ball 42 times for 179 yards, at a clip of 4.3 YPC. Singleton toted the rock 40 times for 185 yards, giving him a slight edge in efficiency at 4.6 YPC. The latter also scored three TDs to Allen’s one during that timeframe, but the rest of their numbers are strangely similar. I expect both backs to see heavy usage against the Buckeyes, but the former Gatorade POTY strikes me as a slightly bigger threat.


That is because Singleton is able to do just about everything with the ball in his hands. He is quick and decisive with cuts, strong enough to break tackles, and more than fast enough to pull away from defenders in the open field. His one glaring weakness is actually getting said ball into his hands, at least when it is thrown directly at him. The young thoroughbred has only five catches on the season, and his lack of receiving volume is nothing new. Going back to his Gatorade POTY season, he only registered four catches in 2021! But Singleton can only do what he is asked to do, and if that is to function as a two-down back, then he has at least proven to be a productive one.

Ohio State will have their hands full with this star freshman on Saturday. In addition to Singleton’s excellence, the Buckeyes will have to contend with a veteran in Clifford, as well as a number of skilled pass catchers. This Penn State offense is not the same dreadful (at times) unit we saw in 2020-21. They are a legitimate Big Ten contender, and a threat to the good guys. If Jim Knowles and his OSU defense can contain Singleton, and force the rest of the Nittany Lions to try and beat them, then I think they will have chosen the right gameplan. But it won’t be easy. Here’s hoping they can replicate the defensive performance they put forth against Wisconsin and the Badgers’ strong running attack. Go Bucks!

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pnuts34 said:

He looks like a bad guy from The Karate Kid or one of those ski movies from the 80s

Click to expand...

And about 28 yrs old

MC&J: Can Ohio State beat Penn State by more than two touchdowns in State College?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Buckeyes are looking for their first win by more than 14 points over the Nittany Lions in State College since 2009.

Last week ATS: 5-7 (2-3 B1G, 3-4 National)

Season ATS: 57-67-3 (28-34-1 B1G, 29-32-2 National)

For my prognostications on Kentucky-Tennessee, TCU-West Virginia, and five other national games, you can find them here.

B1G games:


(All lines courtesy of Draftkings Sportsbook.)

Rutgers v. Minnesota (-14) - 2:30 p.m. - Big Ten Network

Minnesota is really reeling right now. The Golden Gophers are coming off a very unhappy trip to Happy Valley, falling to Penn State 45-17. It’s not hard to figure out what Minnesota is: Mohamed Ibrahim and a solid defense. Jump out in front of the Golden Gophers and they are going to have a tough time catching up since they are so reliant on the run.

Unfortunately for Rutgers, they aren’t a team that is going to get up a couple scores early on an opponent, unless it is some cupcake. The Scarlet Knights are going to try to run the football and put their defense in good position to possibly create some turnovers. The 24 points they scored last week against Indiana was their second-highest scoring output of the season.

Remember earlier in the year when Minnesota was trucking opponents? I’m not saying this game is going to look exactly like that, but this feels like a game where Ibrahim and company take out some frustrations on the Scarlet Knights. The Golden Gophers snap their three-game losing streak with a three touchdown win.

Minnesota 34, Rutgers 13


No. 17 Illinois (-7.5) v. Nebraska - 3:30 p.m. - ABC

Illinois doesn’t play the sexiest football, and that’s exactly how Bret Bielema likes it. Chase Brown has been a horse for the Fighting Illini so far this season, leading the country with 1,059 yards rushing. Syracuse transfer quarterback Tommy DeVito has been smart with the football and made plays when needed, throwing 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

How far has Nebraska fallen? A 43-37 loss to Purdue doesn’t seem like all that bad of a result for the Cornhuskers right now. Nebraska has some ok pieces on offense with quarterback Casey Thompson, running back Anthony Grant, and receiver Trey Palmer. Their defense is just so bad, though.

Lincoln certainly doesn’t have the same mystique that it used to. Illinois already went to Madison and opened a can on Wisconsin earlier this year, so their is no reason to think they can do the same at the home of another fading Big Ten program. The Fighting Illini are going to use Brown to control the clock and wear down an already weak Nebraska defense. Illinois continues to put themselves in position to take a trip to Indianapolis in December.

Illinois 31, Nebraska 17


Northwestern v. Iowa (-11) - 3:30 p.m. - ESPN2

Can these teams even combine to score 11 points? I’m skeptical. Last week Northwestern scored 24 points in a loss to Maryland, snapping a two-game streak in which they failed to reach double digits on the scoreboard. The Wildcats were at least able to get their ground game going a little bit, rushing for over 200 yards in the game.

We all saw just how bad Iowa is on offense this year. Offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz should be on trial for war crimes for the offense he is running. There is no imagination with anything Iowa does, and that just doesn’t work these days in college football. Who I feel bad for is the Iowa defense, because they have some good players that are getting absolutely no help from their offense. Honestly, the Iowa defense is the offense.

I’m not expecting Iowa to reinvent the wheel after the criticism that has been hurdled at the Kirk and Brian Ferentz, but maybe they at least introduce a few little wrinkles to build even the slightest bit of confidence. Even with everything I said about Iowa, they know how to beat bad teams. Just look at what they did to Rutgers, winning 27-10 on the road. Beating a Northwestern team that is terrible by a couple touchdowns isn’t asking all that much.

Iowa 24, Northwestern 10


Michigan State v. No. 4 Michigan (-23) - 7:30 p.m. - ABC

Which Michigan team do we get in this game? Is it the Wolverine team that blew the doors of Penn State, or is it the Michigan team that had decent wins against Maryland and Indiana but weren’t all the impressive? Jim Harbaugh’s team knows if they handle their business they are on a collision course with Ohio State. While the running game of the Wolverines gets a lot of attention, J.J. McCarthy should have a strong night against one of the worst passing defenses in the country.

A win against Wisconsin doesn’t just fix everything for the Spartans. Even though it was nice to add to the misery of the Badgers, the Spartans still have a bad defense. Last year Kenneth Walker III was able to make up for some of the defensive lapses with his incredible season, but Michigan State hasn’t found anyone that has come close to replicating what Walker did last year.

I know Michigan State has had Michigan’s number lately. This sort of feels like 2019 when Michigan smashed their rival in Ann Arbor. It’s hard to not see the defense of the Wolverines causing a lot of problems for Payton Thorne and the Spartans. Michigan is a lot better team than Michigan State, and it will show on Saturday night.

Michigan 44, Michigan State 17


No. 2 Ohio State (-14.5) v. No. 13 Penn State - 12:00 p.m. - FOX

Both Ohio State and Penn State come into this game off of big wins last week. The Buckeyes housed Iowa 54-10, while the Nittany Lions ran away from Minnesota in the second half on Saturday night. It is fitting this game usually takes place around Halloween since usually some really weird things happen, especially when it takes place in State College. Luckily this game isn’t under the lights, nullifying Penn State’s “white out” sorcery.

Even though Ohio State went into halftime up by 16 last week, the way some people were talking you would think they were down by 16. Sometimes it feels like fans expect the Buckeyes to play perfect football, and even the littlest thing will set people off. Even though Ohio State somehow played unacceptable football to some in the first half, they still scored 54 points in the game.

Right now it’s hard to think of anyone in the country that would be able to keep pace with Ohio State. The Nittany Lions have a decent offense, but you know what you are getting with Sean Clifford since there is plenty of tape on him from his 83 years as starting quarterback. Freshman running back Nick Singleton is going to be a problem for the Big Ten the next few years, though.

Each week you can see Ohio State’s defense gaining confidence, as they are becoming more comfortable running Jim Knowles’ defense. Last week the Buckeyes forced a bunch of turnovers against Iowa, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them force Clifford into some mistakes on Saturday. It’ll be interesting to see if Ohio State gets to Clifford early, does James Franklin turn to Drew Allar?

Penn State at noon doesn’t scare me anywhere close to how much Penn State at night in State College does. Even though the Nittany Lions have a tough defense, they aren’t unbreakable. Just look what Michigan did to them a couple weeks ago. There are going to be moments when the Buckeyes have some lapses on defense, but the offense is going to more than make up for them, notching another 50-point performance.

Ohio State 52, Penn State 27

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

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Ohio State women’s basketball player preview: Taylor Thierry
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Cleveland, Ohio forward impressed last year, and returns for season two with the Scarlet & Gray

The attention given to the Buckeyes last season centered around guards Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell, and rightfully so. They took charge of the Ohio State offense and put the team’s scoring on their back towards a season title and Sweet Sixteen NCAA Tournament run.

Basketball is a team game, and even they’d say that it took effort throughout the lineup to bounce back from the tough couple seasons the Buckeyes went through leading up to last year. A surprise within last year’s team is next up in the list of Land-Grant Holy Land player previews — forward Taylor Thierry.

Thierry returns after a surprise freshman season, and won’t be able to surprise people anymore. Has she done enough this offseason to take a starting spot?


Name: Taylor Thierry
Position: Forward
Class: Sophomore
High School: Shaker Heights Laurel High School (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
2021-22 Stats: 2.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.8 apg, .541 FG%, .200 3FG%, .645 FT%

Last Season


Thierry joined the Buckeyes for the 2021-22 season, and entered a locker room void of presence in the paint. Aaliyah Patty and Dorka Juhasz, both starters for head coach Kevin McGuff’s side, transferred to Texas A&M and UConn respectively after missing a year of postseason basketball. Had they not transferred, Ohio State might not have seen the type of player they have in Thierry.

At the beginning of the year, Thierry earned minutes as the Buckeyes mostly coasted through a light non-conference schedule. They came as Ohio State was up big on the scoreboard, or giving the three primary forwards time to rest on the bench.

As the calendar turned from 2021 to 2022, that’s when things changed for Thierry’s standing in the Buckeyes rotation. After averaging 11.1 minutes for the first half of the season, Thierry’s minutes and responsibilities jumped as high as her.

Although Thierry’s 5-foot-11 frame isn’t the tallest on the court, she’s repeatedly heralded by McGuff and teammates as the most athletic player on the floor. The forward grabbed rebounds and steals, plus blocks inside the paint and outside the arc. Thierry’s minutes moved from at the end of quarters to early in games, against some of the toughest sides in the conference.

Against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Feb. 10, Thierry tied her season high of nine points and added seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Her biggest moment came in the game that earned Ohio State a trophy, in an away trip to Michigan State.

On the final day of Big Ten conference play, Thierry had 11 rebounds and an astounding six steals, on top of seven points, to help lock up a share of the conference title. In the final minute of the game, in a matchup where the Scarlet & Gray were out-rebounded on the offensive boards 24 to 10, Thierry grabbed an offensive rebound off a miss by Sheldon to put herself at the line. The Buckeyes edged Sparty 61-55.

Thierry’s minutes moved up to 18.5 per game in her final 15 games, and only hit single-digit minutes once due to fouls in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinal against the Indiana Hoosiers.

What to Expect


When Thierry gets on the court, mistakes from the opposition are exploited. With her ability to jump and move quickly on the court, blocks and steals that are usually missed by others look easy to Thierry.

In 21-22, Thierry led the team with 28 blocks and finished second with 46 offensive rebounds. What Thierry’s lacked in offense is made up for and then some in how her energy and court presence gives Ohio State an edge.

An area of concern, outside of lower scoring numbers for a potential starter, is foul trouble. Not that Thierry fouls more than others, it’s her reaction to the fouls. While any player is frustrated when they hear a whistle against them, it made Thierry less impactful on the court.

With that said, Thierry is in her second season with the Buckeyes and has the momentum of her last season to build upon. A second offseason, and more time with a team that lost only one starter from last year, should give Thierry the confidence to grow on the team.

Prediction


Competition at forward is an area to watch in 22-23. McGuff said in the Buckeye’s first media availability of the season that its an open competition across the board. That makes much more sense in the paint.

Thierry will compete with freshman Cotie McMahon and experienced bigs like Rebeka Mikulášiková, Karla Vres and Eboni Walker. It’s a tall task for Thierry, who seems more shy than her counterparts. Even so, Thierry should either start or be the first forward onto the court, like Beacham’s role last season.

If McGuff’s comments regarding Thierry making strides this offseason can come to fruition, and it comes in the form of offensive growth, it could be a year that catapults Thierry to the next level.

Highlights


Thierry (14) played an important bench role in the Buckeyes final regular season game of the season. Check out her highlights from that game, including a late block and steal leading to a Sheldon fast break, starting at 4:35.


Miss any player previews? Here’s the list so far:

• Taylor Mikesell
• Eboni Walker
• Madison Greene
• Emma Shumate
• Cotie McMahon
• Rebeka Mikulášiková
• Rikki Harris

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You’re Nuts: Will Ohio State be a top-four team in the Big Ten this season?
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes finished second in the Big Ten in 2018, and were tied for fourth last season.

The wait is over. By this time next week, Ohio State will have already played live basketball, on their home court, with fans in the seats. Sure, an exhibition against the Silverswords of Chaminade will only tell us so much, but seeing the team play in front of a crowd, with lineups introduced, lights shining bright, and fouls actually being counted is the closest thing to college hoops we’ve had since April. More on this Ohio State team momentarily.

Last week, Connor and Justin made their picks for this season’s Final Four in Houston. Both guys picked North Carolina and Houston to fill out half of their Final Four. But Connor went with TCU and Miami, while Justin took Creighton and Virginia.


It was close (ish) — Justin’s Final Four received 56% of the vote, and Connor’s picked up the remaining 44%. Justin’s Final Four seemed more reasonable to the people, so he wins last week’s debate.

After 73 weeks:

Connor- 31
Justin- 30
Other- 8

(There have been four ties)


As previously stated, we’re back to talking about the Buckeyes this week. To earn the coveted double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament, you have to finish in the top four in the conference. Chris Holtmann’s Ohio State teams have earned that double-bye in one of the four B1G Tournaments they’ve competed in — back in 2018. Last season, they finished tied for fourth, but lost tiebreakers and wound up with the 6-seed.

Will they slide back into the top four this year?

Today’s question: Will Ohio State be a top-four team in the Big Ten this season?

Connor: No

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

For the first time in awhile, I do not think that the media polls and preseason services are disrespecting Ohio State with where they are picking them to finish in the Big Ten. The preseason media poll has them pegged as the No. 6 team in the conference, while the Field of 68’s Almanac picked Ohio State to finish fourth. Anywhere from four to six feels acceptable, to me.

Especially during what’s expected to be a “down” year for the B1G, the Buckeyes waltzing into the top-four and earning a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament would shock very few people. Hell, Wisconsin wasn’t even picked to finish in the top eight last season, and they won the league! Anything can happen.

But unfortunately, I think this team resembles the 2018-2019 team that went 8-12 in conference play a lot more than the 2017-2018 team that went 15-3.

For starters, this looks like a team that’s going to struggle shooting the ball from outside. Sean McNeil will knock down his fair share of three-pointers, but beyond him, Ohio State doesn’t have any established threats. Justice Sueing and Gene Brown have shown that they can connect from out there, but not consistently. Brice Sensabaugh’s three-point shooting has been hyped up quite a bit since he committed last year, but relying on a freshman to become a 36-40% shooter from outside is a longshot.


Ohio State finished No. 111 in defensive efficiency last year according to KenPom, so the only way to go — hopefully — is up. Adding Sueing and Oklahoma State transfer Isaac Likekele will give the Buckeyes two very flexible pieces on defense, so switching should become a lot smoother and fewer mismatches will happen off those screens. But also relying on four freshmen to not make freshmen mistakes is asking a lot out of them.


In short, this team isn’t going to burn the nets from deep, and will have some extended dry stretches on offense. At the same time, they should be a fine defensive team, but not great and certainly not elite on that end. Throw in needing to rely on four freshmen to play crucial minutes on top of that, and there’s just too many variables to confidently say Ohio State will be a top-four team in the Big Ten.

Justin: Yes

Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

First of all, everyone knows I tend to be an optimist.

So let’s start with the obvious. As I have mentioned before, I like to do tiers more than rankings when it comes to teams and players. Tier 1 in the conference this season is pretty set. Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in whatever order you prefer at least seem like the favorites coming into the season. As we saw last season, anything can happen and the games are decided on the court, but these are the three that stand out early on.

After that, you have teams like Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan State, Purdue, and Rutgers in tier 2. These are the teams that should make the NCAA Tournament, but likely are not contenders to win the conference for whatever reason or flaw they have.

I think these will be the teams that finish 4-8 (wouldn’t be surprised if Penn State snuck in to the top eight but that’s a conversation for another day). It isn’t implausible that Ohio State can finish in the top four and beat Michigan State, Purdue and Iowa head-to-head.

This is also the space where the Buckeyes tend to live under Chris Holtmann. Since Holtmann took over, the Buckeyes have finished in the top five in the conference four times out of five and the top four of the conference twice. This isn’t the Buckeyes’ worst team since Holtmann took over, so it should pretty much be expected at this point.

It is very difficult to truly project where this Ohio State team will finish because of the injury concerns and the reliance on freshmen. However, it seems Justice Sueing and Zed Key are fully healthy, and the freshmen have been impressive in practice thus far, so I am comfortable being optimistic and picking them to finish fourth. I would be pretty shocked if the finished above any of the big three though.

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Three Things To Watch from the Penn State Nittany Lions
CMinnich 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 are on upset alert as they travel to Happy Valley.

Oct. 27, 2001. We will come back to that date later on in the article, but I just wanted to throw that out there at the onset.

A little bit of confession time here — I have never been to Beaver Stadium, so I am writing from the perspective of an Ohio State fan who knows several people who have made the trip. It is a goal of mine for me and Mrs. Minnich to someday attend a game there, but for now, I will merely pass on the advice of others who have made the trip: leave early, as the traffic will be challenging.

On to Penn State. Ohio State holds a five-game winning streak over Penn State, including two games that were in Beaver Stadium. Penn State is still smarting from the thrashing they received at the hands of Michigan on Oct. 15, but the Nittany Lions rebounded nicely last week in their impressive 45-17 home win over Minnesota.

“When you look at the tradition and the games that have been played by Penn State and Ohio State — not only in the last decade but further back than that — are some of the biggest games that we’ve had. There have been some huge games and this is one of the reasons you come to Ohio State is to play in games like this.” ~ Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, 10/27/2022

Ohio State is heavily favored by the oddsmakers (-15.5), but the Nittany Lions always seem to play Ohio State very close, and something tells me that this game is going to have many Ohio State fans, including this one, with some anxious thoughts as this game winds down closer to the end. Below are Three Things To Watch from Penn State as the game kicks off on FOX at 12:00 p.m. ET...

1. Ohio State’s passing game vs. Penn State’s secondary

Ohio State fans have reveled in the accomplishments of quarterback C.J. Stroud and his receiving corps, especially in light of the departures of Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson to the NFL, as well as the unfortunate and lingering hamstring injury that has Jaxon Smith-Njigba a perpetual game-time decision this season. While Ohio State has every reason to be excited about their prowess in the passing game, Penn State fans are equally excited to see if the strength of their defense, the secondary, will be able to slow down, or neutralize the Ohio State receivers.

Some key players in Penn State’s secondary, CB Joey Porter, Jr., and S Ji’Ayir Brown, will have their hands full, but could also cause for some unaccustomed frustration by C.J. Stroud.

2. Penn State’s tight ends vs. Ohio State’s secondary

Penn State has three tight ends on their roster in Brenton Strange (17 receptions for 245 yards, 4 touchdowns), Theo Johnson (7 receptions for 94 yards, 1 touchdown), and Tyler Warren (5 receptions for 77 yards, 1 touchdown) that were all heavily involved in the big win over Minnesota. While Parker Washington (30 receptions) and Mitchell Tinsley (28 receptions) actually lead the team in receptions, Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford will look to use any of the tight ends in perceived coverage mismatches.

On our latest Silver Bullets Podcast, I estimated that Tanner McCallister may be called upon to cover any of the tight ends Penn State may be using in their offensive game plan.

3. The Penn State crowd impact

This is a rare noon kickoff. How rare? Oct. 27, 2001 — that was the last time Ohio State traveled to Penn State for a noon kickoff. Ever since then, the games have kicked off at 3:30 p.m. ET, with it being dark by the game’s conclusion, or a 7:00 p.m./8:00 p.m. ET kickoff, and the game being played under the lights at the onset.

Count me in as one of the Ohio State fans who breathed a sigh of relief that this game was not slated for a night kickoff, as the difficulty of playing well in the venue only increases after the Penn State fans have had a full day of... hydration. The Penn State fans will still be loud, the stadium speaker will still blast that incessant lion roar, but I don’t think it will be as difficult as it would have been at night.

As I wrote up above, Penn State always plays Ohio State close, and I think it will be late in the 4th quarter when the Buckeyes eventually pull away from the Nittany Lions. I have it Ohio State 38, Penn State 21. Go Bucks!

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Ohio State vs. Penn State: 2022 game preview and prediction
Meredith Hein 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

After taking care of the Children of the Corn, the Buckeyes head to Happy Valley to face Penn State for a Halloween prequel.

The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes will be looking to avoid tricks as they hope for the treat of a road win this Saturday against No. 13 Penn State in a noon matchup just before Halloween. What looked like a scary prospect just a few weeks ago looks more like a parody in the light of day as the Nittany Lions have struggled in recent weeks.

But Penn State has at times been a bogeyman for Ohio State. While the Buckeyes have been a nightmare scenario for opponents this season, they’ll look to avoid a shop of horrors on the road against a talented Penn State squad.


A Series of Fortunate Events

Ohio State owns the series against Penn State, 22-14. The Buckeyes are winners of the last five and nine of the last 10, with the Nittany Lions’ last win coming in 2016. However, the Buckeyes are a much-closer-to-.500 8-6 in Happy Valley, always the intimidating environment.

Last season, Ohio State emerged with a 33-24 win in Columbus, but things felt tense for a minute as the Buckeyes were down 7-3 at the end of the first quarter and tied in the third. It was a rare off game for C.J. Stroud, who had just one passing touchdown on the day (tied for his lowest total of the season). The offense went just 5-of-14 on third down and struggled to convert red zone possessions into touchdowns. Defense and special teams led the way for the Buckeyes. Four Noah Ruggles field goals and a defensive scoop-and-score proved the difference in the game for Ohio State.


Get Out

While 90% of horror movies happen in the home (yes, that is a made-up statistic), Ohio State’s experience in the Horseshoe this season has been nothing short of sunny. But at some point, the Buckeyes had to Get Out and see the world.

With a five-game homestand under their belts, the Buckeyes have played just one game outside of Columbus this season (a Saw-style methodical dismantling of Michigan State). This Nittany Lion monster, however, seems like a more adept one than the Spartans.

Penn State is 4-0 at home this season, with their most impressive win coming last week against Minnesota. In that matchup, James Franklin’s team bounced back from its loss to Michigan and an anemic win over Northwestern the preceding two weeks. The 45-17 victory was the Nittany Lions’ most impressive win since dismembering Auburn on the road early in the season.


The Upside Down

Somehow, the noon game is the primetime matchup on FOX, because this is the college football world we live in.

The site will be less eerie than the last time Ohio State traveled to Penn State on Halloween night in 2020 and played in front of an empty stadium. Hopefully the Penn State faithful got their white-out energy out of their system last week against Minnesota.

We’re definitely used to Ohio State and Penn State being a night game, as it’s been for the past two seasons. However, given the Buckeyes have already played three night games this season, some of our younger fans (and probably older ones, too) might appreciate being able to go to bed early for a change.


Franklin-stein

Despite Penn State’s recent struggles (and apparent tunnel drama with Michigan), head coach James Franklin has brought remarkable consistency to the Nittany Lions on his way to 73-35 overall and 45-29 in-conference records. He’s also been one of few coaches to have had Ohio State’s number, though not so much lately.

Importantly, for a program like Ohio State that’s been able to regularly blow out opponents, Penn State under Franklin has kept things close. In Franklin’s seven losses to Ohio State, the Buckeyes’ average margin of victory was just 10 points — far less than for any other Big Ten East opponent.

Franklin is also one of just four current Big Ten coaches to win a conference title (2016).


Sean of the Dead: Part VI

Horror movie franchises have a propensity for too many sequels. Penn State football is no different. Penn State’s super senior quarterback is in his sixth season with the program, but he’s never beaten his home state Buckeyes (Clifford hails from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati). But don’t let his undead state fool you: Clifford’s got some moves up his sleeve.

Last week, Clifford earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against Minnesota, which included 295 passing yards, four touchdowns and one pick, which essentially matched his week one performance against Purdue.

Like Stroud, Clifford’s 2021 performance against Ohio State was pretty unremarkable. Despite throwing for 361 yards and a touchdown, he also threw a pick late in the third quarter deep in his own territory which gave the Buckeyes the edge in what was at the time a close game.

Clifford’s best performance against the Buckeyes came in 2020, when he had 281 yards, three touchdowns and another pick in the Nittany Lions’ loss. Probably didn’t help that he was sacked five times.


Double double, toil and trouble

Last year, the Nittany Lions had just 33 yards rushing. The unit will be looking for retribution this season, and they have the tools to do it.

Penn State has a two-headed monster at running back between freshmen Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. The pair are making up for a shotty rushing attack in 2021 with a collective 857 yards and 11 touchdowns. Neither player has crossed the century mark in the last three games, but they’re playing a true running back-by-committee approach which naturally limits individual yards. In fact, Singleton has 82 carries on the season to Allen’s 78.

It doesn’t hurt that Penn State has a more-mobile-than-Stroud quarterback (though that doesn’t take much). Clifford has added four scores on the ground this season.


Dawn of the Diaz

One of the highly touted coordinator moves this past offseason was Manny Diaz’s transition to defensive coordinator in State College following his ill-fated tenure in Miami. No surprise, Penn State has emerged with an effective defense, albeit not a flashy one. The Nittany Lions are allowing a respectable 19 points per game and, despite significant losses on the defensive side of things, bring a tough secondary that could match Ohio State’s deep receiver depth.

Highlighting Diaz’s defense, as Josh Dooley covered Wednesday, Penn State brings two of the top defensive backs in the country in its secondary. Two of the reasons Stroud struggled against the Nittany Lions last season are senior safety Ji’Ayir Brown and junior cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Brown leads the team in tackles with 41 on the season and picks with three. Porter, meanwhile, has broken up 11 passes so far this season, which is good for second in the conference.

Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, their defensive prowess has not translated to the run game. In particular, Penn State failed to stop the run against Michigan, giving up 418 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Even a dinged-up Ohio State running back room should be able to move the ball effectively against this defense.


Rocky Horror Kicking Show

Things have not been going smoothly from a place kicking perspective for the Nittany Lions in 2022. Penn State has missed two extra points and three field goals so far this season on the leg of senior kicker Jake Pinegar. Pinegar, along with the freshmen kickers assisting with kickoff duties, has also struggled to kick the ball out of the endzone, which isn’t great for assuring favorable field position for Penn State’s defense.

Thus far, those misses haven’t had any far-reaching implications (Penn State’s loss to Michigan had a lot of other issues beyond kicking), but they’ll certainly be a factor in closer games moving forward—kind of like the ones Ohio State and Penn State have been used to playing in recent seasons.


Amor-conda

So this is a fun story. Penn State senior punter Barney Amor might not hail from Australia like many other punters in the Big Ten, but he does come from the Netherlands and his parents live in Switzerland. He walked on to Penn State this fall after spending a season punting for Colgate. Oh and, like his quarterback, Amor is a sixth-year super senior. He’s also working on his third degree.

On the field, 15 of Amor’s 30 punts have been downed inside the 20-yard line. Even more impressive, 12 of those dropped inside the 10. Somehow, even with that narrow window, he’s had just one touchback.

A punter with that sort of accuracy is definitely an asset for the Nittany Lions, but the Ohio State offense hasn’t shied away from a long field so far this season.


Another slasher movie

For some, spending three hours watching a monster slaughter everyone who gets in their path is entertainment reserved for Halloween. For Ohio State fans, it’s what we’ve seen every Saturday this season.

Ohio State is winning its game by an average of 35 points. Yes, that is best in the Big Ten and FBS. That margin, of course, is rooted in an outstanding offense that is in the top five of most major offensive statistical categories nationally, but it’s also a credit to a defense that has also managed to leap into national recognition by holding even offensively competent opponents in check.

The Buckeyes certainly didn’t hold back on Iowa last week, which leads us to…


Children of the Corn

America needs farmers, so maybe Ohio State shouldn’t have dismantled Iowa so thoroughly last week. And no, this was not one of the aforementioned competent offenses.

But alas, while we might not have learned much about the Buckeyes’ defense against the worst offense it has faced all season, we saw the offense demonstrate some resiliency in the face of a talented Hawkeye defense, as well as some areas Ohio State can improve upon before its next big test which just so happens to be this weekend.

In Ohio State’s 54-10 win over the Hawkeyes, the outstanding Iowa defense kept the offense largely in check in the first half, most notably holding the touchdown-oriented Buckeyes to field goals in possessions started in Iowa territory. One of the other surprises was Iowa keeping Ohio State to 3-of-13 on third-down conversion attempts. Heading into last week, the offense was converting 58% of its third-down attempts.


C.J. the Sequel

While it’s hard to say with a straight face that 47 offensive points is struggling, Ohio State’s Heisman-candidate quarterback will be looking for redemption Saturday from a stifling performance against Iowa’s top-rated defense (which actually looked statistically very similar to Clifford’s POY performance against Minnesota — four touchdowns, one pick, 286 yards).

He’ll also want a comeback from last year’s performance against Penn State which left something to be desired. Stroud threw for 305 yards but just a single touchdown. It’ll be a tall order since, as mentioned, he’ll be going against a pair of the top defensive backs in the nation.

At this point, we also must take a moment to credit the offensive line. Stroud has benefited from phenomenal protection and has been sacked a mere five times this season. That mark is good for fifth in the FBS.


Franken-receiver

Sorry, one more Frankenstein reference. That’s because if Frankenstein’s monster were found on Ohio State’s roster, it would be receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. First of all, he’s enormous, standing at 6-foot-4, 205-pounds. And yet, he has the grace of a ballerina, able to tip-toe the sidelines and make mind-bending adjustments as he separates from defenders to make catches. Oh, and he’s fast.

The total package receiver leads the team in receiving touchdowns (10) and is second in receiving yards (598) behind Emeka Egbuka. He’s second in the FBS in receiving touchdowns behind Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt.

Harrison had seven catches for 62 yards and a touchdown against Iowa. He’ll have a chance to go toe-to-toe with another competent defensive secondary Saturday.

Meanwhile, Jaxon Smith-Njigba made it back for a hot second against Iowa before being sidelined once again after head coach Ryan Day said he reached his snap limit. It looks like he’ll once again be counting plays this week versus Penn State as he makes his way back from a hamstring injury suffered in the first half of the Buckeyes’ season opener against Notre Dame.


Angry Red (Zone) Planet

And then there was one. Ohio State remains the only FBS team perfect in the red zone. Of 36 red zone possessions, the Buckeyes have scored 17 passing touchdowns, 14 rushing touchdowns and made five field goals.

As previously mentioned, the offense faced a stingy defense last week against Iowa. It was really the first time Ohio State struggled to get to the end zone for six, settling for field goals in the first half.

Penn State has proven capable of keeping opponents out of the end zone. The Nittany Lions are tied for No. 21 in the FBS in red zone defense, allowing scores on 76% of opponent possessions. Of 19 scores, Penn State gave up 10 touchdowns and nine field goals.


Invasion of the Ball Snatchers

While it’s hard to say what we learned from the Buckeyes’ defense playing against a drained offense last week, one stat stands out: Ohio State forced six turnovers against Iowa’s offense, including one interception from linebacker Tommy Eichenberg that he returned for a touchdown.

Six turnovers, as one might imagine, is a lot for a single game, and is reflective of a defense that’s been able to keep offenses in check. In terms of the metrics that matter, Jim Knowles’ defense has risen to No. 2 in the nation in total defense, allowing just 240 offensive yards per game. It is also No. 5 in scoring defense, giving up under 15 points per game.


…And the Body Snatchers

Let’s talk about sacks, baby, because turnovers aren’t the only big plays this Ohio State defense has become accustomed to. The Buckeyes’ defense is averaging just under three sacks per game. They totaled five against Iowa.

Those sacks have proven important in ending drives, which this defense has been exceptional at. In particular, the defense has been phenomenal on third down, allowing opposing offenses to convert a mere 25% of the time (good for second in the FBS). Penn State’s offense, meanwhile, is No. 99 in the FBS in third-down conversions, converting just 35% of the time. The odds, for this matchup at least, would seem to be in Ohio State’s favor.


No-ah-nother scary movie

The hero of the Iowa game (yes, again, four field goals plus six extra points), Ohio State place kicker Noah Ruggles earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Hawkeyes. When it comes to place kicking, despite a slow start for Ruggles in 2021, Ohio State certainly seems to have an edge over this weekend’s opponent.

Hopefully we will not need to call our kicker in such dramatic fashion this year against Penn State: Ruggles also had four field goals that proved to be the difference in the game in 2021 against the Nittany Lions.


Summary

What could be a better Halloween prequel than a thriller between two of the best teams in the Big Ten? Will it turn into an all-out slasher film like we’ve seen from Ohio State lately? Or will the teams keep us in suspense until the clock ticks to zeroes?

The Buckeyes are 15.5-point favorites on the road and have demonstrated skill at beating the spread and not letting up against opposing offenses. Their defense, which had been so anemic all last season, seems to have gotten its blood meal and is once again the fearsome, clever and precise vampire we know and love.

Penn State, though, brings a veteran quarterback, a much-improved running game and a defensive secondary that might not stop offenses in their tracks, but can slow them down a lot. And the Nittany Lions are coached by one of the few folks in the country who’s been able to keep things scary with Ohio State.

Ohio State will look to avoid a shop of horrors on the road—from zombie quarterbacks to Frank(lin)stein coaches and more. However, don’t expect Penn State to roll over in its grave so easily. The Nittany Lions will be fighting to avoid mysteriously disappearing from the College Football Playoff discussion.

LGHL Prediction: Ohio State 38, Penn State 18

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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for October 28, 2022
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 via Imagn Content Services, LLC

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...


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Ask LGHL


Introducing ‘Ask LGHL,’ asking and answering questions throughout the football season
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Gridiron


Watch Ryan Day’s Thursday Radio Show:


(Thurs)Day: ‘You want to know where Penn State is on the schedule’ | No injury updates
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts

Ryan Day Radio Show: Ryan Day Expects “A Good Environment” in Happy Valley, Says Ohio State Will Need “Fast Start” Against Penn State on Saturday
Chase Brown and Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

Ryan Day has no update on status of Buckeyes WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch

Let’s, as they say, F-ing Go!


Film Preview: Penn State’s offense runs through Sean Clifford, Manny Diaz’s new look defensively
Chris Renne, Land-Grant Holy Land

Breaking down where Penn State may have edge, present problems for Buckeyes
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

C.J. Stroud, Ohio State Offense Face Talented Penn State Secondary Led by “Best DB in College Football: Joey Porter Jr.
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

James Franklin Previews Battle Between Penn State Secondary, Ohio State’s Receivers
Braden Moles, Buckeye Sports Bulletin

Buckeyes receivers facing toughest test yet against talented Penn State secondary
Tim May, Lettermen Row

Penn State to ‘Stripe Out’ Beaver Stadium vs. Ohio State
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State vs. Penn State game preview and prediction (paywall)
Mark Cooper, The Athletic

#DevelopedHere


Checking in on the 2022 Buckeye freshmen
David M Wheeler, Land-Grant Holy Land

How ‘scarred’ linebackers learned from past to elevate Buckeyes revamped defense (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

What injury setback means for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Buckeyes (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

Lathan Ransom Feeling “Way More Comfortable” in New Role as He Emerges as One of College Football’s Best Safeties
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

Mitch Rossi’s fullback role will be pivotal for Ohio State down the stretch (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes

MC&J: Tennessee and TCU look to stay undefeated as October comes to a close
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood


Big Ten men’s basketball team previews: Michigan State Spartans
Justin Golba, Land-Grant Holy Land

Listen to the latest episode of our men’s basketball podcast:

Outside the Shoe and Schott


Women’s Soccer: Seven Buckeyes Earn All-Big Ten Accolades
Ohio State Athletics

Women’s Hockey: Jaques Advances to Voting Round of the AAU James A. Sullivan Award
Ohio State Athletics

And now for something completely different...


Between this and Andre the Giant, the amount of people who think these are real will never not be funny:


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Buck Off Podcast: Penn State report, the story of Sean Clifford, and Ryan Day talking ball
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

The guys are back to talk the rivalry between Ohio State and Penn State, and how Sean Clifford as a player defines the last six years.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio


On today’s episode of “Buck Off with Christopher Renne,” I’m joined by Jordan Williams. We take a look at Ohio State and get into a discussion about James Franklin’s soft approach to coaching Penn State.

To get the show started, the guys open with the always burning question – is Penn State a rival of Ohio State? They discuss why the term rival is held too sacredly by the Ohio State fan base and why Penn State is in fact a rival of Ohio State

After that, the duo get into their Penn State report, and the conversation starts with Sean Clifford. Talking about his improvement as a quarterback, and how the Nittany Lions always come up short because their coach and quarterback. Then the guys get into the defensive side of the ball and discuss what Manny Diaz brings to the table.

Moving on from that, Chris and Jordan then talk about a question from the Twitter-verse asking which Penn State players would start at Ohio State? They go down a list of some of Penn State’s best players and discuss if they would start for the Buckeyes.

As the show moves forward, they then get into Ryan Day’s comments heading into the game. They also discuss Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s injury situation and the new schedule.

To close out the show, the guys give their reasons Ohio State will win and score predictions.


Connect with the Show:
Twitter: @BuckOffPod

Connect with Chris Renne:
Twitter: @ChrisRenneCFB

Connect with Jordan Williams
Twitter: @JordanW330

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Ohio State looks to be in good position for two of their top targets in 2023, 2024
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Brooke LaValley / USA TODAY NETWORK

Multiple predictions submitted for the Buckeyes to land a pair of big names.

Now into the back half of the season, Ohio State plays game eight tomorrow of the regular season campaign, and while that means some of these contests start to mean a little more, that also means Signing Day is quickly approaching. Only just over a month separates the Buckeyes from the December signing period, and the staff will hope to sign the majority if not all of their current commits during that period.

That said, there’s still a few spots up for grabs. With the hope of certain names attached to those spots, the work isn’t over yet for this current 2023 cycle. The regular season is first and foremost the top priority for this staff, but as we’ve seen over and over, recruiting rarely takes a back seat to anything in Columbus.

Buckeyes continue to trend for top receiver


In yesterday’s edition of State Secrets, 2024 receiver Jeremiah Smith was one of the main topics of discussion. After news came out on Wednesday that Smith would not be visiting Michigan this weekend as originally planned, the Buckeyes love to see their top target at the receiver position staying away from their biggest rival. Fast forward a bit, and Smith is once again seeing his name in the headlines in regards to Ohio State-related news. The fortunate aspect for the Buckeyes, the news continues to be trending in a positive direction.

Similar to his Michigan visit cancellation theme, on Thursday On3 insider EJ Holland, who covers the Wolverines, put his prediction in for Smith’s commitment to end in favor of Ohio State. Maybe the canceled visit has something to do with this prediction or maybe it’s just coincidence, but the Buckeyes continue to be the clear favorite for the nation’s top receiver in the 2024 class.

The No. 2 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite, Smith’s commitment isn’t expected to come in the coming days or possibly even weeks, but as momentum continues to grow in favor of the Buckeyes, it’s not out of the question that this recruitment could in fact end sooner than expected, with Ohio State winning out. With Brian Hartline doing the heavy lifting here for his position group, you have to like his chances of being able to add yet another incredible player to his room as he has done so many times already.

Wilson momentum growing


Ohio State also saw their name picked in regard to another On3 recruiting prediction yesterday, but this time for a top 2023 target. Switching sides of the ball and looking at the defensive line, the Buckeyes are focusing on that spot more than any other as they try and close out their 2023 class, with more than just one big time player addition. In fact, the coaching staff is hoping for at least two elite additions to a group who needs to reload their depth. Fortunately, they sit in a great spot for more than just one of their top targets.

This latest update is for Damon Wilson, who was predicted by Ohio State insider Matt Parker to end up with the Buckeyes when he commits to the school of his choice. The 6-foot-4, 230 pound edge rusher has been most closely linked to both Ohio State and Georgia as his recruitment starts to wind down, and while both schools are in a solid spot, it’s the Buckeyes who seem to have the inside track for winning this one in the end.

The No. 19 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite, Wilson is also the second best player at his position and the fifth-ranked player in Florida for 2023. Nothing is set in stone yet, but if momentum continues to trend towards Ohio State, it’s a pretty safe assumption that the Buckeyes, thanks to position coach Larry Johnson, are well on their way to adding another top edge rusher to a defensive line that continues to churn out NFL caliber players.

Quick Hits

• Maybe one of the players who goes a bit under the radar in Ohio State’s 2023 class, current tight end commit Jelani Thurman doesn’t always get talked about as much as he should. The sole tight end in the class for the Buckeyes, Thurman is the No. 105 player nationally and the fourth best tight-end in the class according to the 247Sports Composite.

A player who can do it all, Thurman will be welcomed addition to a tight end room that definitely needs to continue adding depth. Fortunately, his ball-catching skills are already off the charts, and he’s shown that time and time again. To see just a glimpse at what Ohio State is getting in Jelani, take a look below.


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DALLAS GANT, LB, TOLEDO

Toledo was the first school to offer Dallas Gant back in 2015. Then, as Rockets head coach Jason Candle puts it, Gant “outgrew us a little bit.” Gant developed into a national recruit in the 2018 class. He ranked as the No. 59 overall player in the Top247 that cycle and ultimately picked Ohio State.

Yet, Gant never caught on in Columbus. He redshirted in 2018, played a career-high 120 snaps as a redshirt freshman and then saw his snap share decrease the next two seasons. Ultimately, he entered the portal as a fifth-year senior with little film and a lot to prove. Those players, formerly elite prospects with limited career snaps, can disappear in the transfer portal.

But, Toledo had an advantage when it came to evaluating Gant. The coaching staff had known Gant for seven years.
“We benefited from knowing him as a human being and as a young man growing up in Toledo,” Candle said. “You take the video you can get, compare it to what you have on the roster and see if it matches.”

Gant was a perfect fit.

He’s been a critical piece for the Rockets. Gant leads the team with 72 total tackles to go along with 4.5 tackles for loss, 4 passes defended and a forced fumble. He’s also the fourth-highest graded linebacker in the MAC, per PFF College. He’s getting better, too. Gant never saw extended snaps in his Buckeye career. Candle said Toledo's foundation is its developmental process and Gant’s first dose of sustained reps are helping him improve week by week.

Ultimately, Toledo landed Gant — a talent it wouldn’t usually be able to sign out of high school — because both parties were willing to give the other a second chance.

“All of us go through times when a particular prospect doesn’t pick your school,” Candle said. “You’re going to do it the right way, still treat people with respect and if it doesn’t go your way, you’re going to finish it out the right way. In this case on the backend when he wants to transfer, coming back home becomes an option once again because you did it the right way the first time.”

Beano Cook said:

The FBS record is 3 safeties in one game. The first time was in 1996, when Arizona State beat two-time defending national champion Nebraska 19-0, ending the Huskers 26 game winning streak. That season didn't end on such a high note for the Sun Devils, blowing an unbeaten season and a shot at the title by losing the Rose Bowl.

I'm guessing this group knows who won that Rose Bowl.

Click to expand...

I think we do.

But Arizona State shutting out Nebraska should have been foreseen. They only gave up 77 to the Huskers in Lincoln the previous season.