Grumpy Old Buckeye: Ohio State at Penn State
Michael Citro 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

Saturday’s result in Happy Valley was good, but it came after an afternoon filled with petty aggravations and I’m going to let you people hear about them.

Ohio State traveled to Happy Valley on Saturday for what should be the team’s toughest true road game of the 2022 season. Games against Penn State rarely go exactly according to plan and instead end up becoming much more aggravating than they usually need to be. This was certainly the case on Saturday when the offense continued to stubbornly do things that never worked for three quarters before the Buckeyes stopped playing with their food and took care of business in the fourth quarter. Here’s what soured my stomach in Saturday’s 44-31 road win.

Continued Problems Getting Plays In


The ongoing problems getting plays in and the offense ready to go just don’t seem to be going away under Ryan Day and they were magnified on Saturday as the Buckeyes played with a silent count for the first time this year. On the first drive of the game, Ohio State faced a third-and-10 deep in Penn State territory and took a delay of game penalty. It was the second time in that set of downs alone in which the Buckeyes had trouble getting the play called in time to run it.

They had previously checked into a running play that went nowhere on first down and although I’ll admit I have no idea what that play might have been originally, but the play they checked into seemed to go into the teeth of how Penn State was set up defensively, so it was a weird deal all around. While Ohio State wasted a few first downs last week after having these issues, this time the Buckeyes thought taking the bad play and the penalty were the preferable way to go.

The third down resulted in an 8-yard pass to Cade Stover that might have given Day a decision to make had it happened on third-and-10 rather than third-and-15.

Not a Banner Day Blocking


Granted, Penn State has a defense that can create problems, but — coming off a game against a stout Iowa defense — the blocking all across the line of scrimmage was problematic at Penn State.

On the second series, tackle Paris Johnson, Jr. got completely blown up on a first-down run and Stover whiffed entirely on a third-down wide receiver screen that could have gone for big yards to the right if the initial block had been successful, as the defense loaded up the middle and was outflanked.

Stover later missed his block again on the left side on a similar play. Credit the Nittany Lions for good recognition and reacting faster than Ohio State but the wide receiver screens that Day says are part of the running game were useless in this game — mainly because the Buckeyes couldn’t block them properly — and the team kept running them anyway. A competent running game doesn’t need wide receiver screens to open things up.

The Touchdown that Almost Wasn’t


Miyan Williams pretty clearly got into the end zone for Ohio State’s first touchdown and it’s puzzling how the umpire didn’t have a good enough look at it to signal that he’d gotten in. Instead, with three-quarters of Williams’ body lying in the end zone, both sideline refs marked the play short of the goal line and Day and company seemed content to line up and run the next play without asking for a review. Just as the ball was being snapped for the next play, the replay booth buzzed down to ask the referee to look at it, which ultimately overturned the call.

Another Key Injury, More Short-Yardage Blocking Woes


Williams caught a pass out of the backfield and looked to have a good shot at a first down but he landed awkwardly with contact and was kept short of the chains. When he landed out of bounds, he stayed down and both the repeated replays and the speculation by broadcasters Gus Johnson and Trent Klatt had folks thinking it was Williams’ knee. Social media doctors were still diagnosing season-ending knee injuries when Williams walked off with a trainer holding his arm. Although Williams later tweeted “All good,” he didn’t return.

On the ensuing third-and-short situation, the offensive line again allowed the Nittany Lions to penetrate and blow up a short-yardage run in the backfield to force a punt. Ohio State has fixed a lot of things that hurt the team last year, but short-yardage running continues to be problematic. That seems likely to cost the team at some point and it’s one of the main reasons Saturday’s game was even close.

This might be fixable by spreading the defense out via formation and running with fewer defenders close to the line of scrimmage or burning an opponent with a play-action pass or two in that situation to keep them honest.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct


Penn State tight end Brenton Strange was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for hitting J.T. Tuimoloau in the head from behind. There’s no doubt it was a penalty, but taking a swing at an opponent, particularly from behind, should be an automatic disqualification from the game. While the act had little chance of actually hurting Tuimoloau, there’s just no place in the game for taking a swing at your opponent’s head.

Strange was allowed to continue and went on to make a key play in the fourth quarter. Ronnie Hickman forced a fumble at the goal line when he knocked the ball out of Mitchell Tinsley’s hands. Strange recovered and was initially given a touchdown despite the ball being out of the end zone when it was recovered — see earlier aggravation about officials’ rulings at the goal line.

The play was correctly overturned, but Penn State then scored on fourth-and-goal when Tommy Eichenberg couldn’t pull down Kaytron Allen in the backfield. That touchdown gave Penn State a fourth-quarter lead and may never have happened had Strange been ejected.

J.K. Johnson’s Tough Day


Cornerback Jakailin Johnson had a tough afternoon in Happy Valley. On the same drive that Strange took his swing at Tuimoloau, A short pass for a first down became a nightmare play that turned a 10-0 game into the tight battle it ultimately became. Sean Clifford completed a pass to Parker Washington for a first down and the Buckeyes were in good shape with both Tanner McCalister and Johnson closing in.

But McCalister went to the ground and lost his grip on Washington. Johnson did what far too many young defenders do and went for the big hit to knock down the receiver without using proper technique to wrap up. Johnson bounced off the receiver, who kept his balance and raced the remaining distance to the end zone to pull the Nittany Lions within 10-7, igniting the crowd and stealing momentum back from the Buckeyes. Penn State went on to win the second quarter, 14-3, and led at the half.

Johnson had plenty of other issues later in the game in coverage. The worst of those was when he committed pass interference on a seemingly uncatchable ball on which he had good coverage on a Penn State third-and-16 play. That came at the start of the same drive on which Strange fell on the fumble near the goal line and allowed Penn State to take a fourth-quarter lead. The young corner will have better games than this one, and in fact, already has had several.

First Half Endgame a Masterclass in What Not to Do


Marvin Harrison Jr. picked up a big first down with seven seconds remaining in the second quarter at the PSU 8-yard line. Some fans, like me, were incensed that Ohio State opted to spike the ball rather than use its final timeout, wasting a second and leaving six on the clock. There was some confusion as to whether Ohio State had any timeouts remaining because the FOX broadcast graphic showed one remaining, as did the official stats broadcast used by the media. However, the Buckeyes had actually used their three, with two of them coming within a two-play span earlier in the drive (one was erroneously announced as a Penn State timeout by the on-field official).

On the ensuing play, Stroud did not get the ball out quickly despite the game clock winding down. He double-clutched and was hit, losing the ball. Although Luke Wypler fell on the football, the game clock expired, making it not matter which team came up with the recovery, and the Buckeyes got no points to show for their final drive. Stroud’s awareness of the game situation was a big mistake, as the quarterback should have made one read and then fired the ball over everyone’s heads and out the back of the end zone to preserve time for a go-ahead field goal. The Buckeyes trailed 14-13 at the half instead of leading 16-14 because of the error.

Despite the timeout situation not ultimately being what many thought it was, Day was still largely outcoached in the first half and that’s been a problem in big games since he took over. Ohio State’s second-half adjustments, the final results on the field, and the Buckeyes’ record have largely masked it, but Day’s first-half coaching performances in big games have left a lot to be desired since he took over the program.

When a couch potato like me can look at the alignment of the defense and then watch in horror as Ohio State runs unsuccessfully into the teeth of that defense, losing yards on critical, possession-wasting plays, it seems logical that the coaches paid millions can also see that the play isn’t going to work. I’m all for saving timeouts, but when using one can keep the team out of a bad third-and-1 play and extend a drive as a result, maybe it’s good to take one.

The Cosmetic Touchdown


I’m going to preface this section by saying I hate the term “style points.” However, when people across the country only see the final score, sometimes the margin of victory means something. Ohio State went up by 20 points on the road against the nation’s No. 13 team and then played softly on Penn State’s final scoring drive. The Nittany Lions had their easiest drive of the game, coming right down the field on a drive that covered 75 yards on eight plays but took only a minute and a half. For those around the country, 44-24 would have seemed more impressive than 44-31 and given Tuimoloau’s dominant performance, it would have more accurately reflected the game. As for the gamblers who took Ohio State to cover, well, that’s not my problem because I don’t have enough disposable income to wager some of it on the whims of 18- to 22-year-olds playing a game.


Those are the items that got me heated on Saturday. What irritated you? Let me know in the comments below. Obviously, there were plenty of good things too, such as Tuimoloa’s incredible game, Zach Harrison doing some similar things on the other side, Marvin Harrison Jr. having another huge outing, and TreVeyon Henderson hitting one of his long-awaited home runs.

Next week, the Buckeyes will travel to Evanston, Illinois to take on the Northwestern Wildcats. There’s always something aggravating about Ryan Field.

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Film Review: Ohio State’s offense explodes again backed by an all-time defensive performance
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 Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

The Buckeyes needed every bit of J.T. Tuimoloau’s historic performance, but they came up huge again in the fourth quarter to beat Penn State.

Ohio State was in a dog fight until the offense clicked and their star defensive end took over in the fourth quarter to beat Penn State 44-31. The Buckeyes came out of the gate playing incredible football, jumping out to 10-0 lead in the first quarter, then a missed tackle and some questionable offensive play-calling allowed Penn State to answer.

In back-to-back weeks, the general feeling throughout the game was the Buckeyes were underwhelming on offense. Consistently moving the ball, but then getting in their own way by getting away from what was working led to drives stalling. For Ryan Day, it once again felt like a game where his overthinking was a detriment.

Luckily enough for Day, on the other side of the football J.T. Tuimoloau had one of the greatest individual performances in school history. In the moment, adding perspective to how good the performance was challenging to place, but the reality is Tuimoloau’s performance was an all-time great one in Ohio State history. Without his showing, the Buckeyes probably do not win this football game.

Despite trailing in the fourth quarter, Ohio State showed a toughness and an inevitability on both sides of the ball to emerge victorious. The issue once again was why it took so long to get there...

First half offensive struggles


This article could have been five clips of failed bubble screens, but there were issues that arose outside of the unusual amount of throws behind the line of scrimmage called. Ohio State’s offensive line and running backs were once again held in check. Penn State deserves credit for this, but the Buckeyes need to be able to overcome the physicality of opponents.

In the first scenario, Ohio State is in a 3rd-and-1, which through the first six games was picked up consistently. The Buckeyes even bring in their heavy package with Mitch Rossi at fullback and Josh Fryar as an extra “tight end.” Ohio State runs their inside zone concept from this formation, and after the snap the play goes south immediately. Penn State’s defensive tackle (No. 97) gets off the ball and into Ohio State’s play side offensive linemen, creating congestion. On the backside, Matthew Jones (No. 55) gets beat inside, and this allows the defensive linemen to make the play before Henderson is even able to react.


This trend continues in the next play. Ohio State is once again in a short yardage position looking to pick up the first down on the ground. The Buckeyes are lined up in their pistol single back formation with Henderson lined up behind Stroud. Tendency wise, this is usually a formational giveaway that Ohio State is running wide zone to the boundary.

After the snap, Ohio State does in fact run the play everybody is expecting. Still, the Buckeyes have the numbers and this play has a chance to be successful. The issue is there is interior penetration that stops the play before it can get started. This time Matthew Jones is play side, and the defensive tackle is able to get up field and cut off Henderson before he can get the edge. The predictability aspect is an issue, but we can see the play is there, the Buckeyes just need to execute to have success.


Now we get to the bubble screens — Ohio State’s new favorite play in every situation that feels important. Ryan Day explained this by saying he wanted to attack Penn State in all areas and challenge them to cover the entirety of the field. This to me is overthinking for the sake of trying to outsmart the defense.

Up to this point, Ohio State was attacking down the field getting chunk play after chunk play. Day isn’t wrong here: Ohio State had the numbers to the side, and the play would have worked if Cade Stover gets his block. Penn State does a great job defending this play, but once again failed execution doesn’t mean the play call is bad. Now, Day calling this play multiple times after it was stopped for no gain is another story. To me, the issues isn’t the bubble itself, it is sticking to the concept when the opponent has shown they aren’t going to be caught off guard.

Offensive concepts that were working


The offense had a huge day even though there were some struggles, and for the Buckeyes the ability to explode when needed is something that has always been there. As frustrating as it can be to watch the Ohio State flounder a few drives away, they have shown an ability to get it done when it matters most.

Early in the game, the Buckeyes found success attacking the middle of the field. The slant game and other inside breaking routes were open constantly. In this play, Ohio State runs a play-action pass with Marvin Harrison Jr. running a dig route. This opens up because the route concept attacks Penn State’s coverage tendencies. Harrison Jr. and Egbuka pushing vertical forces the safety to move over top of them, taking him away from the dig route that Harrison Jr. runs. Egbuka’s route forces the corner to stay in his area and carry Egbuka up the field. This leads to a huge window for Stroud to throw the ball, and allows Harrison Jr. to create yards after the catch.


This last concept showed that there was plenty of vacated space in the middle of Penn State’s defense to attack. On the very next play, Ohio State runs another inside breaking route, this time a quick slant, and the pass is complete again to Harrison Jr. who breaks off a big gain. This was not hard to see, and the question that I think most people want to ask coaches is why they don’t continue to run the plays that are working. Day showed that he still has the ability to get it done, but back-to-back weeks it took far too long to stick to what was working.


Moving forward to when the game was still hanging in the balance. This play was the last offensive play that I wanted to look at for two reasons: the level of design that went into the play, and then Cade Stover running with the ball after the catch.

The Buckeyes are lined up in 11-personnel in a tight end trips formation with Stover lined up in a wing alignment. Ohio State fakes their outside zone look with play-action. Stroud drops back looking to the field side, and Henderson runs a wheel route out of the run-action, taking the linebacker out of the picture. Stover at the top of the screen chips, selling the run action even harder and sucking up the linebackers who end up trying to bring pressure. After the chip, Stover slowly sneaks out and gets up field, creating an easy throw for Stroud.

Stover does the rest, breaking three tackles on the way to the end zone to make it a two-score game.

An all-time defensive performance


There are games that stay with you for a long time. Truly dominant performances that transcend the sport. On Saturday, J.T Tuimoloau had one of those afternoons. People all over the country were comparing this performance to Ndamukong Suh’s one man wrecking crew Big Ten Championship and Chase Young’s demolition of the Wisconsin Badgers. Having a performance like this creates a legendary aura for a player, and the Buckeyes needed every bit of that performance. With that being said, the entire defensive half of this article will be dedicated to Tuimoloau.

The first play set the tone for the day. Tuimoloau is lined as a stand-up edge rusher in a 3rd-and-short situation. Ohio State rushes three, and Tuimoloau actually drops into coverage right at the sticks. Clifford tries to fit the ball in at the yard-to-gain, but Tuimoloau had other ideas, breaking on the ball and intercepting it. For a defensive end to understand where he is on the field in coverage and then be able to break on the ball is incredibly impressive.


The next play shows the level of instinct Tuimoloau plays with and how his length is able to impact the game. In the play, Penn State is trying to run a tunnel screen. This is when the receiver comes inside to catch the ball behind blockers who are getting up field. Tuimoloau is lined up wide in what looks like a 9-technique to the field side. This gives him the angle to go right after the quarterback. The instincts come into play here, because Tuimoloau gets off the ball and is untouched with the tackle leaving to get up field to block.

His mind clicks immediately, understanding this means there is a screen coming behind him. Tuimoloau does the famous matching of hands and gets his hands up to deflect the pass. The ball pops up in the air, and then the other incredibly athletic defensive end in Zach Harrison deflects the ball to himself for the interception. This is just a remarkable play from Ohio State’s defensive ends.


Now the Buckeyes are in crunch time here, Ohio State had just taken the lead and the Nittany Lions got the ball back. Penn State’s opportunity to answer was disrupted by another incredible individual effort from Tuimoloau. The Buckeyes are in coverage and Penn State is in their stacked twins receiver look. They run switch concepts and Parker Washington comes open late across the middle.

Fortunately for the Buckeyes, Tuimoloau was not done playing hero yet. Tuimoloau bull rushes his defender, and by forcing him into Clifford, the Penn State quarterback needs to step up in the pocket. This gives Tuimoloau the tenth of a second he needs to strip the ball and recover it. Ohio State would go on to score to make it a two score game just like that.


The last play was a dagger in every sense of the word. Penn State was still in the game and there was still three minutes left on the clock for the Nittany Lions to try to score and try an onside kick. Instead, Tuimoloau said this game was over. Remember earlier in the game when Penn State tried running a tunnel screen and Tuimoloau deflected it to Zach Harrison for an interception? Well, they tried running that same play to his side of the field again – this time to an even more detrimental result.

This time around, Penn State’s tackle tries to cut Tuimoloau, but the Ohio State defensive end was ready. He fights off the cut block, and once again jumps up into the passing lane, this time intercepting the pass and returning it for a touchdown to put the game on ice. The performance was truly legendary, and if the season goes as many fans hope, Tuimoloau’s big game will live in Ohio State lure forever.


Ohio State was battle tested in a hostile road environment against a talented football team in Penn State. Despite trailing with just over nine minutes to go in the game, the Buckeyes never wavered. The talented Ohio State players executed to perfection when it mattered most, and that should be the takeaway from this game.

The offense was frustrating at times, but Penn State deserves some credit. Ryan Day said it himself, they took away the easy stuff and made Ohio State work for everything on that side of the ball. Eventually, the Nittany Lions broke and the Buckeyes’ inevitability, which was compared to an avalanche, took center stage.

The offense got the help it needed in the way of J.T. Tuimoloau. There have been few performances as dominant as Tuimoloau’s, and he could not have done it alone. Despite having their worst overall showing on defense from a yards per play stand point and giving up some big plays, the defense showed a toughness we haven’t seen in some time. When the game mattered most, they rose to the occasion.

For now, the Buckeyes will look to stay unscathed as they head to down their final stretch, starting with Northwestern. Ohio State has time now to clean up the mistakes, because Nov. 26 will be here before they know it.

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Top-30 sophomore Trent Sisley talks his recruitment, recent visits


Ohio State?

“It’s been really good. I’ve talked to Coach Holtmann and Coach Owens. I went up there for a visit right before football season so I didn’t get to go to a football game but I got to see a practice and toured all the facilities.”

https://stockrisers.com/s/460/top-30-sophomore-trent-sisley-talks-his-recruitment-recent-visits

LordJeffBuck said:

Penn State: Still not elite ... still not our rival.

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Column: What did we learn from the Penn State game?
meganhusslein 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

Good and bad, many different areas of the Buckeyes were highlighted Saturday.

I usually complain about blowouts, but after Saturday’s game and what it did to my heart, I don’t think I will ever be upset about a 40-point win again. Penn State is always a close game, and with it being Ohio State’s first real competition of the year, a few things were exposed.

Establishing a run game is CRUCIAL

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Through the first three quarters of the game, the Buckeyes had a pretty much nonexistent run game. Obviously having Miyan Williams get injured was a major contributor to the lack of a run game, but even with that, it proved how much Ohio State relies on it.

TreVeyon Henderson was really having a rough time getting going, but it wasn’t entirely his fault. The offensive line did not do him any favors, so most of his rushes ended up with negative yardage or no gain. However, once he broke free for his 41-yard touchdown run, the momentum totally changed.

C.J. Stroud and his receivers just weren’t working early on. That’s why having a run game was pivotal. Neither was working to start though, but luckily the defense came through. The Bucks can’t always count on the fact that Stroud & Co. are going to click right away and figure out the opposing team’s defense quickly. Therefore, the running backs must be able to be counted on.

There are two, possibly three, Heisman contenders on this team

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Stroud, once again, proved why he is the Heisman frontrunner. He went 6-of-8 in the fourth quarter, leading the offense down the field and making the throws when it mattered most. Prior to the fourth quarter, it’s not that he was doing bad necessarily — he went 26-of-33 for the whole game. The plays being called were just not working (please no more bubble screens!).

The other Heisman contender I’m speaking of is Stroud’s go-to guy, Marvin Harrison Jr. When all else fails, you can count on Marv making a play. He had 10 receptions for 185 yards, yet didn’t have any touchdowns. That’s when you know a guy is impactful — he didn’t even score, yet the receptions he did make had major ramifications for putting the Bucks in the red zone. I truly do think it’s time for Marv to be entered into the Heisman conversation.

We all know that this game is classified as the J.T. Tuimoloau game. It was one of the greatest defense performances in Ohio State history. Tuimoloau finished with six tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble and fumble recovery, and one touchdown. Now, obviously he won’t be playing like this every week (I mean, I hope he does), but this was certainly his coming out game. If he continues to be a major contributor every game, I think he could be considered as a finalist.

Having a good defense is important.

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

I am so happy that whenever the Buckeyes’ defense comes onto the field, I don’t dread it. In fact, I actually welcome it, as opposed to last year. It is so nice being able to rely on the Silver Bullets to come through when needed.

Top to bottom, they are looking good. Some holes were exposed Saturday, as they did still give up 31 points, but last year’s defense would’ve given up double that, and probably wouldn’t have gotten any interceptions. I think Jim Knowles has figured out who works best on the D-Line, and Zach Harrison in particular had a great game (alongside Tuimoloau, of course).

It was good for them to play a solid offense, probably the best they have seen all year. Now, they know what to work on and will be prepared for TTUN. Overall, I am still happy with what I saw from them Saturday.

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Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: The J.T. Tuimoloau Game™
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Plus, a word or two about the head coach’s play sheet.

The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast ‘Hangout in the Holy Land’ is here! Join LGHL’s co-managing editor Gene Ross alongside his co-host Josh Dooley Matt Tamanini as they cover everything from football to basketball to recruiting and more!

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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


On this week’s episode, Gene is joined by his LGHL co-managing editor Matt Tamanini to discuss Ohio State’s 44-31 win over Penn State this past weekend. Staying on brand, they discuss the putrid play-calling by Ryan Day that led to the Buckeyes’ less-than-desirable first three quarters of the game before a 28-point fourth quarter secured a victory for the good guys. They go on to talk about J.T. Tuimoloau’s ridiculous showing, Marvin Harrison Jr.’s rise to stardom, Ohio State’s continued injury woes, and much more.

“Hangout in the Holy Land” will be posting two episodes per week during the regular season, with an episode before and after each Ohio State game to give you all the preview and recap content you may need. Be sure to download and listen in wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a review on Apple to let us know your thoughts and how we can make things even better!

You can also follow us on Twitter @HolyLandPod, where we will want to hear from you guys even more! If there’s anything you’d like us to talk about on the show, @ us and let us know!

As always, Go Bucks.


Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod

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Twitter: @Gene_Ross23

Connect with Matt
Twitter: @BWWMatt

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Four-star Georgia DL set to make his decision later today
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Kayden McDonald | 247Sports

The Buckeyes are hopeful they are the choice for a top defensive line target who is set to reveal his pledge today.

As Ohio State fought through adversity in Happy Valley to secure a resume-building victory on Saturday by a final of 44-31, they were also gathering some positive developments on the recruiting trail. Could the Buckeyes now be on the verge of adding a key piece to the defensive side of their 2023 class? Plus, a blue-chip defensive back from Florida revealed his list of top schools.

Decision day for McDonald


Today is the day in which Ohio State and defensive line coach Larry Johnson will learn their fate in the pursuit of 2023 four-star defensive tackle Kayden McDonald of North Gwinnett (GA). The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder will announce his commitment to his future program at 6:00 p.m. today, according to Atlanta sports reporter Maria Martin of 11 Alive News.

The Buckeyes are indeed a finalist for the Suwanee standout, but have a quartet of stiff competition in their way. Among the other programs in the running for McDonald include Clemson, Florida, Michigan, and Oklahoma. As of this moment, it’s the Tigers who hold the advantage on the 247Sports Crystal Ball for McDonald, with all three predictions favoring them. However, the forecasts were made several months ago, and it truly feels like anyone’s guess as to who the pick will be later today.

McDonald caught up with Rivals’ Woody Wommack to discuss the finalists that are hoping to be the beneficiary of his upcoming announcement on Sunday morning. When discussing the Buckeyes, the Georgia standout spoke highly of head coach Ryan Day, the aforementioned Larry Johnson, and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. McDonald also added that his, “friend and former teammate Jordan Hancock is up there, and he has been telling me the great things we can do together. They were one of the first schools to believe in me and they have been loyal to me ever since.”

We will see if the Buckeyes have done enough in this recruitment to bring McDonald to the fold and join a class that already ranks as the No. 4 class overall in the country.

Heyward down to six


While the highly-anticipated pledge of McDonald is the biggest news to look forward to, Ohio State was slotted as a finalists for 2024 four-star safety Jaylen Heyward of Rockledge (FL) as he narrowed down his recruitment on Friday afternoon.


The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder had already piled up over 30 offers as a prospect while only being a junior. However, he wasted no time figuring out which programs he wanted to focus on going forward. The Buckeyes, as expected with any national recruit, have more stiff competition to outlast in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and Tennessee. The obvious next hopeful development for Ohio State in this recruitment will be getting the Florida standout on campus for a visit sooner rather than later.

Heyward is currently graded just outside of the Top 50 prospects in his class coming in at No. 51 overall. The blue-chip defensive back also slots in as the fifth highest graded safety for next year and the 12th best prospect from Florida.

Quick Hits

• According to Garrick Hodge of Eleven Warriors, 2024 four-star athlete Garrett Stover of Big Walnut (OH) will be making a visit to Notre Dame this coming weekend for their contest against Clemson. Stover also revealed to Hodge that a decision will likely come in December, and that he really likes both Ohio State and the Irish.

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We’ll Talk About This Later: It’s all just a bunch of hocus pocus
Meredith Hein 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

Your dose of lighthearted takes from yesterday’s games.

Each week, we’ll break down something that happened during the Ohio State game (and occasionally other games) that we’ll be talking about for a while—you know, the silly sideline interactions, the awful announcing and the weird storylines that stick with us for years to come. We’ll also compare each of these happenings to memorable moments in pop culture, because who doesn’t love a good Office reference?

First of all, happy birthday to the greatest mascot of them all!


Next, if you just look at the final score of the Ohio State vs. Penn State game, you might not realize the drama, anxiety, and fright that defined much of the first three-plus quarters. A la every iteration of the Halloween franchise, we always know Michael Myers is going to show up and wreak havoc on our protagonist, but that Laurie Strode will eventually emerge victorious.


That was once again the case Saturday, as the Buckeyes faced their toughest battle of the year. The defense allowed the most points of any game all season and the offense had their second-lowest point total of the year. Naturally, the margin of victory was the narrowest of any game except for the Buckeyes’ matchup against Notre Dame to open the season.

After watching (or maybe not watching) the game, it was clear to most that a road win in a tough environment—and one in which Ohio State showed resilience being down late in the game—was an indicator of success for the Buckeyes rather than a cause for concern. That leads us to a bizarre AP Poll, in which Ohio State and Tennessee are squarely tied at the No. 2 spot behind Georgia.

There hasn’t been a tie in the AP Poll since November 14, 2004, when Auburn and Oklahoma were also tied for No. 2 behind USC. My initial thought on seeing the poll, to channel Donovan McNabb in 2008, was that I didn’t know you could have a tie.


For Ohio State, it means there was not enough cause to warrant them moving down, but an impressive win for Tennessee was enough to boost them up.

The first College Football Playoff rankings are scheduled to come out this week, and all signs indicate that the initial CFP poll will look very different from the AP’s preseason rankings. What that means is that early season polls are a bunch of hocus pocus; meaningless chatter that distracts from on-field storylines.


Of course, polls are helpful in gauging relative aptitude, but absent some games under teams’ belts, they’re merely an embodiment of unfulfilled expectations. Kind of like candy corn. Because how bad can candy be? As it turns out, real bad.

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‘Ball Hell Broke Loose: Week 9 Chaos Roundup — Crazy day for multiple OSUs
JamiJurich 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 storylines that left our jaw on the floor or merely entertained us

Everyone’s least-favorite chaos monger is back after a week off wreaking havoc on her sister’s wedding (just kidding, it was a perfect event. The other wedding staying at the same hotel maximized the chaos on our behalf in a way that was a little much even for me).

Fortunately, the NCAA continues to serve up insanity week after week, so read on for the storylines that sent my jaw to the floor this week.

As a fun aside, I did have the great fortune of accidentally stumbling on the UCLA football team, out in costume, last night while I was out in Westwood looking for a late-night bite after my own Halloween festivities. They were rightfully celebrating their Dub over Stanford, but the people-watching that came of that experience was perhaps more enjoyable than all the chaos below combined.

OSU’s first three quarters


If you saw the score without watching the game, you’d think OSU’s double-digit victory over Penn State indicated steady, consistent gameplay. If you watched the game, you know that couldn’t be further from the truth. That this win over the Nits was ugly is perhaps the biggest testament to this OSU team’s grit and talent that we’ve seen thus far, but it didn’t make it easy to stomach for the fans.

As a deeply superstitious sports fan, I eventually had to turn off the game and keep an eye on Gamecast because any time I left the room to refill my water or use the restroom, the Nits would score. It was a very stressful few hours, with CJ Stroud off his game and the Buckeyes looking a little shaken to start.

But the true measure of a team is in their resilience when they have to really muscle it out on the field. It’s all fun and games when you can steamroll your opponents. But we know Michigan isn’t going to lay down and take it, nor will anyone we meet in the Big Ten Championship or the playoffs, so it’s good for us to have to get down in the mud a bit. It builds character. And ultimately, the Buckeyes of the fourth quarter are the reason they’re ranked the way they are. They were in the mud, they dragged themselves out, and they still won in double digits.

Kansas State Demolishing the other OSU


K-State, the No. 22 ranked team going into yesterday’s matchup against then-No. 9 Oklahoma State, handed the Cowboys the worst shutout loss of an AP Top 10 team since 1966. Winning the game 48-0, the Cats made it look like amateur hour, and with a backup quarterback no less (though Buckeye fans know well never to doubt a second or third-string quarterback). Will Howard, filling in for Adrian Martinez, went 21-of-37 for 296 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. Talk about a monster game. It’s safe to say that Halloween spooks won’t be the things haunting Oklahoma State’s nightmares — it’s going to be visions of Will Howard throwing touchdowns on a loop.

Miami v. Virginia going into FOUR Overtimes


Sitting through low-scoring football games can feel never ending. Now imagine sitting through one with no touchdowns by either team in regulation… and then having to sit through four overtimes. The score at the end of regulation was a measly 6-6. Miami’s punter ended the game with more punting yards than they did offensive yards. This game lacked all punch (in fact, actually getting punched might have been less painful). In the end, Miami eked out a victory 14-12, and while Virginia technically gets the L, the real losers are everyone who sat through this whole football game.

Gerald Mincey’s headbutt


My brother (a recent Tennessee grad) talked smack about C.J. Stroud yesterday and joked that the Heisman was Hendon Hooker’s after yesterday, so I’m going to take a moment to talk some smack about his team.

I can’t really talk about their performance because Tennessee is making a strong case that they’re the best team in college football right now. But I am going to make fun of the fact that Gerald Mincey got headbutted by his own teammate.

At the end of a play, Mincey had his helmet off, and offensive lineman Jerome Carvin walked up to him and, in what was intended to be a gesture of encouragement and reinforcement after a good play, headbutted him straight in the nose. It’s better to just watch the footage, so please enjoy this tweet below.


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Ohio State opens as 36.5-point favorites over Northwestern
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

The Wildcats have not won a game on U.S. soil this year.

DraftKings Sportsbook odds: Ohio State -36.5

Talk about two teams heading in different directions. Ohio State moved to 8-0 this weekend with a come-from-behind win over Penn State in a game that was far closer than the 44-31 final score would indicate. Northwestern, on the other hand, is just 1-7 on the year, with their only win of the season coming in the opener against Nebraska in Ireland. That being said, it makes quite a bit of sense that the Buckeyes would be massive favorites in this game, as they should be in their next three games before the highly anticipated finale against Michigan.

As mentioned, Ohio State managed to defeat the Nittany Lions on Saturday by double-digits despite playing three terrible quarters of football. Head coach Ryan Day had perhaps his worst game as a play-caller to date, as the Buckeyes ran nothing but bubble screens and predictable run plays for the majority of the afternoon. Things turned around in a major way in the fourth quarter, and trailing 21-16 with a little over nine minutes to go, Ohio State managed to rattle off 28 points in the final frame to pull away with another nail-biter against Penn State. Even with the awful game plan, C.J. Stroud finished passing for 354 yards and a touchdown, while Marvin Harrison Jr. stole the show with 10 catches for 185 yards.

Defensively, this will forever be known as the J.T. Tuimoloau Game. The former five-star defensive end put together one of the greatest individual performances on that side of the ball that we’ve ever seen. Tuimoloau intercepted a pair of passes — one on a diving play in the first quarter and another a pick-six of Sean Clifford to ice the game in the fourth quarter — while tipping a third pass that led to an interception by Zach Harrison. He also had a sack fumble, which he recovered himself. While they let up a couple of big plays that led to scores, the defense played pretty well overall in this one, albeit with some things that need to be cleaned up moving forward.

On the flip side, Northwestern is coming off its seventh-straight loss, this one a 33-13 loss at the hands of Iowa. Having seen the Hawkeyes play football a little over a week ago, letting that team put up 33 points — all of which were actually on offense — is purely indefensible, no pun intended. Pat Fitzgerald’s teams have always been known for their defense, but this years unit is not good, allowing almost 29 points per game to rank 85th in the country in that department. I mean, they let Spencer Petras throw for 220 yards and score two touchdowns. I think that says enough on its own.

As bad as the defense has been, the offense is even worse, ranking 120th of 131 FBS teams with just 17.9 points per game. Quarterback Ryan Hilinksi has been inefficient, completing under 58% of his passes with six touchdowns and six interceptions through six games, while no rushers have averaged more than 4.3 yards per carry. The team’s best offensive player by far has been Evan Hull, who has over 1,000 yards from scrimmage on the year — 579 yards rushing, 461 yards receiving with five total TDs. Outside of Hull and Malik Washington, the only wide receiver on the team with more than 250 yards this season, there really isn’t a ton going on with this offense.

After being battle tested against Penn State, Ohio State should have a much easier time taking care of this Northwestern team. The Buckeyes have some pretty notable injury issues, including Miyan Williams and of course Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was once again out against the Nittany Lions. I wouldn’t expect that to play much of a factor in this one, but then again those noon kicks in Evanston (11:00 a.m. local time) can sometimes sneak up on you and lead to less-than-desirable performances. Ohio State knows it has to take care of business, even against the lesser teams on its schedule, so I still expect the Buckeyes to roll here.

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

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Buckeye Stock Market Report: J.T. Tuimoloau turns it on as Ohio State come to life to beat Penn State 44-31
David M Wheeler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The highly touted edge player has a career day and destroys the Nittany Lions.

After each Ohio State game during the 2022 football season, LGHL will offer its market analysis of the Buckeyes’ performance. Using a standard bond rating system, we’ll evaluate the offense, the defense, and the special teams, according to this formula:

AA: Very Strong
A: Strong
BBB: Adequate
BB: Facing Major Uncertainty

Then, we’ll take a look at any individual players whose performance stood out (in one way or another!) and assign them a stock rating: Blue Chip, Solid Performance, Penny Stock (akin to a junk bond, dangerously high risk).

Quick Overview


Before this game began, I was wondering if Ohio State would resolve the offensive issues that emerged last week against Iowa: the absence of red zone touchdowns and the absence of a running game generally. Unfortunately, both problems persisted.

Although the Buckeyes enjoyed a 20-point lead until there was only a minute left in the game, they hardly dominated. The Nittany Lions had more first downs, more passing yards, more rushing yards, and a wide margin in time of possession. But they also had four turnovers (to OSU’s none) and, most importantly, fewer points.

We shouldn’t forget that Penn State is a good team and that Happy Valley isn’t a happy place for most opponents. The Nits stopped the Buckeye run game and made some big, explosive plays on their own – through the air – exploiting an OSU weakness.

And Ryan Day helped them. I thought that there was some very suspect offensive playcalling. But Tuimoloau (and others) on defense, along with Marvin Harrison, Jr., on offense, saved the day. It’s said that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” The Bucks survived. We’ll see if they’re stronger as the season winds down and heads to the Thanksgiving week showdown.

Offense


Overall rating: BBB Adequate (i.e., good enough to win)

In many ways, Ohio State’s offense was better against Penn State than against the Hawkeyes last week. Quarterback C.J. Stroud was sharper and made better decisions on his throws. The Bucks gained more yards, and TreVeyon Henderson had a 41-yard breakaway touchdown. But the running game was again unreliable (less than 100 yards total) and seemed to collapse when Miyan Williams was hurt at the end of the first quarter with the Buckeyes leading 10-0.

With Harrison seemingly always open and the middle of the field available, the Bucks were determined to try wide-receiver screens. Five of them? All failures. Cade Stover, who otherwise had a strong game, couldn’t get his blocks on these plays. The line generally protected Stroud pretty well, giving up two sacks in the first half, and none in the decisive second. Stroud’s not very mobile, so it’s important that he have a good passing pocket.

Henderson had a couple of nice runs and scored two TDs, but his initial impulse, when given the ball, is, annoyingly, to hesitate and look around. He takes a lot of losses and goes down pretty easily. Seeing Williams in an arm sling was troubling. Stroud threw “only” one touchdown pass (to Stover) but had no interceptions (the first time in a while) and completed nearly 80% of his passes for over 350 yards. Harrison and Stover were great on the receiving end. Emeka Egbuka, on the other hand, was the recipient of those ill-advised screens and dropped a fourth-quarter pass. He did, though, have a 42-yard reception and finished with six catches for 53 yards.

All in all, the offense moved the ball and scored points but certainly wasn’t unstoppable. Once again, they got a lot of help from the defense’s takeaways. And Penn State is pretty good.

Defense


Overall rating: A Strong

The Buckeye defense gave up 31 points and nearly 500 yards of total offense. Yet – I give them a rating of “strong.” Why? Well, the takeaways, first of all. Three interceptions and a fumble recovery go a long way to helping out your offense, especially when it’s struggling (again). Oh, and there was a pick-six for the second week in a row.

Secondly, the defense stopped Penn State’s running game, normally its strength. Super-frosh Nick Singleton rushed 14 times for only 45 yards; his longest run was six yards. His freshman teammate Kaytron Allen did better, breaking a 27-yarder but still was largely held in check. Forcing Sean Clifford to take to the air should lead to success.

There were plenty of Buckeye heroes, led, of course, by Tuimoloau. And there were a couple of guys who were weaknesses. I must say, though, that Penn State’s final drive – 75 yards in about a minute and a half – bothered me. Yeah, the game was out of reach, but OSU still had first-line players in the game, and the Nits just moved right down the field. I’m glad that I didn’t have money on the game; that drive flipped bets on the spread.

Special Teams


Overall rating: BBB Adequate

There were some problems here. I’m saying “adequate” because there weren’t any disastrous screw-ups and because the Buckeyes won. Noah Ruggles missed a field goal. It was a long one (53 yards), but his missing is a rarity.

Then there were the special teams’ penalties. Twice OSU lined up to try for two-point conversions after TDs. Twice they were called for false starts and resorted to one-point kicks. Both times PSU linemen jumped into the neutral zone and back, causing Buckeye players to move. Intentionally on the Nits’ part? Maybe – but the Buckeyes need some discipline in these situations, some coaching perhaps. The extra couple of points didn’t matter yesterday. But someday?

In the fourth quarter, Penn State missed field goal attempts back-to-back. There were penalties, however, on both plays. A pre-snap call against the Nittany Lions that gave them the second shot and one against the Buckeyes (lining up over the center on a kick attempt) that gave the Nits a fourth-and-one situation. Given the unreliability of the kicker, PSU opted to go for the first down. Eventually, they scored a touchdown to regain the lead 21-16 at the 9:26 mark. Another matter of discipline – or of coaching.

Individual Performances

Blue Chip


J.T. Tuimoloau. Got to start here. What a game! The Buckeyes had four takeaways. Credit Tuimoloau with all of them. Two interceptions – one returned for a Buckeye TD. A strip of QB Sean Clifford and a recovery of that fumble. And a pass deflection at the line of scrimmage that went to teammate Zach Harrison for another interception. Tuimoloau recorded six total tackles for the game, two of them sacks. Ever since the Buckeyes began recruiting him in high school, he was pegged for greatness. He attained it yesterday.

Marvin Harrison, Jr. Harrison was the other true Buckeye hero of the game. With Egbuka struggling a bit, Harrison Jr. stepped up and cemented his claim to being the top OSU receiver. For the day, Harrison Jr. snagged 10 passes for 185 yards, including a long play of 37 yards. He was clearly the go-to guy. Penn State has an outstanding secondary, but they couldn’t handle Harrison Jr. Maybe nobody can.

The Ohio State defensive line. Have you seen a game where a team got three interceptions and they were all made by linemen? Additionally, the line got to Clifford for three sacks and pressured him into a number of bad throws. And they stopped the run game. Zach Harrison, Tyleik Williams, Tarron Vincent, Mike Hall Jr., Jack Swayer – hats off!

Solid Performance


C.J. Stroud. Not a game that made folks around the country do a double-take at the stats, but a really solid game. He was accurate from the get-go and didn’t make stupid throws on the run. Stroud’s decision-making was solid. As for touchdowns? Look to the play-calling.

Tyleik Williams. Well, hello, Tyleik, my old friend! Williams was a monster on the D-line last year, but he’s been relatively quiet this year. Until Penn State’s first drive of the second half. The Nits had a long drive going, one that ate up over five minutes. But Williams got a sack on a second-and-eight play. Then he stuffed the runner on a crucial fourth and two, forcing PSU to turn the ball over on downs.

Lathan Ransom. Defending the run. Defending against the pass. Ransom was there. With Ronnie Hickman, Ransom was the most active of Buckeye defensive backs with seven tackles.

Tommy Eichenberg. We’ve become accustomed to Eichenberg’s outstanding play. But fifteen total tackles deserve mention. With the game close throughout, Eichenberg didn’t get a breather, and he was always there.

Penny Stock


J.K. Johnson. The cornerback position is a problem for Ohio State. Suffice it to say that it’s not being solved by J.K. Johnson. Parker Washington is a good receiver, and Clifford’s a decent quarterback. Together, they ate Johnson up. PSU’s first touchdown occurred when the Bucks were caught in a blitz that didn’t get to Clifford. The pass was complete for a first down and should have been stopped there. But Johnson (with an assist by Tanner McCalister) whiffed on the tackle, resulting in a long TD. An interference call, blown coverages, and more missed tackles rounded out Johnson’s day. Time for a change.

Offensive play-calling. I’ll start with the most obvious. Trailing 14-13, Ohio State had the ball at the Nittany Lions’ eight, with six seconds left in the first half. A chip-shot field goal would give the Bucks the halftime lead – and, more importantly – a bit of momentum. No timeouts left, but Day has his team attempt a pass. Stroud was sacked. End of half. Take the points, Ryan.

In the second quarter, Henderson started a drive with a seven-yard run. Second and three. Everyone knew that the Buckeyes would run again. Certainly, Penn State did, as they put nine in the box. Stroud should have checked off (if he has the green light to do so), but he didn’t. Henderson lost two. A failed screen to Egbuka. A punt.

At the beginning of both halves, Day, as he’s prone to do, decides to “establish the run game.” He can’t. He (if anyone) should know that a running attack can come from a successful passing game, as well as the other way around. The Bucks are simply a better passing team, and their offense should start there. Those screen passes?


The Buckeyes, sitting now at 8-0, are headed on a collision course with Michigan. Will they be ready? We have to hope so. On to Evanston next week. career historic legendary

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ORD_Buckeye said:

It's the South, Dude. Parents deliberately have their kids held back in late elementary school, so that they'll be a year older when they hit Pop Warner and High School. It's the South.

Click to expand...

Same shit is happening in Ohio too unfortunately.

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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

The only Ohio State game day podcast you need.

Before every Ohio State football game, Matt Tamanini will get you ready with all of the information that you need for that day’s game on the “LGHL Tailgate” podcast.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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

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


Contact Matt Tamanini
Twitter: @BWWMatt

Music by: epidemicsound.com

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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
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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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