Game Thread tOSU at Penn State, Sat. Nov. 2, 12pm ET, FOX

[brodybuck21]

Well said.

I think we can win this game but if I’m being honest geez I am not that confident if we play the way we did 2 days ago.

Their defensive strength lines up with our worst unit on the team (with the loss of Simmons) and with games always being close in Happy Valley I would be absolutely shocked if this wasn’t a 1 score game.

maybe this group plays better on the road and vs better opponents....

 

[Zurp]

maybe this group plays better on the road and vs better opponents....

Maybe... I'm hoping that this past weekend was the wake-up call. The team/coaches/everyone need to know that they can't play like that and beat anyone of quality.
Either that, or Nebraska got their wake-up call against Indiana, and they played way better than they had all year. That Nebraska is really super good.
I know... both are unlikely. But I really hate watching my team lose to Penn State.

 

[BuckBackHome]

maybe this group plays better on the road and vs better opponents....

Cross fingers!

 

[zbuck]

Maybe... I'm hoping that this past weekend was the wake-up call. The team/coaches/everyone need to know that they can't play like that and beat anyone of quality.
Either that, or Nebraska got their wake-up call against Indiana, and they played way better than they had all year. That Nebraska is really super good.
I know... both are unlikely. But I really hate watching my team lose to Penn State.

As if the Oregon game wasn't a wake up call ....

We just now know that meeting our goals became a whole lot harder with Simmons out and obviously no one behind him ready for prime time.

 

[Steve19]

Nebraska has to be a wake-up call. Happy Valley is never an easy venue to play in. One explanation for it was that Ohio State was looking a bit past Nebraska toward Penn State and will be ready.

 

[Captain Buckeye]

As if the Oregon game wasn't a wake up call ....

We just now know that meeting our goals became a whole lot harder with Simmons out and obviously no one behind him ready for prime time.

Yeah you’d think Oregon would be that wake up call but as mentioned it did seem like we looked last Nebraska.

I knew pregame it was going to be a rough game. Anytime Birm or Austin say there’s no juice on campus it alarms me. You couple that with a 12pm kick and against a team who just got throttled? Sort of not surprising we didn’t meet the urgency of Nebraska.

One of the more concerning trends is our inability to recognize something isn’t working mid game and finding other routes. Zen clearly couldn’t do the job and not only did we not sub for him we didn’t even help him with his assignments. Clearly the run game wasn’t working and we continued to pound the ball for nothing.

Sometimes you just have to be unbalanced in games. Sometimes you can pass for success and sometimes it’s the run that’s working. Do it until they stop it then. Call plays to get touchdowns and if that’s all passes then oh well.

 

[1926Buckeyes]

He really appears to be. I am in the hoping Allar plays boat without question. Regardless, I am definitely concerned about this game as I'm sure most are. We have to make rapid adjustments and adapt in certain areas to stay in this one.

Namely, the OL...we have to figure out a new formula and fast. I would keep Jackson at LT even though it is not his natural position, he's our best OL and sometimes the best move is to play your best guy at the most important position on offense. As said above though, he needs some support from TE/RB to help against a very good PSU defensive front. It is time for Montgomery to live up to that high recruit rating at LG. I would keep Fryar at RT, he is a bigger liability than Jackson would be at LT. Regardless, we're going to have to get creative because we can't go up the middle or right side every time (though we should favor that). We'll need JJ Smith often and early, but Tate is showing a lot and Egbuka is a known commodity.

On defense, I hope we have Ransom back because he is one of our best defensive players without a doubt. McClain flashed for sure but there's no substitute for a player like Ransom in this game. LB play has been pretty poor overall and just when Reese is showing real potential, he gets ejected, which I believe means he can't play the first half this week...so Simon and Styles are really going to have to step it up and the coaches need to figure out how to properly utilize Hicks. The DL just HAS to figure out how to get more effective pressure and be more consistent in stopping the run...not going to lie, Singletary and Allen are going to have a field day if we don't step it up.

On pass coverage, PSU's WRs don't concern me at all. But stopping #44 is imperative and he is good without a doubt. And if Allar is playing, only his legs concern me with the way we've been getting gashed by QB runs. #9 is a hell of an athlete though and I would be more concerned with him to the point of my initial reply. Need to really focus on stopping the run is the emphasis and let what should be a talented secondary do their job.

I don't mean to be dreary on the outlook of this game, we can definitely win it. But at this stage in the season, we have to be honest about the flaws that make this game concerning.

Not being dreary if it's the truth. On the OL, the season hinges on a hail mary of Jackson being above average at an unnatural position. I haven't been as impressed with his play so far, but he's athletic and has a ton of experience. He also has an existing relationship with the rest of the OL. Siereveld has played more than Montgomery, so I'd rather see him get time. It was odd he didn't go in after Jackson moved. Maybe Montgomery has been banged-up until recently.

I only see it two ways:

1. OSU had a semi-collapse post Oregon. Nothing worked at LT so they had to go with Zen, they have no replacement for their top blocking TE, and the offense isn't going to work very well going forward. The mood soured. They focus on defense helped, but it became clear they can't cover up the issues at LB or a lack of a 4-man rush completely. Faith starts to waver in the locker room, they came out flat and uninspired, and the mood has worsened as concerns were confirmed.

2. They wanted to move as few pieces around on the OL as possible and give Zen a try. They spent the majority of the bye on defense, planned on a basic game plan for Nebraska, and spent too much time looking ahead to PSU knowing it is a must win. Going through the basics against Nebraska also helps them determine issues they might have with their core playbook that need fixing. When their backs were against the wall, they did just enough scheming on offense to move down the field and get the lead back. They won and can fully focus on PSU.

Won't argue if anyone claims the 2nd option is wishful thinking, but I don't think it's completely unreasonable. Major injuries have impacted this team, but unless they collapsed after Oregon, they're the same team that plugged in a clearly unplayable LT on the road and still took Oregon to the wire with a malfunctioning defense.

In regards to chipping with a TE or RB, I think it's fair to assume they wanted to see what he could do on his own, at home, against an ok team. I know people aren't always rational, but I don't think Day and Kelly forgot how to help out their OTs. Was it the right move? No idea, but they got a clear answer.

Finally just want to end with this. There's little reason to be optimistic right now. Day hasn't won the big games and has yet to convince fans that he can manage a coaching staff or season well. He's struggled with an inconsistent run game post-'20 and will never shake the 'soft' narrative unless he wins it all. But his teams aren't quitters. That doesn't earn you trophies or let you keep your job, but besides his first season, every team has faced huge obstacles. They could've quit against Utah, they could've quit after an inexplicable blowout loss* to Michigan at home, and they could've quit on the road against Michigan last year or when they had zero chance to score an offensive TD against Missouri. But they didn't, and I don't think they'll do that now. Doesn't mean they win or Day gets to keep his job, but there's reason to have faith.

 

[Elephant]

Early reactions....we typically find a way to beat Penn State. We typically have a defensive end kill their dreams. Last year, I thought our defense just smothered em. I think based on the current environment I have several concerns.

1) Penn State has the ability to out our rush us if they get going
2) What is the o-line adjustment going to be?
3) Does Ohio State go back to the first several games to bring in more reverses, bubbles, and such to counter balance the running game?
4) Do the tight ends help in some way? Chip? Extra blocker on edges? What does that take away from the offense?
5) Crazy that I am even having these thoughts....this team is loaded but not clicking yet. This is a game you have to have.