Late Thoughts: Ohio State pounds Penn State

    This is really late due to a fun trip on Sunday, personally, but I wanted to add a few thoughts on Ohio State's 38-14 win over Penn State last Saturday.

1) Julian Sayin threw for over three hundred yards and fired four touchdown passes.

Sayin has firmly placed himself in Heisman consideration, and the biggest hurdle that Sayin may have to face might be voters splitting votes between Sayin and his top two receivers, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.

2) Ryan Day gives more and more challenges each week to Julian Sayin, and the final advance might have come against the Nittany Lions, where Sayin began looking downfield for big plays to his standout pass catchers.

Sayin completed fifty-seven-yard passes to both Smith and Tate and showed the ability to throw a beautiful deep ball.

3) Penn State was only down three points at the half after a C.J. Donaldson fumble late in the first half led to a Penn State short-field touchdown drive, but I never felt threatened with an upset.

Ohio State scored on every first-half possession other than the final drive when Donaldson fumbled, and I didn't think Penn State could keep pace in the second.

I Tell Ya' Herbie

   It's our weekly look at college football, featuring another hot-seat coach who we mentioned one week ago might be fired next!

Editor's Note: I started this last week, and time constraints didn't allow me to finish, so consider this an extra-large double edition.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             We mentioned the heat on James Franklin at Penn State after their road loss to a twenty-point-plus underdog UCLA last week.

Little did we know that the Nittany Lions were about to drop another game as a similar favorite at home to Northwestern!

And that game spelled the end of James Franklin at Penn State, and another coach mentioned here as sitting on the hot seat gets the axe at mid-season.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             The top name on the list to replace Franklin was Indiana's Curt Cignetti, who led his Hoosiers to a huge win over the Oregon Ducks in Eugene last week.

The Pittsburgh native signed an eight-year contract extension worth an average of over eight million per season to remain in Indiana, and takes Cignetti off the table for the Nittany Lions.

The top rumored name now appears to be Nebraska's Matt Rhule, but two other names to watch for- Iowa State's Matt Campbell may decide that this is his "Pete Gillen" moment and finally take a job before schools quit asking and Vanderbilt's Clark Lea, who is 5-1 with the Commodores which is only slightly easier that doing that with Lionel Richie and his Commodores.

A possible issue with Lea that he can't control?

He's from Vanderbilt, which sent Penn State's last head coach, a fellow named James Franklin.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             I missed last week (as noted above), and as a result, I didn't mention the hot seat that Billy Napier sat on at Florida.

Florida fired Napier after a 23-21 win over Mississippi State that reportedly included several questionable decisions by Napier.

Florida improved to 3-4 (2-2 SEC) after the win, but Napier had coached his last game as Gator boss.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             The Big 12 took a major shot when Arizona State upset unbeaten Texas Tech on a late-game score.

The loss may have delivered a major blow to the league's hopes of receiving two playoff slots.

In this bloated conference era, Tech could run the table, finish at 11-1, and not qualify for the Big 12 title game as both BYU and Cincinnati are unbeaten in the conference.

Tech does play BYU later this season, but Cincinnati doesn't play Tech or BYU, and when you could have multi-team tiebreakers, the leagues best team (the Tech-BYU winner or Cincinnati) might be on the outside looking in.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             I still think that the Group of Five bid will go to the champion of the American with three unbeaten teams in the league (Navy, South Florida, and Tulane) and five with six wins overall (unbeaten Navy and South Florida, Tulane, Memphis, and North Texas with one loss) but if anyone can take advantage of these teams beating each other up and have their champion finish with two defeates, it could be James Madison of the Sun Belt.

JMU led Old Dominion by one (28-27) at halftime and then hammered the Monarchs in the second half with a thirty-five point assault in 63-27 win.

The Dukes only defeat is a forgivable 28-14 at Louisville in a game that was tied after three quarters and if they win out along with some help in the American race, it could be James Madison in the playoff.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             One of my favorite ruvalries that doesn't receive a lot of national attention will take place for the final time as a conference game as Colorado State meets Wyoming for the Bronze Boot.

The 3-4 Cowboys will host the 2-5 Rams, who fired head coach Jay Norvell this week, in Laramie.

Wyoming will remain in the Mountain West, while Colorado State is leaving after the season for the revitalized Pacific 12.

The schools have been in the same conference since 1968 (WAC and Mountain West) and will play next year in the season opener before skipping 2027.

The series will resume in 2028 and there is an agreement to continue through 2036.

It is possible the teams could meet in 2027, if scheduling adjustments can be arranged.

                             

           

                            

I Tell Ya' Herbie

    Time for our weekly thoughts on the college football world- I Tell Ya' Herbie.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Penn State was viewed by many as a potential playoff winner entering the season.

Between most of their lineup returning and a schedule that featured Oregon coming to State College, and a non-conference schedule that was softer than sherbet, the Nittany Lions ' chances seemed solid.

Even their two overtime defeat to Oregon didn't hurt, but their shocking loss to winless UCLA may have forced Penn State into run-the-table mode, even to make the playoffs, and would include a road win at Ohio State.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             Penn State fans would be more than willing to move on without James Franklin, but it's unlikely to happen.

Why?

Well, if Penn State could find a school that wanted Franklin, Penn State would receive a buyout of between two and four million dollars from that school.

However, if Penn State fired Franklin for any reason (outside of breaking rules, etc.), it would reportedly cost them between $50 million and $54 million.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Another coach under fire is Texas head man Steve Sarkisian.

Sarkisian's loss to Ohio State on the road could be excused, but not their defeat to a struggling Florida Gators team.

Sarkisian is essentially James Franklin South.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             This week is an opportunity for Indiana to take the next step in its sprint to national prominence.

While Curt Cignetti has done one of the best turnarounds of a downtrodden program in years, the Hoosiers still lack a big scalp on their mantle.

Indiana travels to Oregon on Saturday, and should they win that game, Indiana can knock down another hurdle.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             3-2 Iowa will battle 2-3 Wisconsin in Madison in my favorite game ot the season that doesn't involve a team that I support.

That game is always fun with Ryan (Wisconsin) meeting Jeff (Iowa) in a battle of smack talk, rooting, screaming, and predicting doom; that was always a great time.

I'm hoping to spend my Saturday night on a video chat with the two of them, watching the game.

It's not quite the same as the three of us watching together, but it's something to add to the memory book.

                             

                             

  

Jim Knowles leaves Ohio State for Happy Valley

   On a day that should have been filled with celebrating a national championship among their home fans, Ohio State football was dropped for a loss with the announcement that defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was leaving for the same job and a hefty raise at conference rival Penn State.

Knowles arrived at Ohio State for the 2022 season and after an initial struggle in matching his system with personnel has helped Ohio State's defense become one of the best in the nation in the last two seasons and the best in their national championship-winning year.

Ohio State allowed only twelve points and two hundred fifty-four yards per game in 2024, leading the nation in both categories.

Knowles is rumored to have had philosophical issues with defensive line coach Larry Johnson. Johnson is the older man with more specialized responsibilities, but he is far more valuable as a recruiter than Knowles, who has made his disdain for that part of the job clear.

Knowles will make over three million dollars per season for Penn State. While Ohio State made an offer that would have made him the highest-paid assistant in the country, it's unknown if Ohio State matched Happy Valley's offer.

Penn State has upped the ante for 2025 with several players that could have entered the NFL draft returning in an attempt to emulate the success of Ohio State's returning stars in the past season.

Ohio State is losing eight defensive starters but they still have Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles returning and there is still plenty of talent for the Buckeyes, arguably more than Penn State even with the loss of eight starters.

It might not have been any of the reasons rumored.

Not the money, friction with the coaching staff, or issues with the Columbus pressure cooker.

It could be as simple as Knowles, after three years. has nowhere to go but down after this past season.

At best, Knowles's defense could keep the status quo and some of the best coaches prefer the process of building rather than maintaining, Ohio State had someone like that in Urban Meyer, so that's entirely plausible

Several coaches are rumored to be candidates, with Matt Guerrieri and Tim Walton as the leaders if Ryan Day wants to keep the position within the current staff.

From the outside, former Wisconsin defensive coordinator and current Denver Broncos defensive backs coach Jim Leonhard, former Ohio State defensive coordinator and current Green Bay Packers coordinator Jeff Hatley, and Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock would lead my list of a crowded field.

Eleven Warrior's Dan Hope details eleven coaches who could be candidates to replace Knowles here.

Ohio State is losing one of the best defensive minds in the game but several qualified men are more than capable of using the talent on campus to retain the Buckeyes' elite defensive level.

I Tell Ya' Herbie

    It's time for our weekly look at the college football world entitled "I Tell Ya' Herbie"!

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             I usually don't write about Ohio State in the "Herbie" verse but their win over Penn State last Saturday caused a breakdown in the Penn State fan base and their coach had a small version as well.

James Franklin was returning to the locker room with his daughter and was heckled by fans upset with the latest Nittany Lion loss to Ohio State, their eighth in a row to the Buckeyes and the tenth in eleven games under Franklin.

Franklin fired back at the fan verbally and doubled down at a press conference later in the week.

Penn State's schedule is still soft down the stretch ( Washington and Maryland at home and at Purdue and Minnesota) which would put an 11-1 Nittany Lions easily in the CFP but with a fan base that is growing weary of Franklin's act, if Penn State lost their first round game in the CFP which is likely to be at State College, Could there be a full-fledged rebellion at Penn State?

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             One thing that I wonder about and the data won't be available for a few years is this-

Which will be more useful, the first-round bye or playing and staying sharp but taking the risk of injuries?

In the bowl era, the best teams were off for a month before the game and it could cost some sharpness but the chance of losing key players in the first round is a major factor.

It'll be interesting to review after the first few years.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            One of the games that play out through college football is the hot seat game as in what jobs could be open at the season's end and how each new hire affects another school.

This year looks comparatively light against past seasons as the SEC and Big 10 don't have many jobs in peril after Florida committed to keeping Billy Napier for a fourth season.

USC would be a desirable job but the cost of buying out Lincoln Riley's massive contract makes that unlikely for this season, which leaves Purdue as possibly the only job available in the Big Ten.

Purdue is 1-7 this season, 0-5 in the Big Ten, and 5-15 overall under Ryan Walters, who committed a gaffe last week in overtime against Northwestern that cost them the game.

Walters eschewed a field goal in overtime, went for it on fourth down, and was stopped which gave Northwestern the field goal to win the game.

Purdue might be the glamour job in the two top conferences this off-season, which says a lot for the stability in the leagues!

Ohio State Stonewalls Penn State 20-13

     The two biggest question marks for the Ohio State Buckeyes before they visited Happy Valley and the third-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions concerned the offensive line and the ground attack, both of which underperformed in Ohio State's narrow win last week over Nebraska.

The two questions were answered for one week as the Buckeyes stopped Ohio State stopped Penn State four times inside the Ohio State three-yard line and then never gave Penn State another chance to touch the football as Ohio State defeated Penn State 20-13.

Will Howard threw two touchdown passes and Quinshon Judkins rushed for ninety-five yards to lead Ohio State, who improved to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten after the victory.

Ohio State will host Purdue next Saturday in Columbus.

Olentangy Offerings

1)  You cannot talk about this game without mentioning the fourth-quarter goal line stand that stopped Penn State from the tying score.

Three runs from Penn State's big back Kaytron Allen were turned away before knocking down a fourth down pass with just under six minutes to play.

2) Coming on the heels of a similar stand against Nebraska, the Buckeye defense is playing well and living up to preseason expectations.

If they are going to be looked at as vulnerable because Oregon's athletes ran by them at times, other defenses have to be just as vulnerable as the Buckeyes run by them.

Give defensive coordinator Jim Knowles credit for an excellent game plan.

3) Caleb Downs is such a standout that he might be one of the rarities in the NFL draft when he comes out - a top-ten safety.

There is nothing he can't do and against Penn State, Downs was making one-handed tackles, blitzing Drew Allar, running like the wind, and on those rare occasions that a passer dares to float the ball in hs area, a ball hawk on the elite level.

4) BUT the play of the game came late in the first half with Penn State at the Buckeye three with eleven seconds remaining in the half and a touchdown would give Penn State the lead. Drew Allar lofts a pass that Gus Johnson screams touchdown but after replay, it's clear that Davidson Igbinosun grabbed the pass away and kept a foot in bounds for an interception to end the half.

That play didn't mean the game as PSU would have likely kicked a field goal that wouldn't have been enough in the big picture but it did douse the fans going into the half.

5) Will Howard wasn't outstanding in his personal revenge against his childhood team that wasn't interested in recruiting him but he did enough to win.

Howard threw a pick-six to Penn State's Zion Tracy on his first pass but he didn't make any other backbreaking mistakes that could have given Penn State cheap points.

6) Howard did fumble through the end zone for a turnover rather than a touchdown that would have almost clinched the game in the first half but it was Howard's scramble that put him in the position to score and it was a fluky bounce of the ball that sent the ball through the end zone.

An inch either way and the ball goes out of bounds at the Penn State one, so it's hard for me to fault Howard too much on that play.

7) And the running game returned to expectations with Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson rushing for just under one hundred fifty yards.

The two combined to average six yards per carry and gave the offense the balance that it lacked against Nebraska.

8) The running game is what allowed Ohio State to essentially end the game after the goal line stand in the fourth quarter.

Taking over at their own one-yard line and just over five minutes remaining, Ohio State pushed Penn State back with eleven runs (counting the final kneel-down) without a pass and moved the ball from the OSU one to the Penn State forty.

Penn State needed a stop and couldn't get it, so much for the running game having problems.

9) The offensive line had been a target of the fans and pundits since their struggles at Nebraska but they stepped up in this game.

Carson Hinzman, who started last season at center, had been supplanted by Alabama transfer Seth McLaughlin and dropped to the backup spot but for this game, Hinzman was installed at guard and the line looked much improved.

Hinzman moved to the guard spot vacated by Donovan Jackson after Jackson was moved to left tackle due to the injury to Zen Michalski against Nebraska after Michalski replaced Josh Simmons after his season-ending injury that Simmons suffered in the loss to Oregon.

10) Donovan Jackson had never played a game at left tackle in high school or college and had to deal with Penn State All-American Abdul Carter off the edge in his initial game.  

Carter finished with two sacks but wasn't constantly harassing Will Howard in the pocket and overall I would rate Jackson as doing as well as could be hoped against a pass rusher like Abdul Carter.

I Tell Ya' Herbie

Back with more from the college football universe with I Tell Ya' Herbie.

I Tell Ya' Herbie: 

                             Right now, the biggest injustice in the sport isn't Connor Stallions or the other "honorable" Michigan Men involved in their sign-stealing scandal.

It's the NCAA for stubbornly sticking to their bowl ban for undefeated James Madison for moving up to 1-A and daring to go unbeaten thus far.

The Dukes still have to win have to win home games against UConn and Appalachian State along with a road trip to Coastal Carolina but if they finish unbeaten and things fall right with one loss teams such as the AAC's Tulane and the Mountain West's Air Force and Fresno State, the NCAA needs to do the right thing by an unbeaten team and say no adjustment time needed and allow the Dukes to take the automatic bid to the New Years Day bowl in its final year.

It's the right thing to do.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                             The most interesting conference race at this stage might be in the AAC mentioned above with three undefeated teams at 5-0 in the league (Tulane, SMU, and UTSA) and a 4-1 team lurking behind the three leaders in Memphis.

And sadly with each team with three games to play, there are only two scheduled between the four with SMU traveling to Memphis and UTSA visiting Tulane.

It's too bad there isn't more interaction between the four down the stretch.

I Tell Ya' Herbie;

                             The most anticipated game of this week has to be Michigan traveling to State College for the first test of note for the third-ranked and scandal-scarred Wolverines this season.

While Michigan has steamrolled all opponents, their best wins have been over Rutgers and UNLV, neither of whom would be confused with the sport's powerhouses.

Penn State failed their big test in Columbus but their best wins are better than those of Michigan to date with wins over West Virginia and Iowa.

This one is in State College, so Michigan's first test will be away from home, and considering the sign-stealing scandal, the crowd will be especially strong against the Wolverines.

This may be Drew Allar's last chance to score a career-changing win this season but from what I saw in Columbus, even at home this game may be more advanced than he can handle.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            The coach of the year in the Big 12 might be Mike Gundy for the rally-saving season for his Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The Cowboys have won five straight since losing to South Alabama at home and Iowa State on the road with wins over Kansas, Kansas State, and most importantly to them, the final (for now) Bedlam against Oklahoma which gives Oklahoma State final bragging rights and may have knocked the Sooners out of the Big 12 championship game.

Gundy has moved from the hot seat to the possible coach of the year and should the Cowboys win out against Central Florida (4-5), Houston (4-5), and BYU (5-4), it will be Oklahoma State as the Sooner State's representative in the league title game.

Buckeye defense stands tall in Penn State Win

       Kyle McCord threw for 280 yards and a touchdown to Marvin Harrison Jr., who finished with eleven catches for 162 yards to lead the offense as the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the unbeaten Penn State Nittany Lions 20-12 in Columbus.

However, the big stars were on defense as Ohio State didn't allow a touchdown until there were only twenty-nine seconds remaining in the game and sacked Penn State quarterback Drew Aller four times in the game.

Ohio State improves to 7-0 on the season and 4-0 in the Big Ten in the win.

The Buckeyes will travel on the next two Saturdays to Wisconsin and Rutgers.

Olentangy Offerings

1) This one was all about the defense even though they didn't force a turnover.

Four sacks and constant harassment of Drew Aller were the key to this victory as the pass rush never stopped breaking down the pocket and Aller never seemed to have the time to do anything against the supposed weakness of the OSU defense. the secondary.

2) Penn State was one of sixteen on third down and didn't convert their own success until their final drive with under a minute to play.

The Nittany Lions' inability to convert those chances kept the Buckeye defense fresh and didn't allow the physical Penn State offensive line to wear down the OSU defensive line.

3) J.T. Tuimoloau finished with one sack and tackle on the stat sheet but it seemed like in the second half that he was constantly around the ball.

I was surprised to see JTT with such low statistics.

4) The Ohio State offensive line has been maligned at times this season and while they allowed two sacks against Kyle McCord, they were outplayed in the first half against the Penn State defensive line, and on a key third-quarter drive, they were pushed back on a third down run by Miyan Williams.

5) That entire sequence of plays called by Ryan Day made little sense to me.

Second and goal from the Penn State six, here comes the Devin Brown package.

Now I'm not a fan of these running quarterbacks inside the red zone packages to begin with because almost always coaches call run plays for the newly entered quarterback, defenses know this and go all out for the run.

Brown gains five yards and lands inside the one but is forced to leave the game with a sprained ankle (more on that later) leading to a third and goal from the half-yard line.

Williams then loses yardage on the play mentioned earlier to set up a fourth and goal from the two.

6) I'm not going to gripe too much about going for it here, although I would have kicked the field goal to go up seven in a game where points are at a premium.

I won't even quibble with the play call, a short pass to Carnell Tate on the side of the field where Penn State had most of their defender, but what I will complain about is this- Ryan Day is this supposed wizard, so wouldn't have made more sense to catch the defense napping on third down when you have options available for another play?

Day has been criticized for calling third-down plays on fourth down and vice versa and on this occasion, it would be a fair one.

7) Fun fact: Entering the game Penn State averaged allowing 121 passing yards per game.

Marvin Harrison Jr. today- 162 yards.

He may not win the Heisman but Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best player in the country.

8) Back to the unsuccessful fourth try as we rejoin with Penn State punting from inside their end zone and on the punt, the bouncing ball brushes the leg of Julian Fleming as he is blocking.

Penn State recovers and you felt that this could be the break that Penn State needed.

The defense stops them on three plays and a punt.

9) And more on the Devin Brown package. 

Brown suffered a sprained ankle on the play and his status is unknown but now behind Kyle McCord is only true freshman Lincoln Kienholz and transfer Tristan Gebbia, neither of whom have taken a snap in Columbus.

Considering the state of the Buckeye offense with Kyle McCord, I'd hate to think about the offense without him.

10) I know Penn State fans may not believe this but I thought the call on the fumble return touchdown was a good one.

Penn State's Curtis Jacobs hit Kyle McCord, causing him to fumble the ball with Jacobs grabbing the bouncing ball and taking sixty yards for a score that would be overturned because a Penn State defense held Marvin Harrison Jr. on the play.

Replays showed Harrison was indeed grabbed on the play.

11) The win over Penn State is the Buckeye's second over a top-ten team and the second that the offense hasn't overwhelmed anyone.

I'm still not sure how good Michigan is because they haven't beaten anyone of note but they've looked the part doing it.

I don't think Ohio State can truly answer how good they really are until that upcoming November day in Ann Arbor.

Tuimoloau Takes Command! OSU holds off Penn State!

 The Ohio State offense woke up in the final quarter with some help from the Buckeye defense as Ohio State polished off a game foe in Penn State by a 44-31 total in State College on Saturday.

C.J. Stroud threw for 353 yards but threw only one touchdown and not until the fourth quarter scoring barrage.

Marvin Harrison Jr. caught ten passes for 178 yards and Cade Stover finished with six catches for 78 yards and the only Ohio State passing score.

TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 78 yards with two fourth-quarter scores, one of those a forty-one-yard gallop.

J.T.Tuimoloau was the star of the game with a stat of line that included two interceptions, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, two sacks, three tackles for loss, and taking one of the interceptions into the end zone for a score.

Ohio State improves to 8-0 overall (5-0 Big Ten) with the biggest conference win of the season to date as the Buckeyes move towards a pairing with fellow undefeated Michigan with what appears to be the game of the year in the Big Ten and perhaps the nation (Tennessee vs Georgia may argue that point) this season.

Until then, three opponents await to be dispatched, with 1-7 Northwestern next on the road in Evanston.

Olentangy Offerings

1) J.T.Tuimoloau was more than the defensive star, he was the overall star and he just may receive the player of the week of all of the nation for his play Saturday.

Tuimoloau was a five-star recruit in the 2021 class, so his ability to deliver such a performance isn't a surprise but it was very welcomed by Ohio State for Tuimoloau to select a close game against a semi-rival to step out of the shadows and establish himself as a player that opposing offenses will need to begin to plan for.

2) Tuimoloau's stat line (noted above) was downright incredible against a team ranked thirteenth entering the game.

Consider this, if Tuimoloau was on my fantasy football team, his day would have been worth a stunning thirty-three points (by the scoring in my league).

I'm not sure in my twenty-one years of playing fantasy, I've ever seen a defender with a thirty-three-point game.

Just nothing left to say about the play of Tuimoloau.

3) Defensive line Larry Johnson is occasionally criticized for consistently rotating his linemen and as a result, the best linemen don't see as many snaps as those of other squads.

Perhaps Johnson won this battle for at least this Saturday as J.T.Tuimoloau was out of this world in the fourth quarter and let us say that maybe the rotation helped his domination.

4) Many are directing their barbs at Ryan Day for his playcalling that may have allowed Penn State to stay closer for longer than they should have.

The OSU fan base is an entitled and spoiled one, even me as they are the only consistent winner that I root for but they may not be wrong about the playcalling issues although I find even mentioning the future of Ryan Day's employment to be utterly ridiculous and mindless to even consider.

5) That said, Day's out-and-out love affair with the screen to the wide receiver in this (and other) games is not only hurting the Heisman hopes of C.J. Stroud, it almost played a key part in a potential Penn State upset.

6) Day loves to get the ball in the hands of his talented receivers and allow them to work on yards after the catch.

However, Penn State played tight press coverage and didn't allow the receivers to gain more than a yard after the catch, yet Day stuck with the tactic.

7) This became very clear in the fourth quarter when Penn State took a 21-16 lead with under ten minutes remaining and Day began to throw the ball down the field and the Buckeyes began gaining yardage in huge chunks as the Penn State defensive backs couldn't stay with the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr and suddenly Emeka Egbuka, who had been quiet for much of the game, grabbed a forty-two-yard pass.

8) Still, Penn State isn't noted for their defensive line but yet stayed in C.J. Stroud's face all game long as well as bottling the Buckeye ground attack until the final nine minutes of the game.

If I have one concern about this team, it's the ability of the offensive line to avoid being pushed around by physical defensive lines- that might be the most worrisome item for Ohio State's meeting against Michigan in a month.

9) I don't understand the decision with six seconds to go in the first half for the touchdown with Penn State leading by one rather than kick a field goal to lead by two.

I understand the call for the touchdown but the protection broke down with C.J. Stroud running away from the rush and the clock expiring.

My issue isn't going for the score, it is how Stroud seemed to be so unprepared for the rush without a timeout and the only thing that Stroud needs to remember before the snap is- Make a quick read and if no one is open or the rush comes in, get rid of the ball quick.

10) The running game began to move in the fourth quarter but was otherwise sluggish in another big game.

Much of this goes back to the offensive line but I think TreVeyon Henderson for all of his talent is susceptible to looking for the big run rather than hit the hole for five or six yards and Miyan Williams is the better back for moving the chains and his hand injury could return to haunt the Buckeyes if the line doesn't start moving defenders.

11) I know Penn State likes their "White Out" game each year to be played under the stars and they were disappointed to play the game at noon for Fox.

But I thought the white may have been more intimidating in the sunshine with the sun against all of those white shirts.

12) Penn State always seems to play Ohio State not only tough but their games always play out in weird ways.

Consider this- Ohio State scored one touchdown in the first fifty-one minutes of the game.

They scored four in the final nine minutes.

13) The schedule does lighten a bit as the Michigan game looms at the end of the slate.

One win Northwestern has lost seven in a row since a season-opening win over Nebraska, three win Indiana comes to Columbus but a sneaky game could be 6-2, Maryland, at College Park the week before the clash with the Wolverines.

However, Maryland has beaten only two teams with winning records- both Group of Five teams in Buffalo and SMU, and two of their conference wins over weak sisters Indiana and Northwestern have been by five and seven points. so the Terrapins could be more of a lower bowl team than a threat to Ohio State.

14) Finally, this game made me think of my fandom- AKA rooting for mostly losing franchises with Ohio State as my only consistent winner.

My buddy Ian McArdle showed me the tweet of his good friend Kevin Horne, who I've met and his Penn State football love is similar to Ian and I's Buckeye rooting.

Kevin saw the Penn State loss coming but he said it in a way that made me think of my own nightmares with the Cavaliers, Browns, and of course the Cleveland baseball club.

You watch, hope, and pray for a different result, and yet you almost always receive a knife to the guts for your trouble.

I almost felt bad for Kevin as I know the feeling.

Almost...

Buckeyes rumble by Penn State 33-24

     C.J. Stroud threw for 305 yards and a touchdown and TreVeyon Henderson ran for 165 yards and a score as the Ohio State Buckeyes pulled away late to defeat the Penn State Nittany Lions 33-24 at the Big Horseshoe in Columbus.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Garrett Wilson each finished with over ninety yards to pace the Buckeyes pass catchers and the biggest play of the game was a fifty-seven-yard fumble return for a touchdown by defensive tackle Jerron Cage after Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford was hit by Tyreke Smith and Zach Harrison and coughed up the football.

Ohio State improved to 7-1 with the triumph (5-0 Big Ten) and will travel to Lincoln to visit the Cornhuskers next week.

Coverage of that game may be limited as I will miss most of the game as I have to attend a wedding of someone I've met less than five times in my life.

Olentangy Offerings

1) Ohio State wore their latest from their gimmick uniform collection which is usually worn against Penn State or Michigan, depending on which team is traveling to Columbus that season.

This season saw scarlet pants used with the normal scarlet home jerseys and while I kinda liked it, I could understand if someone believed the all-red was overkill.

2) One bad part of the red uniforms weren't a problem on the field, it was for the person watching the game on television.

In the second quarter, when Chris Olave hovered under a C.J.Stroud pass that would result in a thirty-eight-yard touchdown, it was difficult to find Olave.

Why?  Because in the frame was the all-red Buekeye end zone and Olave's uniform blended into the picture.

3) Penn State did have what seemed to be success controlling TreVeyon Henderson, yet at the end of the game, Henderson had 165 yards.

Yes, sixty-eight of those would come on one carry, but Penn State found out what so many teams found out about Saquon Barkley during his time at State College- you can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him,

4) Ohio State also profited from the accuracy of Noah Ruggles, who connected on all four of his field-goal attempts.

The kicker is another of those positions that aren't truly appreciated until you have a kicker that is inconsistent.

The graduate transfer from North Carolina has yet to miss a kick this season.

5) Steele Chambers continues to impress with his speed and aggression as he adjusts to linebacker but Chambers will learn about the worst rule in college football as he was ejected and will miss the first half next week against Nebraska.

I thought there was contact with the crown of the helmet but it was slight but all fans hate the rule because of the inconsistency of the calls between referee crews.

I still say unless it is egregious that the call should be roughness and a fifteen-yard penalty with ejection for a second violation.

6) Give veteran corner Cameron Brown credit for great timing for his first career interception in the fourth quarter with he grabbed a Sean Clifford pass intended for their best Jahon Dotson.

Brown returned the ball deep into Penn State territory (to the Penn State 28) and set a drive that would result in a Noah Ruggles field goal.

7) You had to feel good for Jerron Cage on the scoop and score for two reasons.

The first is that defensive linemen rarely score touchdowns, let alone on a long jaunt such as Cage's, and anytime a big man can score, it's a good memory.

The second is Jerron Cage himself, who rarely played for three seasons before entering the interior line rotation last season.

The fifth-year senior is a long shot to make an NFL roster next season, so that play in a big game will be the highlight of his career.

8) How about the Ohio State offensive line that kept C.J. Stroud's jersey clean and didn't allow the Nittany Lions to sack Stroud one time?

Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere could be late first-rounders in the next draft and the offensive line has come a long way since the Oregon game.

9) C.J. Stroud's 300 yards didn't seem dazzling but what was more impressive than his numbers was his poise in the pocket and the freshman is starting to realize when to throw the ball away and when to force a throw.

Progress.

10) As for Penn State, with all the rumors that have James Franklin as a major candidate for USC and to a lesser degree LSU,  with the Lions at 5-3 and still with games remaining against Michigan and Michigan State, have either school thought about what a hard sell Franklin could be after a 7-5 season?

And should they be upset by Rutgers or Maryland, both of which target the Nittany Lions as "rivals", Is it possible that a 6-6 team could not only see a loss of interest in Franklin by others but also a lack of interest in Penn State retaining him at all??? 

Buckeyes Pleased in Happy Valley- Win over Penn State 38-25

   Justin Fields threw four touchdowns and 318 yards as the Ohio State Buckeyes grabbed a not as close as the score indicated 38-25 triumph over the Penn State Nittany Lions in State College.

Master Teague rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown while Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson each finished the evening with over 100 yards receiving with Olave catching two of Fields four touchdown passes in the win.

Tommy Togai sacked Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford three times in the win as Ohio State moved to 2-0 in the shortened season.

Ohio State is scheduled to host Rutgers next Saturday at the Horseshoe...

Olentangy Offerings

1)  I still cannot get past the play at the end of the half that gave Penn State three points.

Give Jordan Stout full credit for nailing a fifty yarder, but should he have had the opportunity?

Justin Fields had to kill two seconds and by replay, he killed nearly four.

The blame has to go to the Penn State clock keeper, who either fell asleep at the switch or didn't bother to start the clock on time.

Fortunately, those three points didn't make a difference.

2) Justin Fields continued his excellent play and the difference in his poise in the pocket in one year is staggering.

Fields is reading defenses so much better than last season and he is getting the ball out faster as well.

I don't watch very many Clemson games, but I cannot imagine Trevor Lawrence is vastly better than Justin Fields, should Fields maintain this level of play.

Should that occur, I would not be surprised to see Justin Fields push Trevor Lawrence as the top pick in the 2021 draft.

That is an assumption that either would want to play for the New York Jets, which is far from a sure thing when you consider what a dumpster fire that the Jets organization is, but that's a story for another day.

3) Some of the credit for the improvement for Fields has to go to the offensive line.

Penn State did sack Fields twice and the second hit was a tremendous shot that I winced (and so did Ryan Day) when Fields took the blow, but usually, Fields had plenty of time in the pocket and when you see an offensive line playing well early in the season- it's an excellent sign.

4) I wondered about the running game last week against Nebraska, but Master Teague stepped up and reminded me a little of a smaller Carlos Hyde.

Low to the ground and difficult to grab, Teague may not be what J.K. Dobbins was as a breakaway threat, but Teague is still a physical back that is able to get the tough yards.

5) The defensive line was dominant in this game, giving Sean Clifford little time in the pocket and forcing Clifford to be on the move for whatever Penn State could get in the passing game.

Clifford threw for three scores (two in garbage time), but he took a beating for them.

Tommy Togai's three sacks are the flashiest numbers, but Jonathan Cooper and Haskell Garrett had excellent games also with Togai and Garrett punishing the interior of the Penn State line.

6) Give Penn State receiver Jahan Dotson credit for an excellent evening with back-to-back spectacular catches including a touchdown.

Considering Dotson was being covered by All-American candidate Shaun Wade on both plays and most of the evening, Dotson's play was the highlight of the Nittany Lions evening.

Dotson is a junior out of Nazareth Pa. and he can go ahead and declare for the 2021 draft if this is an indication of his play for 2020.

7) As good as Dotson's game was, Ohio State controlled Penn State's All-American tight end Pat Freiermith and didn't allow him to be the main target of Sean Clifford.

Tuf Borland drew the assignment of shadowing Friermuth and allowed him three catches with a long of nineteen yards.

Excellent job by Borland and the Buckeyes to take away Penn State's most dependable threat.

8) Ohio State did miss two field goals, but the first from Blake Haubeil seems to have been from a groin injury suffered in pre-game warmups.

Walk-on Dominic DiMaccio finished the game with a field goal and three extra points, but also missed a short field goal attempt.

No word on the long-term status of Haubeil, which is certainly something to watch.

9) Beautiful pass with touch from Justin Fields to Chris Olave in the third quarter to match a Penn State touchdown drive to start the second half.

Fields looked hard to the right and then turned on the opposite side of the field for Olave, who grabbed the pass and tumbled into the end zone.

10) Chris Olave may be the highlight receiver and the deep threat, but in the two wins, this offense has flowed through Garrett Wilson.

Wilson finished with eleven catches for one hundred eleven yards and it is clear that Justin Fields looks at Wilson as his most reliable target.

Wilson is a matchup nightmare since moving inside, where his catch total will be higher than on the outside at the cost of yards.

Wilson will have his chance to return outside next year when Chris Olave leaves, but he is adding to his versatility when his draft year rolls around.

11) While I am still concerned about the cornerbacks as they gain experience, Marcus Hooker broke out with a game that seemed to have him around the football constantly.

Hooker grabbed an interception in fourth quarter action, but Hooker had a tremendous game and I remember his older brother Malik suddenly had the lights turn on in a similar manner in his Ohio State tenure.

Perhaps it's about to happen for a second time from the Hooker family.

12)  So with Rutgers next week and then at Maryland the following, Ohio State has likely faced their toughest test for a while against Penn State.

Indiana will be the opponent after Rutgers and Maryland and that might be a challenge after their one-point win over these Nittany Lions.

I take games very lightly in these crazy days and I don't fully believe that games are going to play until I see the teams take the field, but that's the next few opponents.

13) I have to admit- I missed the Whiteout a little.

Only a little, but the spirit that makes college football so great is evident on nights like Penn State's Whiteout.

Hopefully, it'll be a full house when the Buckeyes return in 2022 to Happy Valley.

Buckeyes win East, punt Penn State 28-17

The Ohio State Buckeyes hadn't been challenged for four quarters all season and the Penn State Nittany Lions did test the Buckeyes as they had not been previously tested and although the Buckeyes helped keep Penn State in the game with three fumbles at inopportune times, Ohio State righted the ship after a stormy third quarter to defeat Penn State 28-17 in Columbus.

J.K Dobbins ripped through the Nittany Lions run defense for 157 yards and two touchdowns while Justin Fields threw for two touchdowns, including the 28-yard strike to a leaping Chris Olave that put the victory away for a Buckeye team that held Penn State to only 227 yards of total offense.
Chase Young finished with three more sacks to set the Ohio State record for sacks in a single season after his two-game absence from his NCAA suspension.

The victory clinched the Big Ten East division title as the Buckeyes improved to 11-0 (8-0 Big Ten) and stamped their ticket to Indianapolis in two weeks for the Big Ten championship against the winner of next Saturday's Wisconsin-Minnesota game in Minneapolis.
Ohio State will travel to Ann Arbor next Saturday for The Game against the resurgent Wolverines with a perfect regular season on the line.

Olentangy Offerings

1) While I'm happy for the success that former Buckeye Joe Burrow is having for the LSU Tigers and I think that Burrow is likely going to win the Heisman Trophy.
None of that changes the fact- Chase Young is the best football player in this country.
Young finished with three sacks, nine tackles with four of those for losses, against a top ten team and is the type of disruptive presence that can swing games against even the best teams.
I hope the suspension doesn't cost Young votes, Young wouldn't have played more than a half against either Rutgers or Maryland and it shouldn't cost him consideration.

2) Give Penn State plenty of credit for making this game close.
Penn State hit hard and when Ohio State scored quickly to start the second half at 21-0, Penn State could have folded their tent but instead drove for a touchdown in their only long drive of the day.
I wasn't seriously concerned even when Penn State closed to within four points in the third quarter, but James Franklin's bunch made a game out of what easily could have been a blowout.

3) Take all of that into consideration, but this game was close because of what the Buckeyes didn't do rather than what Penn State did to control the Ohio State offense.
What they didn't do was hold onto the football and turning the football over kept Penn State in the game.
Justin Fields first-quarter fumble just before he crossed the goal line cost seven points right there and while J.K. Dobbins' fumble in the third could have been credited to the second half rain and the third-quarter fumble by Justin Fields might not have been (Fields knee looked to be down, but I understood why the call wasn't overturned, it was close and calls that close usually stay with the original whistle)
a fumble, Ohio State gave Penn State two possessions on a short field and ten points.
That's on them and as the games gain in importance, the ball security will need to improve.

4) It was clear that Penn State's one offensive skill player that could have made a difference wasn't near full speed.
K.J. Hamler was a game-time decision to play at all and the Buckeyes were able to keep the hampered Hamler under control with only four catches for forty-five yards.
Hamler's targets were shorter than usual and his injury might have caused him to be more cautious in the return game as he might have gambled on a kickoff return in better health rather than down the ball in the end zone.

5) Another play that swung things for Penn State was the third quarter hit that drove Penn State's starting quarterback Sean Clifford from the game.
George Allen once said that one of the worst things that can happen to a team defensively is knocking a quarterback out of the game because your preparation isn't for the backup quarterback.
In this game, Allen's idiom came true as redshirt freshman Will Levis entered the game and completed the first scoring drive of the day for Penn State, would take advantage of turnovers for two more scoring drives and Levis finished the game as Penn State's more effective quarterback.

6) What Will Levis did well was blast up the middle for chunks of yardage in what could best be described as a Tim Tebowesque offense.
Levis may have finished with only thirty-four yards rushing, but that number is because in college football sack yardage is taken off the rushing total of the quarterback.
Ohio State did make some adjustments to stop Levis and the final few drives controlled the Levis running plays, but one thing is for sure the Michigan Wolverines will notice that success and Ohio State will need to be prepared for Michigan to try some similar calls next Saturday.

7) Justin Fields did fumble on two runs, but without losses (as noted above with Levis) would have finished with 103 yards rushing (actual final number 68).
I still hold my breath with each run with the lack of depth at quarterback, but it's the time of year that you do what you need to win.

8) Considering that, I'm not sure why Justin Fields was taking a hit on a fourth down late in the game that saw Fields checked out after the play.
I understood with an eleven-point lead why Ryan Day didn't want to risk a blocked punt, but considering the depth issue at quarterback, Ohio State might have run the ball instead of passing as Fields was sacked on the play) and risking injury.

9) The Buckeye linebackers played well in not allowing the Penn State short passing game to gain yards after the catch.
Pete Warner finished with eight solo tackles and knocked down two passes and Baron Browning finished with four solo tackles, two and a half of those for loss and a sack and a half.
Penn State's longest completion of the day was the twenty-two yarder to K.J. Hamler and even though tight end Pat Freiermuth caught six passes as the dependable checkdown outlet, Friermuth finished with only forty yards.

10) Another linebacker was the feel-good story when linebacker Justin Hilliard intercepted a Will Levis throw at the Buckeye 20 to snuff out what looked to be the Penn State answer to the Chris Olave touchdown catch.
Hilliard has been plagued with injuries during his career in Columbus, so much so that he has applied for the sixth year of eligibility as a medical redshirt and it was good to see the former five star recruit make a big play.

11) Loved Chris Olave leaping over a Nittany Lion for the fourth-quarter touchdown that gave Ohio State some insurance.
Olave had dropped what looked to be a catchable long ball that would have been a touchdown on a drive that would not produce points near the end of the first half.
Olave has been the main deep threat this season and making a key catch such as that one should keep the confidence high.

12) Now the season gets interesting.
The home schedule, senior day and the division title are completed and the game against Michigan is here.
Before the season, the media selected Michigan as the winners of the Big Ten East with the Buckeyes second with many stating that with a freshman quarterback and first-year head coach that Ohio  State was ripe for the picking.
That turned out to be false for the division title, but Michigan has played well in their last three games and appears to have their offense running as well as it has under Jim Harbaugh.
Michigan can ruin this season, put themselves back on the map in the rivalry, and jeopardize Ohio State's national title hopes with one visit to Ann Arbor.
That said, there is pressure on Michigan too as a loss means a third loss this year, potential frustration with Jim Harbaugh and would be their eighth loss in a row to Ohio State.
If you take away the Luke Fickell year ( a 2011 40-34 win over a 6-6 OSU team), Ohio State hasn't lost to Michigan since 2003, so Michigan has the weight of past failures as well.

The Junior Varsity "rivals" have been dispatched per usual (Penn State has one non-Fickell win over OSU since 2009 and Michigan State has two non-Fickell wins, but what wins they were! since 2000) and with Michigan, the Big 10 title against Wisconsin or Minnesota and then with some luck, the playoffs.
In many ways, the season starts Saturday in Ann Arbor and as Jim Ross used to scream in Mid-South Wrestling- Business is about to pick up.

I'll be back later with Browns-Dolphins or the Wilder-Ortiz battle with the other going up tomorrow.

We are OHIO State-Buckeyes stun Penn State 27-26

K.J. Hill sped into the end zone for a touchdown from 24 yards after catching a Dwayne Haskins screen pass for the second of the two fourth-quarter Haskins touchdown passes with two minutes remaining to erase a 12 point deficit and stun a sellout in State College for a 27-26 Ohio State victory over Penn State.
Dwayne Haskins finished with 270 yards with three touchdowns and an interception on a tipped ball, but the true star of the game was defensive end Chase Young, who finished with two sacks, a batted down pass on a key Penn State fourth down and the stuffed running back on the fourth down carry by Miles Sanders that clinched the game for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State moves to 5-0 (2-0 Big Ten) and will host 4-1 Indiana next week for Homecoming.

Olentangy Offerings

1) Even though the Buckeyes struggled often during this game, only when Penn State scored midway through the fourth quarter to move ahead by twelve points did I begin to become really discouraged.
I actually felt better at halftime with so much going Penn State's way as far moving the football to be only down 13-7.

2) The game swung a bit late in the first half when Ohio State forced a fumble that Dre'Mont Jones recovered in Penn State territory.
The short field allowed the sputtering Ohio State offense to score their only points of the half when Dwayne Haskins beat the blitz on a short pass to J.K. Dobbins, who then raced twenty-six yards into the end zone for the score.
Up to the point, Ohio State had not seriously threatened and the touchdown allowed me to feel better as I mentioned above at the half.

3) The Buckeyes took another hit to their defensive line as Dre'Mont Jones left the game with an injured ankle, but he would return to play late in the game.
However, Jones left the locker room in a walking boot according to Eleven Warriors and is questionable for Indiana next Saturday.

4) Isaiah Pryor was ejected in the fourth quarter for a targeting penalty that knocked K.J. Hamler from the game.
Pryor's contact was to the head of Hamler and with the shoulder, not head to head, but by the rule, the call was a fair one.
The issue with the targeting call is not about trying to avoid contact with the head, it is the lack of consistency with the rule itself.
The rule would be easier to take if they kept the helmet to helmet portion, but eliminated the other types of contact and added intent to injure for the requirements for the call.

5) Ohio State lost three points in the third quarter when Luke Farrell was called for a facemask as Sean Nuernberger connected from 33 yards away.
The penalty (which I didn't see as I was driving to work) forced the points off the board and Nuernberger's resulting attempt from 48 yards was no good.

6) I'll end the negatives with this note- Penn State did an excellent job in rushing Dwayne Haskins and forcing him to get rid of the ball early, but I was disappointed in the passing game not taking more shots downfield.
It seemed to me that the playcalling was stuck in the J.T. Barrett age and didn't take advantage of the different skills of Haskins, but it does seem that there is something about playing at Penn State that turns Urban Meyer into Woody Hayes.
Trips to Happy Valley usually results into the offense playing things very close to the vest and conservative and often that can get you beaten against a lesser team in a loud stadium.

7) Dwayne Haskins showed on the final drive why he is going to receive Heisman consideration and why he is likely to leave at the end of the season.
Poised in the pocket and throws that had both steam and touch as well as accuracy, Haskins shows the skills that will make him a high draft pick. although returning next year would be better for his development.

8) I noted above that the star of the game was Chase Young, who dominated in the absence of Nick
Young was strong in rushing Trace McSorley (two sacks), wasn't afraid to drop back in coverage (a key fourth-down pass was knocked down by Young) and finished the game off strong against the run when he stuffed Miles Sanders to finish off the game.
Bosa and was the best player on the field.
While Nick Bosa has a chance to be the first pick in the 2019 draft (depending on the need of the team selecting first), don't be surprised if Chase Young is in the same situation in the 2020 draft.
Entering next season, the Buckeye that everyone will be talking about will be Chase Young.
He's going to be that good...

9) I know Penn State had a sizable lead in offensive yardage. (492-389) and the difference was the inability to stop Trace McSorley do the one thing that makes him a dangerous QB- run draws and moving away from the pass rush.
Tuf Borland was mentioned early in the game as being assigned to "spy" on McSorely and make sure that he didn't do what it turned out that he would do effectively and either Ohio State decided to get away from that idea or Borland (who did cause the second quarter fumble that led to the first Buckeye score) was caught up in space as he was when McSorley ran for a 51 yard gain in the first half.
It feels like the boss or parent that says "I just asked you to do one thing"!
I've been critical of McSorley through the years and particularly for his "chuck it up and pray" passing style, but he was tremendous on this evening and deserves Heisman consideration should Penn State win out and he can maintain this level of play.

10) I loved the TD pass and run by Binjamin Victor that quieted the Penn State crowd and turned the game into a one-score battle.
Victor could have easily gone down on contact or even stepped out of bounds at one point, but instead, he kept moving, extended the play, made some Lion defenders miss and turned what could have been a modest catch for a first down and turned it into six points.
I've always thought that of his particular recruiting class that Victor is the one with the highest potential to be a star.

11) J.K. Dobbins scored twice (one rushing and one receiving), but his 57 yards (3.4 average) doesn't seem all that impressive.
Don't be fooled and read beyond the scoresheet, Dobbins ran very well in the second half, wasn't afraid to put his shoulder down and run with power.
Until the final two drives, you could make a real argument that Dobbins was keeping Ohio State in the game on the scoring drive in the third quarter, the drive that resulted in the missed field goal and moving the chains otherwise.

12) I've been concerned about the secondary all season and the school record 93 yard touchdown toss and run from Trace McSorley to K.J. Hamler showed why when Hamler just blew by the defenders (give credit to someone, who chased Hamler all the way down the field and his dive just missed him, I can't name him because I've not rewatched the game yet), but it could have been worse.
The one handed catch by Juwan Johnson was just one of those great plays that happen as Damon Arnette couldn't have had better coverage and other than that the Buckeyes managed to avoid giving up the huge yardage plays that had haunted them at times against lesser competition.

13) Penn State fans have some reason to be upset with the coaching staff and James Franklin.
Yes, the final draw play was a weak call, but there were other mistakes during the game that have to have Nittany Lions fans wondering.
Franklin passed on a long, but makeable field goal (41 yds) in the third quarter to go for it (this was the Chase Young batted pass play), and burning timeouts before that final running play, so the Penn State defense would not have to make Ohio State make a first down to end the game-BUT that wasn't all as Franklin tried to go after a critical Penn State fan after the game, delivered a bizarre press conference in which he claimed Penn State "was great and satisfied being great" while Ohio State was "elite" which is where he is going to be or drive everyone crazy trying.
That wasn't even all as Franklin then threaded his players lack of commitment to "Going to class consistently so coaches don't have to babysit them".
Franklin might have had a span of time that ranked with the worst at Penn State going back to you know what and I wonder how Penn State deals with this if this leads to a lesser season that their fans expect.

14) Finally, the most difficult road game is over and the Buckeyes escape with a win.
Yes, the November road trip to East Lansing will be difficult and after last year's Iowa debacle, no one should take any team lightly, no matter their record ( I can say that because OSU has already played Rutgers).
4-1 Indiana is next at home, but their best win is over Virginia and struggled to a seven-point win over Rutgers yesterday- the same Rutgers that had allowed 97 points the previous two weeks in losses to Kansas and Buffalo.
3-1 Minnesota is next, but they lost their last game to Maryland in a blowout and will visit Columbus coming off a rivalry game vs Iowa.
If you are looking for a trap game, try at 2-3 Purdue under an innovative head coach in Jeff Brohm, Purdue Pete blew out ranked Boston College and then Nebraska in their last two and their three losses are by combined seven points.
The Purdue game leads to a bye week to end October so one would think, although guarantee nothing that Ohio State will hit November's four games at 8-0.
That's a number that few of us would have thought was likely with seven minutes to go at State College- I'll take it...

15 College Football Games that should be happening 1-5

It's been longer than I intended, but I did want to finish the series of 15 college football games that should be happening that currently are not before time moved too far along and I forgot to finish the series!!!
6-10 are here and 11-15 here.

Anyway, here are my top five that need to be played every year...

1) Texas vs Texas A&M

The top game that needs to be played and still isn't on the schedule ruined the college Thanksgiving tradition between the Aggies and Longhorns over issues between the schools ranging from the Longhorn Network to Big 12 problems and eventually sent Texas A&M out of the Big 12 and into the SEC.
The bad blood is so thick between this two that the series that made so much money for the pair went by the wayside and doesn't seem to be returning anytime soon.
Neither seems very interested in renewing the rivalry, but neither's attempts to replace it on Thanksgiving weekend (A&M vs LSU on Thanksgiving Saturday and Texas alternating years with TCU and Texas Tech on Thanksgiving Day) have clicked as anything more than secondary rivalries.
This one really needs to return...

2) Kansas vs Missouri

The hard feelings in this one might be even worse than Texas-Texas A&M even though the situation was similar as Missouri left the Big 12 for the SEC.
This longtime border war likely will be DOA until ironically the person that seems to have taken this the hardest leaves-Bill Self of Kansas-the BASKETBALL coach!
Neither of these teams are generally football powers, in fact, Kansas usually stinks and Missouri is a mid-level SEC team on an average to good year, so it's not like losing this game costs anyone national implications.
Still, this is a game that is huge to Missouri, a team without a natural rival in the SEC and costs Kansas one of the two teams that their fans considered rivals, so it is still a loss to the game...

3) Penn State vs Pitt

This is one that is currently being played in a four-year contract (2018 will be year three), but there is not a future agreement and it's unknown if there will be another contract signed in the immediate future.
Penn State has been the holdup in the past as far as playing this game as they wanted to have two home games for every one home game for Pitt (similar to their past dealings with Temple on the eastern side of Pennsylvania), while the Panthers preferred the home and home series, which Penn State agreed to for the current four-game series.
Pitt has much prestige than Temple and isn't going to settle for a contract like that, so if that is the only offer, they aren't likely to play again for a while after 2019.
It's too bad as the best two teams in Pennsylvania need to play every season...

4) Pitt vs West Virginia

However, if that game cannot be played and Pitt is able to play the Backyard Brawl again every year against West Virginia, that's more than a good enough replacement.
The two neighbors in many ways are even bigger rivals than Pitt and Penn State, share former conference rivalries going back through multiple leagues and frankly just plain hate each other.
I'm not sure if you asked Pitt fans which they'd rather play each year that West Virginia wouldn't come out the winner in a fan vote.
As for the Mountaineers, who seem to think they are above their in-state rival in Marshall and pull on the Herd what Penn State tries to with to Pitt, they likely consider Pitt their biggest rival considering they are stuck in a league that the nearest team is the Iowa State Cyclones, not exactly a heated or passionate pairing there to develop anything at all.
This series was most famous for the 2007 game that saw the second-ranked Mountaineers needing simply a win at home in Morgantown over the visiting Panthers, who had a losing record, to play in the national championship game- only to lose 13-9.
The series is scheduled to return for four games in 2022, so hopefully, there can be a way to keep the rivalry continuing after that.

5) Nebraska vs Oklahoma

This rivalry dates back to the old Big 8 when it seemed like every Thanksgiving Friday the Sooners and the Cornhuskers hooked up in a battle of the Big Reds for the Big 8 title, the trip to Miami for the automatic Orange Bowl bid and often a shot at a national title.
The Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry was cleanly played with respect, was developed out of two powers that played every year and knew in order to do anything on the national title scene, they would have to go through the other at the end of November.
When the Big 8 became the Big 12 and the two were placed in opposite divisions, the heat was placed off the stove a bit and when Nebraska left for the Big 10, the two schools haven't played since.
Considering that neither school has a natural non-conference rival, a long-term series between the two would be a great fit.
The schools will play home and home in 2021 and 2022 and then again in 2029 and 2030

I'm Sorry J.T.:Ohio State rallies to nip Penn State 39-38

Photo Credit:Cleveland Plain Dealer

I had plenty to say during much of this game and not all of it nice toward Ohio State senior quarterback J.T. Barrett.
I was doubtful that Barrett had the arm and skills to bring Ohio State from behind to stun the second-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions after trailing by double digits almost all game.

I was wrong as Barrett suddenly morphed into Tom Brady in the 4th quarter as my friend Ian McArdle said after the score that brought the game within five points and then gunned the game-winning score to tight end Marcus Baugh with 1;48 to go with Ohio State getting the 39-38 victory in Columbus.
Barrett threw for four touchdowns,328 yards through the air and 95 more on the ground.
K.J.Hill caught 12 passes for 102 yards and Johnnie Dixon grabbed two touchdown passes in the victory.
The Buckeyes improve to 7-1 (5-0 in the Big Ten) with the win and will travel to Iowa next Saturday controlling their destiny in the conference and the national playoffs.

Olentangy Offerings

1) Here's my Mea Culpa' to J.T. Barrett.
I've been often critical of his passing accuracy beyond 15 yards, his lack of getting the ball downfield and wondered if the Buckeyes could defeat good teams with Barrett at quarterback.
As late as during the first half of yesterday's game, I was still groaning about J.T, Barrett's shortcomings in frustration over the Ohio State deficit during what was an uphill battle against the Nittany Lions.
The victory in this game belongs to J.T.Barrett as he grabbed the game by the throat with three fourth-quarter passing scores, completing his final 13 passes and the two final scores with under five minutes remaining.
I didn't think J.T. Barrett capable of doing what he did yesterday and he deserves an apology when he proved me wrong- I was wrong and I've rarely been happier to be wrong...

2) I'm still just in shock that Barrett was able to pull this off.
I just didn't think he would be able to use his arm to carry Ohio State to a comeback win against a decent team, let alone one of the quality of Penn State.
With this game on national television (Fox) J.T. Barrett may have put himself into contention for the Heisman Trophy with a performance like this...

3) As I watched the game and discussed it as the game went with Ian McArdle, as I usually do, I am available on social media on Twitter and Facebook and friends emailing me.
What did I hear the most complaints about? Special Teams? Coaching? J.T. Barrett?
Nope-Gus Johnson.
It was like a downpour of rain on a windshield and you know what?
It was all from others about the performance of what I believe is the most annoying play by play man in the game, but not from me.
Did Gus improve in my eyes?
No.
I watched the game on mute.
It does take away a little from the atmosphere of the game, but I can judge the game as I see it-not as someone hyping a two-yard gain beyond belief.

4) Yes, I know Saquon Barkley is a tremendous back that will likely star on Sunday's starting next season, but take away the opening kick return for a touchdown (and you should as returning kicks is different than your game in the backfield) and the one score of 34 yards and you have Barkley finishing with eight yards on twenty carries.
Ohio State did a fine job not letting Barkley beat them-from the backfield at least.

5) And the book is out on Trace "Chuck and Duck" McSorely as well.
I was so frustrated during last season's game (and live at the Big 10 title game vs Wisconsin) watching McSorley just throw the ball up and pray.
However, I figured that after teams would have an off-season rather than less than a week to prep for this stuff that his effectiveness would drop and it did so.
McSorley did throw for two touchdowns (arguably one should have not have occurred), but under 200 yards on the day and looked confused on the final drive when he had to find his reads and not throw sideline passes and demand his receivers go get the ball.
Puzzle Solved!

6) Ohio State still has massive issues on special teams, but let's look at the good side first.
In Penn State's win last year, Penn State swung the game after blocking a Buckeye field goal attempt.
This year, Ohio State began its comeback when Denzel Ward raced in and rejected a punt by Penn State's Blake Gillikin.
You could feel the momentum switch right then and after the play, I felt like something special had a chance of happening, although to say I knew it would happen would be a stretch...

7) However, the opening kickoff return for a score by Saquon Barkley showed huge deficiencies continuing in the coverage units and when the Buckeyes tried to avoid Barkley after that they gave up another huge return that set up a score and almost gave Penn State more points in the first half when a kickoff that was attempted to be squibbed gave the Nittany Lions the ball around midfield, which leads us to Mr.J. Franklin shortly.
I still think Urban Meyer needs to hire a full-time special teams coach, but Meyer seems reluctant to try that.

8) James Franklin has been given kudos of late, but I didn't think he did a good job in this game.
Franklin had the ball near midfield after the kickoff I mentioned above and with a quarterback that does one thing well-throw it and hope. Franklin passed on the chance to move the ball late in the half.
Then the final drive and deep in their own territory if Penn State makes two first downs, they likely win the game.
Franklin called the same three run plays with Saquon Barkley that Ohio State stopped all day and the Buckeyes did so again setting up the Ohio State winning drive.
With three likely big money jobs in the SEC likely to be open soon (Florida, Tennessee and Texas A&M), James Franklin might be ready to take a look.
Penn State will lose Barkley and even though their recruiting classes have been strong in the last two years.Franklin might look at the Big 10 East and think this is as good as he'll have it.
At Florida or Tennessee, he might have it easier and Texas A&M isn't afraid to cut a check.
Don't send Franklin packing just yet, but don't rule it out either.

9) Breakout night for K.J. Hill with 12 catches and over 100 yards as a replacement for Parris Campbell, who was knocked out of the game as he fumbled early in the first quarter.
Campbell has had ball-handling issues all season, it may be tough for him to get back into the lineup with Hill playing so well.

10) And there were the officials, who seemed to miss Penn State's offensive line tackling Nick Bosa all night but blew two calls that could have cost Ohio State the game.
The first was the worse of the two as Damon Webb picked off a Trace McSorley pass in the end zone, but was called for a ridiculous pass interference call.
McSorley would shortly thereafter run for a score and seven points for Penn State that they shouldn't have had.
The other one was a pass that Penn State's DeAndre Thompkins appeared to have lost the ball in the end zone to Denzel Ward and on the field, the call was an interception for Ohio State.
The call was reversed, which was one of those that could have gone either way but appeared to me to one of those that normally goes the way it is originally called.
Even Penn State fans are admitting in social media that they received several close calls and they have no beef to be made.

Photo Caption:Cleveland Plain Dealer

11) Loved that the game-winning throw was caught by tight end Marcus Baugh.
Ohio State doesn't use the tight end as much as some teams do and they should do it more soon with four-star tight end Jeremy Ruckert on his way in next season.
Baugh can help open up over the middle and I wish he was more involved in the offense, but I'll take that score all day!

12) My favorite non-touchdown play of the day goes to Sam Hubbard on a play where Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley either botched a handoff or was trying to cause some misdirection with the ball towards the Ohio State defense.
Hubbard didn't choose which to tackle between McSorley and Barkley, he simply said to hell with it and tackled them both at the same time!

13) The uniforms received mixed reviews over the course of the day.
I liked the helmet, which I'll buy a mini of to add to the collection, and I didn't mind the uniforms, although I wished the names and numbers would have some sort of outline to make them easier to read from a distance and on television.
However, I'm still not a fan of the alternate uniforms whether they are good (the black chrome ones used in 2015),the bad (the 1957 tributes worn vs Michigan that really didn't look like the 1957 ones or the blank black matte used vs the Wolverines last year) and the indifferent (the gray's used in this one).
Part of the Ohio State tradition is the uniforms and I hate seeing those messed with.
I can live with a small tweak like a full chrome helmet or a throwback look, but I'm not a huge fan of the gimmick uniforms.
I don't buy the "helps in recruiting" either, Alabama and yes, Penn State do just fine in recruiting and they don't do these at all.
Ohio State is one of the top few brands in the game, they have no need to be thirsty for attention like the Oregon's and Maryland's of the world...

14) Ohio State likely controls its own destiny for the National title tournament and definitely controls its own chance for the Big Ten East championship.
Win out over the final four games (at Iowa and at Michigan and getting Michigan State and Illinois in Columbus) and they will play Wisconsin in Indianapolis for the league title and a berth in the final four.
Go 3-1 and they'll be out of the national title chase, but as long as that loss isn't to Michigan State, they will still be on their way to Indianapolis and the currently undefeated Badgers.

Back later with the Browns in London and Anthony Joshua's tougher than expected fight vs Carlos Takam