The Buckeyes head to Happy Valley to take on the No. 3 Nittany Lions.
Ohio State managed to get back in the win column on Saturday against Nebraska to move to 6-1 on the year, though it was anything but pretty. Despite having two weeks to learn from the loss to Oregon and make improvements ahead of the matchup against the Cornhuskers, the Buckeyes looked tremendously unprepared as Ryan Day and his staff continue to raise more questions than they are answering.
Things will only get significantly harder from here, as Ohio State now must travel to Happy Valley for a battle with No. 4 Penn State.
Betting Odds: Ohio State -3.5 | O/U 47.5 (per FanDuel Sportsbook)
Ohio State needed a bounce back performance after its loss to Oregon two weeks ago, and while the Buckeyes emerged victorious against Nebraska on Saturday, the performance did not inspire any confidence. Ohio State defeated the Cornhuskers 21-17 in a game they were favored by more than three scores, trailing 17-14 in the fourth quarter before a Quinshon Judkins touchdown with six minutes remaining put the Buckeyes back on top for good.
It’s clear that the injury to Josh Simmons is going to hamstring Ohio State’s offensive line the rest of the way, and the unit as a whole looked completely out of sorts without its starting left tackle. The Buckeyes mustered only 64 yards rushing against Nebraska, with neither Judkins nor TreVeyon Henderson managing more than 30 yards despite taking 10 carries each. After totaling at least 400 yards of offense as a team in each of the first six games of the season, Ohio State tallied only 285 yards against the Huskers.
Things were a little better for the Buckeyes’ defense, who after struggling to do much of anything against Oregon did make some plays against Nebraska. The Silver Bullets finished with 13 tackles for loss and three sacks as a unit, led by Cody Simon’s three tackles for loss in addition to his team-high eight total tackles. Ohio State forced one turnover in the game, a game-sealing interception by Jordan Hancock in the final two minutes, and made a fourth down stop on the goal line in the third quarter.
Penn State, meanwhile, hit the road for a battle with Wisconsin at Camp Randall. The Nittany Lions knocked off the Badgers 28-13, but the big story of the game was the injury to quarterback Drew Allar. The junior missed the entire second half, and was seen wearing a brace on his left knee on the sideline. It is unclear whether or not Allar will be able to return for the Ohio State game next weekend, but that is obviously a storyline to keep an eye on.
Even without Allar, Penn State was able to overcome a 10-7 deficit at the half thanks to some strong defense and an impressive showing from backup QB Beau Pribula. The Nittany Lions regained the lead in the third quarter on a 19-yard pick-six by safety Jaylen Reed, and added a pair of touchdowns in the fourth on a 1-yard pass by Primula and a 24-yard run by Kaytron Allen to stave off Wisconsin’s upset attempt and move to 7-0 on the year.
This defensive unit is legit, led by guys like Abdul Carter and Dani Denis-Sutton up front, the duo having combined for 13.5 tackles for loss and six sacks on the season. It is a less than ideal matchup for an Ohio State team that was already missing its starting left tackle, and may now have lost its backup for an extended period of time after Zen Michalski was carted to the locker room on Saturday against Nebraska.
Ohio State will have to find a way to recapture its early-season success if it wants to escape Happy Valley with a victory. The RPO-heavy offense that once looked unstoppable and led to immense production both through the air and on the ground has seemingly disappeared from the playbook, and the defense that at one time looked impenetrable has since sprung several leaks and now appears mediocre at best.
The Buckeyes are in desperate need of a big win, and will have to play their best game of the season thus far to earn in next weekend.