Ten Things People Will Be Saying After The Penn State Game

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA — The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes and the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions kick off in a matter of hours. There is going to be a lot said before and during the game. There will also be plenty said after the game. Here’s just a snippet of what Buckeye fans will be saying in the seconds, minutes, and hours following this gigantic matchup for head coaches Ryan Day and James Franklin.

“Where would we be without Will Howard?”

Transfer quarterback Will Howard played a tremendous game in a difficult environment at Oregon, so dealing with a crowd hasn’t been too daunting for him. He handled that game very well. This one won’t be easy, but he’s seen everything by this point in his career. Howard has made big throws and big runs this season, and he’ll do more of it in this one.

“Jeremiah Smith can’t get the ball enough.”

If you sit down and really do the math, every time the ball goes to somebody other than Jeremiah Smith, that’s a play where Smith can’t do anything with the ball. Conversely, every time the ball goes to Jeremiah Smith, there is an infinitely larger chance of him making a play. (Sorry to break out the calculus on you.) Smith only had four targets last week because the Buckeyes were so poor converting third downs. They have to make those downs count more this week.

“Emeka Egbuka can’t get the ball enough.”

Speaking of players who only had four targets last week, Emeka Egbuka will be a larger part of the offense this week. That will mean more targets and perhaps more touches in the backfield as well. The Buckeyes didn’t use the jet sweep last week. It should come back this week because it’s generally been a beneficial play for this offense. If you’re having trouble running between the tackles, then maybe take things outside.

“I’m still concerned about the offensive line.”

This is an evergreen thought from a fan base that knew the Buckeyes couldn’t afford to lose Josh Simmons. The concern won’t go away with a solid performance from the Buckeyes this week. And it certainly won’t go away with a poor performance. The hope for Ryan Day and offensive line coach Justin Frye is that this is the final version of what the line will look like. The reports from practice have been positive, but that’s not always been a good indicator of future results.

“It’s good to have Lathan Ransom back.”

After missing last week’s game against Nebraska, starting safety Lathan Ransom is back this week. His replacements did a solid job but the Buckeyes will need all tackling hands on deck this week. Ransom is going to be involved in stopping every aspect of this Penn State offense. They run a lot of motions and you can expect some kind of trick play today. Having a fifth-year senior on the field instead of a true freshman backup will help, but the plays still need to be made.

“Why can’t we defend a running quarterback?”

There’s a reason why defensive coordinators hate facing quarterbacks that can run. A defense can do everything right, but if a quarterback can run and extend a play or scramble for a first down, everything that was once right is now wrong. Penn State backup quarterback Beau Pribula is the running threat, and he will play regardless of how healthy starter Drew Allar is today. Allar is also more mobile than people think. After seeing the scrambling success of Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola last week, the Buckeyes need to clean up this part of their game. But there isn’t always a defender for a quarterback, so the disadvantage is ever present.

“All the running backs need is a crease.”

This actually goes for any running back that plays in this game. And maybe a couple of the quarterbacks. Quinshon Judkins’ longest rush in Big Ten play is just 21 yards, so he’s about due for a long one. TreVeyon Henderson is a threat to go the distance at any time, though he was held completely in check by Nebraska. Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton has three rushes for 40 yards this season. Kaytron Allen is still looking for his first carry of at least 30 yards. Despite the lack of explosive plays this season for this entire group, the history of each of them suggests that a defense better not give them any kind of room whatsoever. It would be hard to imagine that a home run isn’t hit at some point, and whoever hits it may end up winning the game.

“It shouldn’t be this difficult to defend a tight end.”

Penn State’s Tyler Warren is arguably the best tight end in the nation. He has 47 receptions for 559 yards and four touchdowns this season. That includes a 17-catch, 224-yard performance two games ago at USC. It was his second 100-yard game of the season. Penn State will get him the ball all over the place, and also have him carry it as a Wildcat in short-yardage situations. He has a rush in each of the last five games. Ohio State will need to limit his yardage after the catch.

“Yeah, but it’s just Penn State.”

If/when Ohio State wins, the common refrain will come from a certain portion of the fan base that while this win is nice, it’s just Penn State. The only way this is a big game for Ryan Day is if Ohio State loses. It’s an unfortunate position to be in, but it wouldn’t even be a consideration if the record wasn’t what the record is.

“It’s gonna be nice to have a bit of a break next week.”

Things have been kind of tense throughout the Ohio State fan base. First the Oregon loss, then the Nebraska “win,” and now whatever happens today. Having Purdue coming to town next week is a nice break in the season, and frankly we could all use it. It’s kind of like a bye week but you still get to watch the Buckeyes play. But you’d much rather be watching them next week after a win today. Some may choose not to watch next week if things go poorly today.

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