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QUARTERBACKS: After Sean Clifford exited the game with an apparent injury to his lower body, backup Will Levis entered the game and, helped by two Ohio State turnovers, sparked a 17-0 spurt that brought the Nittany Lions back into the game. He deserves credit for that. Ultimately, though, it was a poor choice to throw to a well-covered Pat Freiermuth that led to an Ohio State interception just outside the red zone that helped seal Penn State's fate.
GRADE: C+
RUNNING BACKS: Penn State's entire offense was a non-factor in the first half, and the running backs were no exception. Journey Brown found a way to make some plays after halftime, totaling 64 yards on 11 carries. The backs weren't able to make much of an impact in the receiving game, either. Against this kind of defensive front, it's hard to fault them, but the Lions needed more to come away with a win.
GRADE: B-
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT END: The Buckeyes were able to keep a lid on KJ Hamler, and while Freiermuth contributed steadily with six receptions, the Nittany Lions didn't get the explosive plays on the outside they needed to have a chance.
GRADE: C-
OFFENSIVE LINE: Ohio State dictated the line of scrimmage for nearly the entire game, coming away with six sacks and keeping holes closed for Penn State's running game. That's the best defensive line in the country, so it's tough to be too critical, but overall, the Lions needed more from the guys upfront. The Buckeyes also had nine tackles for loss.
GRADE: C-
DEFENSIVE LINE: Yetur Gross-Matos had to have a big day and he did just that, totaling nine tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Shaka Toney and Jayson Oweh also got a good push at times. The defensive tackles struggled to get pressure through the middle, which gave Justin Fields opportunities to run, but at the end of the day, they played a major role in limiting the Buckeyes to just 3.8 yards per rush, which was easily Ohio State’s lowest average this season.
GRADE: B+
LINEBACKERS: Micah Parsons had another great game, totaling 10 tackles, including two for a loss of yards. There were lapses in coverage, and Fields made a few attempted tackles look silly, but overall, the linebackers had a pretty solid game.
GRADE: B+
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Ohio State had been averaging 13.38 yards per completion this season. Penn State held the Buckeyes to 11.75 YPC. Fields also averaged 8.54 yards per attempt Saturday, which is one of Ohio State’s lowest averages this season. You can certainly point to a few lapses in coverage, but after what we saw the past few weeks, the secondary held its own. Both safeties were all over the field today. Garrett Taylor led the team with 13 tackles, while Lamont Wade had 10 tackles and all three of PSU’s forced fumbles.
GRADE: B-
SPECIAL TEAMS: Penn State really needed Blake Gillikin to have one of his best games of the season. He ended up having one of his worst, averaging just 34 yards per punt on six attempts. Give Jake Pinegar credit for making his 42-yard attempt in the third quarter, but aside from that, Penn State’s special teams didn’t provide much in a game where they really needed to. It felt like Hamler wasn’t 100 percent, and aside from the opening kickoff, it showed most in the return game.
GRADE: C-
COACHING: Penn State mishandled the end of the first half and was lucky to not give up more points. An illegal formation, followed by a Gross-Matos sack bailed the staff out. There’s always some decisions that you can point to on both sides of the ball, but they also faced what could very well be the best team in the nation this year. It's hard to be too critical.
GRADE: B-
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