Highs & Lows: Ohio State
Following a difficult loss at Indiana last week, Penn State fans were hoping for an upset Saturday night against the third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. Unfortunately, the Nittany Lions never really came close, going down 14-0 just a few minutes into the game.
BWI's Nate Bauer recaps Saturday night's game in highs & lows.
PLAYER OF THE GAME Justin Fields demonstrated once again why he’s not just one of the best players in the Big Ten, but probably should now be considered a Heisman front-runner after this performance. Completing 28 of 34 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns, Fields’ quarterback rating finished at 199.7. That is, frankly, incredible, and beyond the stats, everyone could see with their eyes just how incredible and precise he was on this night in the Buckeyes’ win.
PLAY OF THE GAME Chris Olave’s 49-yard, fingertips touchdown catch on a perfect ball from Fields in the third quarter gave the Buckeyes a lead that wouldn’t ever really be threatened again the rest of the night. An exceptional catch on its own, his second of the game, both were overshadowed by Jahan Dotson’s remarkable, back-to-back receptions in the fourth quarter.
BEST PASS They don’t look much nicer than Fields’ 49-yard touchdown strike to Olave midway through the third quarter. Marching up the field against Penn State’s defense, Fields calmly created space for Olave with a pump fake, leaving Penn State redshirt freshman corner Daequan Hardy trailing the play badly. Unable to recover its coverage, a trio of Nittany Lion defensive backs could only look on as Olave completed the touchdown with a fingertip reception while falling into the end zone.
BEST RUN Garrett Wilson made an immediate impression for the Buckeyes that set the tone the rest of the way. Taking an inside handoff from Fields, Wilson burst through Penn State’s defense and into the third level with ease, only coming down at the Nittany Lions’ 13-yard line. It set up an easy Buckeyes’ touchdown just two plays later, giving the visitors a 7-0 advantage before two minutes had passed in the first quarter.
BEST CATCH Both of Olave’s though, respectfully, take a backseat to Dotson’s fourth-quarter grabs, back-to-back. The first was secured by his helmet for 37 yards, followed by an incredible 21-yard, one-handed leaping catch that went for a touchdown. That the two catches came in succession is that much more remarkable considering they will likely stand side-by-side as two of Penn State's best all year.
BEST SACK Antonio Shelton rose to the occasion against his hometown team early in the second quarter when he slipped through the Buckeyes’ offensive line to bring down Fields. The sack went for a loss of seven yards to set up a third-and-long for the visitors.
BEST HIT No one delivered a bigger or better hit on the night than Brandon Smith’s untouched missile shot to Fields’ back on a third down late in the game. Coming unfettered through the left side of the Buckeyes' offensive line on a blitz, Smith unloaded on Fields for the easy sack.
BEST EFFORT Fields’ completion, while tripping and falling onto his back, was the exemplification of his night. Even when something didn’t work out completely in his favor, he made up for it with his athleticism and knack for playmaking.
BEST KICK Whether the officials gifted the Nittany Lions a last-second field goal attempt at the end of the first half is open to debate. Clearly, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day didn’t agree. But Jordan Stout made the most of the opportunity by delivering a beauty of a 50-yard field goal to send the Nittany Lions to the half trailing 21-6.
BEST DECISION Kirk Ciarrocca and the Nittany Lion coaching staff, trailing by more than two touchdowns at the half, somehow found the Buckeyes’ defensive weaknesses in the interim. Opening the second half with the ball, the Nittany Lions showed maturity and poise in working their way down the field, ultimately finishing the eight-play, 75-yard drive with a touchdown pass from Clifford to Dotson.
WORST DECISION It’s easier to call it awful when it doesn’t work, obviously, but James Franklin’s choice to go for it on fourth-and-2 early in the first quarter, in Penn State’s territory, might not have been all that wise. The play was disrupted early along the Buckeyes’ line, leaving Clifford running for his life to toss an incompletion to no one in particular. The decision gifted prime field position to Ohio State, who quickly converted it into another touchdown to go ahead 14-0 before the midpoint of the opening frame.
MOST TELLING MOMENT There were many of them Saturday night, but the overall theme of the evening was best demonstrated when Fields faked a run on fourth-and-1, then flipped an easy pass to a wide open Jeremy Ruckert. The play was yet another element of the Buckeyes toying with Penn State’s young and inexperienced corners, who were routinely exposed on the night, in this case Daequan Hardy.
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