Ryan Day won a big game, James Franklin lost another one to Ohio State and the offensive line showed up when it mattered most
In another “same day, same story” situation, No. 4 Ohio State defeated No. 3 Penn State 20-13 to hand the Nittany Lions their first loss and give Ryan Day his first win against a team that was 7-0 or better. He previously was 0-7 in those games.
This was a narrative-shifting game for the Buckeyes and Ryan Day, and now the Buckeyes still control their own destiny to get to Indianapolis.
Here is who and what we are higher and lower on after the showdown in Happy Valley.
Blue Chip
Offensive line
All week long, the conversation was about the offensive line and how they were the team’s weakness. The criticism was fair since the line had struggled in the six quarters since Josh Simmons went down with an injury. But they absolutely stepped up today.
That final drive was the best evidence of this. They needed to step up and put together a drive to kill the clock and make sure Penn State did not get the ball back and have a chance to tie the game again. The offensive line stepped up hugely, and they deserve to be complimented.
Solid Investments
Caleb Downs
It is hard to overstate how important Caleb Downs has been to this defense. He constantly saves touchdowns, plugs holes in the running game, shadows tight ends and running backs out of the backfield, and has been the best defender on the team through the first eight games.
Quinshon Judkins
Judkins and the offensive line both showed a different gear in this contest, and this was the game that showed why the Buckeyes brought in Judkins this season. He runs hard and plays hard, showing the toughness that the Buckeyes have needed and some people did not know if they had this season.
Junk Bond
Costly turnovers
Will Howard does not make many mistakes. However, when he does, they tend to be incredibly significant. If that trend continues in the playoffs, it will be tough to overcome, and those one to two mental lapses per game have to stay in October with Halloween.
Buy/Sell
Buy: Ryan Day against Penn State
Ryan Day may struggle to beat SEC teams, and he is 1-3 against Michigan, but the guy knows how to get the job done against the Nittany Lions. Day is now 6-0 against Penn State and 3-0 in Happy Valley. He has to win some other games, too, but it’s safe to say he has Penn State’s and James Franklin’s numbers.
Buy: Brandon Innis
Although Innis hasn’t been a breakout player this year, given the quality of the receiving room, he has shown flashes of his potential and what he can bring next season when he is a main part of the rotation. In this one, he had two big catches and one that went for a touchdown. Innis is going to be a big piece to the Ohio State offense sooner rather than late.
Sell: James Franklin against Ohio State
At some point, there has to be a tipping point with Franklin against top teams, and this game may have been it. He is now 1-10 against Ohio State, and the one was due to a blocked field goal. We thought Andy Kotelnicki could be the difference, but Franklin has had six offensive coordinators in his time in Happy Valley, and only one of them has been able to get him over the hump.
Sell: Big Noon commercials
They could change the name of Big Noon Kickoff to Big Noon Commercials. Nothing is worse for a product than a score, commercial, kickoff, and commercial. That is 15 minutes of real-time and two plays. It’s not fun.