Scouting Ohio State: How Can Penn State Stop the Buckeyes?
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Ohio State brings its dominant roster to Beaver Stadium on Saturday to face Penn State in FOX's Big Noon marquee matchup. Since a feeling-out opener against Notre Dame, the Buckeyes have dismantled opponents, averaging 54.3 points per game and a 32.7-point margin of victory.
What makes the No. 2 Buckeyes so dominant, and how might No. 13 Penn State attack them? We asked Brendan Gulick, publisher of FanNation's Buckeyes Now site, for a few answers.
Question: Ohio State has taken apart four straight Big Ten opponents. What's the secret?
Brendan Gulick: I'm not sure there's really a "secret" to the way they've performed. They are playing like the most complete team in the country right now. They are one of only two teams nationally that average more than 300 passing yards per game and 200 rushing yards per game. They have also turned last year's mediocre defense into a top-10 unit.
Question: Where does this Ohio State offense rank in terms of those you've seen recently in Columbus?
Brendan Gulick: It's certainly right up there with the most productive offensive units they've had in recent memory. J.K. Dobbins was perhaps a bit better than what we've seen so far from TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams, but the depth OSU has in that room right now with those two guys is really impressive. The wide receiver room is as talented as any Ohio State has ever had. Maybe last year was a deeper room, because Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson were here in addition to the guys that are currently playing. But there hasn't been a drop off at all in production there.
C.J. Stroud is continuing to play at a really high level and looks like a high-end first round pick, much like Justin Fields did during the 2020 season. I think the offensive line is playing really well too. The biggest difference is at tight end. Cade Stover is a monster and, for as good as Luke Farrell and Jeremy Ruckert were, I don't think it's hyperbole to say that Cade Stover could be the best tight end in recent program history. He's the ultimate competitor and is a legitimate weapon for Stroud in the passing game.
Question: The Buckeyes have had great receivers for years. What's unique about this group?
Brendan Gulick: Ryan Day has consistently pointed to this group's maturity and their work ethic. Marvin Harrison Jr. does an awful lot of work on his own before and after practice. Emeka Egbuka is an incredibly humble, hard-working kid. Julian Fleming is finally healthy and playing like the recruit he was hyped up to be. And Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been injured off-and-on all year, but he has nothing left to prove after what we saw from him last year. All of those guys have NFL futures.
Question: Is the Ohio State defense somehow underrated because of the offenses it has faced?
Brendan Gulick: I personally think they are a bit underappreciated. Everyone around the country is quick to point out the schedule, but last year they had played largely the same schedule and the results weren't very good. It's essentially the same personnel, albeit with a different coordinator and different scheme than last year.
Tommy Eichenberg is playing like the best linebacker in the country right now. The defensive line is far improved from last year. Steele Chambers is also playing great at linebacker. The secondary has had a few tough moments but has done a nice job this season on the whole. They don't need to be the No. 1 defense in the country to win a national title; top-25 would get it done if you look at the teams that have won it all the last 25 years. I think they're really good, and if you listen to what each coach has to say about them after the games have ended, most opposing offenses think so, too.
Question: So how do you beat these guys?
Brendan Gulick: Honestly, I'm not sure how you beat them because I don't think anyone is going to. The best formula seems to be to try to run the ball, shorten the game and extend drives. With an offense that is scoring 50 points per game, including only 21 points in the opener against Notre Dame, you've got to limit the number of possessions they have. They are the only team in the country that has scored 100 percent of the time they've been in the red zone. They scored on three different 90-yard drives against Michigan State a couple weeks ago. That was probably a good formula: pin them deep and make them work the whole field.
But so far, nobody has really been able to come close to pulling it off. The first half of the Notre Dame game was sloppy because it was the opener and they're a good team. But ever since halftime of that game, OSU has thoroughly dominated every team it's played this year.
Penn State hosts Ohio State at noon ET Saturday at Beaver Stadium. FOX will televise. Check out Buckeyes Now for more Ohio State coverage this week.
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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.
