Scarlet and Game
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Ohio State vs. Penn State 2020: Defense grades

By Ryan Stano

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 31: Sean Clifford #14 of the Penn State Nittany Lions is tackled by Pete Werner #20 and Tyler Friday #54 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half at Beaver Stadium on October 31, 2020 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 31: Sean Clifford #14 of the Penn State Nittany Lions is tackled by Pete Werner #20 and Tyler Friday #54 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half at Beaver Stadium on October 31, 2020 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Ohio State didn’t play up to their high defensive standards in week one. In week two, it was a little better. But they still have things to work on for the rest of the season.

Ohio State’s defense has been a strong point for them over the last three years. They have put a lot of defensive talent into the NFL over that time period. This year though, it hasn’t quite been up to par. They were inconsistent against Penn State on Saturday. Here is how each unit graded.

A. . DL. Ohio State Buckeyes. DEFENSIVE LINE

The defensive line was much better in this one than they were against Nebraska. Haskell Garrett continues to be disruptive. Even though he didn’t record any sacks, he pushed Clifford into a number of them. His defensive tackle counterpart, Tommy Togiai, had 7 tackles including 3 sacks.

Jonathon Cooper and Zach Harrison each had 0.5 sacks and Javontae Jean-Baptiste added a sack as well. That’s five total sacks the defensive line had. They were able to push the pocket around. They also controlled the line of scrimmage, as Penn State only had 44 yards rushing on 27 carries.

B+. . LB. Ohio State Buckeyes. LINEBACKERS

The linebackers weren’t as good this week. Although Pete Werner had 6 tackles and Tuf Borland had 5, they weren’t great in pass coverage. Penn State completed a lot of intermediate routes over their heads in the second half. They were excellent in run support though, so they get credit for that.

DB. Ohio State Buckeyes. DEFENSIVE BACKS. B-.

Shaun Wade is supposed to be a first-round talent, but he got owned last night. He let Jahan Dotson torch him for three touchdowns. The secondary as a whole let Sean Clifford throw for 281 yards, with most of those coming in the second half.

Marcus Hooker did record an interception at the end of the game for the only turnover of the contest. But all things considered, it wasn’t a very good performance from the secondary. They’re going to have to be better in a potential College Football Playoff matchup.

Next. Ohio State vs. Penn State: Offense grade. dark

The defense wasn’t great on Saturday night, but it didn’t have to be. I expect them to get better every week and get closer to that elite unit that we have seen in years past.

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