Scarlet and Game
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Observations from Ohio State’s win over Penn State

By Coop Ledford

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 31: Justin Fields #1 of the Ohio State Buckeyes throws a pass to Jahan Dotson #5 during the first half of the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium on October 31, 2020 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 31: Justin Fields #1 of the Ohio State Buckeyes throws a pass to Jahan Dotson #5 during the first half of the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium on October 31, 2020 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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The #3 Ohio State Buckeyes traveled to Beaver Stadium to take on the #18 Penn State Nittany Lions on Halloween night. Three of the previous four meetings had been decided by three points or less, but this year there were far more treats than tricks for the Buckeyes. Here are some observations from Ohio State’s 38-25 win.

Master Teague appears to be the primary RB moving forward.

After a disappointing performance in week one against Nebraska, Master Teague had a much better outing against PSU. Teague had 23 carries for 110 yards and one touchdown. Granted, Justin Fields was a non-factor in the running game so Teague was able to carry the ball more frequently, but he definitely showed that he deserves to be the primary running back moving forward.

He was able to hit the openings hard and showed some athleticism with a 31-yard run. No, he is not J.K. Dobbins, but Ryan Day isn’t expecting him to be, Teague is reliable and is able to keep drives alive.

Shaun Wade did not look like himself.

Unless it was someone else playing cornerback and wearing a Shaun Wade Halloween costume, he did not look like himself. Wade is viewed as one of the top CB’s in all of college football and will be playing on Sunday’s next year, but against Penn State, he really struggled.

Wade was covering PSU WR Jahan Dotson, and Dotson had an incredible game with 144 yards and three touchdowns on eight catches. Dotson did make two incredible catches back-to-back including a one-handed touchdown catch in the fourth quarter, Wade was fooled badly on the scoring play.

Eight of the 12 passes thrown to Dotson were caught. OSU might not face a WR as talented as Dotson again during the regular season, so Wade will have time to adjust and will return to the high-level of play we’ve become accustomed to.

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Special Teams didn’t look too special.

Blake Haubeil started the game and made his first two extra points, then missed a 20-yard field goal in the second quarter and did not return. Walk-on Dominic DiMaccio assumed all kicking duties for the remainder of the game.

DiMaccio went one-for-two on field goals with a make from 22 and a miss from 23. Haubeil had complained prior to the start of the game about soreness in his groin, which likely contributed to the missed field goal.

If Haubeil has to miss time it would be a significant loss for the Buckeyes as he is the only scholarship kicker on the team. While field goals and extra points may not play a big role in next week’s game against Rutgers, it could be a much bigger deal later in the season.

Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson might be the best WR duo in the country.

Actually, forget the “might be”, they ARE the best WR duo in the country. Chris Olave led the way with 120 yards, two touchdowns, and seven receptions. Garrett Wilson added 111 yards off of 11 receptions and had 62 rushing yards, all of which came on one play.

Olave also did some things that won’t show up on a stat sheet. He was a key blocker for Garrett Wilson during his 62 yard run on the game’s first play. In a game where we weren’t even sure if he’d play, Chris Olave truly had a night to remember in State College. This was the first time in OSU history that two WR’s both had 100+ yard receiving games in consecutive games.

Minus the CB play, the defense looked really good.

Two of the biggest concerns entering this game were regarding the defense. How would the defensive line do against a strong running team, and how would the linebackers play after a so-so performance in week one?

The defensive line looked great, DT Tommy Togiai had an incredible game, racking up seven tackles and three sacks. DE Jonathon Cooper also had a great game with five tackles and split a sack with Zach Harrison who had four tackles of his own.

The Buckeyes were able to sack Sean Clifford five times and held Penn State to a total of 44 yards rushing, the Nittany Lions’ worst single-game rushing performance since 2017. The linebackers also played much better this week.

Tuf Borland had a tough game against Nebraska but looked much improved this week, as did Pete Werner and Baron Browning. All three LB’s seemed to consistently be in good positions to make plays and delivered some hard hits.

Next. Ohio State vs. Penn State: Defense grades. dark

Final Stats

Total Yards: Ohio State 526, Penn State 325

Rushing Yards: Ohio State 208, Penn State 44

Passing Yards: Ohio State 318, Penn State 281

Total First Downs: Ohio State 24, Penn State 20

Total Plays: Ohio State 79, Penn State 57

Turnovers: Ohio State 0, Penn State 1

Time of Possession: Ohio State 37:01, Penn State 22:59

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