Ohio State Football: Defense’s big plays key in win over Penn State

The Ohio State football team beat Penn State 33-24 on Saturday night. It was a game that was a lot closer than it should have been. In fact, the Buckeyes didn’t cover the spread in this one and never really came close to doing so. This was clearly the best team Ohio State had played since Oregon.

Defensively, we learned that the Buckeyes still have some major problems. They are still vulnerable up the middle, specifically in the passing game. They have issues getting pressure on the quarterback consistently. Even with those blunders, the defense is why Ohio State walked away with a win.

The defense had some huge plays in this game, mainly the three turnovers that they forced. Jerron Cage’s fumble return for a touchdown ended up being the defining moment of this game. That touchdown ended up being the difference because it gave Ohio a cushion.

Cameron Browns’s interception in the second half was also huge. The Buckeyes turned that pick into three points which helped make it a two-score game. That made it so Penn State never really had a shot to come back or threaten the Buckeyes.

Yes, the defense still has problems. Penn State isn’t a particularly potent offense. They only managed to score 10 points in four quarters against Illinois, and 18 points in 9 overtimes. They scored 24 against the Buckeyes on Saturday night.

With all of the turnovers the Ohio State football team forced, I would say this defense is floating towards being average. I mentioned that the defense only has to be average because of how good the offense is. I may have to revise that statement after the Buckeyes’ offensive performance in this one.

The Buckeyes still have some work to do. They play Nebraska and Purdue before facing the two other big dogs in Michigan State and TTUN. Forcing big plays like they did against Penn State is one way to keep themselves in games and come out with a win when they don’t have their best stuff.