Scarlet and Game
Fansided

Ohio State football vs. Penn State: Defensive grades

By Ryan Stano

Ohio State safety Tanner McCalister (15), safety Ronnie Hickman (14) and linebacker Tommy Eichenberg (35) tackle Penn State wide receiver Parker Washington (3) during the first half at Beaver Stadium.2022-10-29-ohio state defense
Ohio State safety Tanner McCalister (15), safety Ronnie Hickman (14) and linebacker Tommy Eichenberg (35) tackle Penn State wide receiver Parker Washington (3) during the first half at Beaver Stadium.2022-10-29-ohio state defense /
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The Ohio State football team was able to beat Penn State 44-31 in a comeback effort in a hostile environment. It was a measuring stick game for this Buckeye defense that hadn’t had any good competition yet. They faced good competition on Saturday and proved that they are in fact a good defense.

A. . DL. Ohio State Buckeyes. DEFENSIVE LINE

J.T. Tuimoloau was the star of the game. He had an unbelievable game. He had six tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks. a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, two interceptions including a pick-six, and a pass deflection that resulted in another interception. Tuimoloau was stunning.

Tuimoloau hadn’t been putting up a lot of big numbers prior to Saturday’s game but he knew that they were coming. They came in a big way in a huge game. Tyliek Williams also had a sack in this game and Zach Harrison had the pick that JTT deflected. Great day by the defensive line.

LB. Ohio State Buckeyes. LINEBACKERS . B+.

Two linebackers were the leading tacklers for the Buckeyes in this game. Tommy Eichenberg had a whopping 15 of them while Steele Chambers had 9. The Ohio State football team did allow 111 yards rushing, so that’s why this grade is lower. They also didn’t cover super well, but they still played good enough to get the win.

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

Ohio State allowed 371 passing yards and three touchdowns with a lot of that coming in the second and third quarters. There were some issues with tackling in the secondary, specifically on Penn State’s first touchdown. Both Tanner McCalister and JK Johnson missed tackles on Parker Washington and a play that should’ve been just a ten-yard gain resulted in a long touchdown instead.

On the bright side, Denzel Burke looked a lot better in this game. He had some struggles early in the year that resulted in big plays, but he’s almost back to playing like he did last year. It looked like he just needed some time to figure it out.

Next. Ohio State football: Top ten recruits of the Urban Meyer era. dark

This defense didn’t play elite, but they played really well. Anytime you force four turnovers, that’s a really good day for a defense. I now have faith in the defense against anyone. What Jim Knowles has done with this unit is incredible in just one year.

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