3 reasons Ohio State will dismantle Penn State
By Alec Hartman
3. The Buckeyes’ ability to make plays when it counts will be a deciding factor against the Nittany Lions.
Nebraska started the game hot as they gashed the Buckeyes for 75 yards and a touchdown on the first drive which consisted of just four plays. During that drive, 66 of those yards were from quarterback runs thanks to the athletic abilities of Adrian Martinez and Luke McCaffrey. It did not take long for the Buckeyes to answer the call as it was now their turn to take the field on offense.
The Buckeyes would answer with a touchdown of their own but it would take 11 plays to do so which included two third down conversions and a fourth down conversion. This would be the theme for the Buckeyes in the first half as they looked to jump-start their reloaded offense and look for a spark any way they could. Justin Fields was most impressive in this matchup as he was the one to keep the Buckeyes moving at times where there was no spark.
Speaking of Fields, he was almost perfect with his efficiency as a passer as just one of his 21 passing attempts landed incomplete. He also looked spry as ever when running the ball. However, it would be these abilities from Fields that the Buckeyes would live or die on throughout this game. There were a few drawn out drives in this game, especially early, where the Buckeyes were solely reliant on Fields to make something happen by making a tough throw or running the ball himself on third and fourth down in order to keep the drive alive. The Buckeyes were 8/13 on third down attempts and 2/2 on fourth down.
Fortunately, Fields was on the money and made nearly zero mistakes in pivotal moments early on. It may sound silly to speak of ‘pivotal moments’ in a game where the Buckeyes won by over 30 points but college football is a game of momentum. If Fields does not complete the fourth down pass to Garrett Wilson when the game is tied in the first quarter then Nebraska quickly reassumes the momentum.
The Buckeyes’ offense getting in the end zone after long drives like that takes more air out of the opposition each time. Much credit is due to Ryan Day for keeping the offense on the field for those fourth downs as it displays his confidence in the offense to convert plus the Buckeyes benefit greatly from that experience regardless.
On the other hand, the Nittany Lions did not have a runaway victory in the second half of their week one match up. In an odd turn of events, the Nittany Lions struck first to take an early lead but let it slip just as quickly. Multiple blown opportunities to maintain a lead against the Hoosiers while committing a multitude of turnovers and penalties led to the Nittany Lions coming into this week with a loss on their record.
The Nittany Lions were superior to the Hoosiers by a large margin in the majority of statistical aspects as they had four times more rushing yards, converted on third and fourth downs at a higher percentage, more passing yards, and doubled the Hoosiers in time of possession.
The matchup between the Nittany Lions and the Hoosiers looks to have come down to leadership and discipline. James Franklin has had a decent track record with the team so far but he certainly cannot dodge the blame for taking that type of loss. All signs pointed to victory in this matchup and Franklin somehow managed to let it slip. In a game where the Hoosiers fail to convert on 4th & 21 on their own 14-yard line with under two minutes left in the game, the Nittany Lions still found a way to squander the lead.
Fields and the Buckeyes have already been tested in tough situations just one week into the season. It may not have been much, but the Buckeyes have found ways to succeed where they needed to while the Nittany Lions have failed. Expect the Buckeyes to make the right decisions and execute in big moments.