3 reasons Ohio State will dismantle Penn State
By Alec Hartman
2. The Buckeyes will continue to capitalize on short field opportunities from turnovers.
As much as it is a pain to admit, Nebraska was impressive at times during week one. They put up some points in the first half to keep the game competitive. Quarterbacks Martinez and McCaffrey were efficient in the passing game and exposed some holes in the Buckeyes’ defense by being opportunistic in the run game. However, none of that mattered in the end as they fell apart in the second half largely due to turnovers.
The Buckeyes only held a 10 point lead going into the second half before extending it to 17 points following the first drive. The game was still within reach, that is until Martinez remembered who he was and fumbled the ball right into the Buckeyes’ hands for a scoop and score. That turnover in itself put the game out of reach and essentially ended it for Nebraska who didn’t score for the remainder of the game.
The Buckeyes are in line to force more turnovers when they face the Nittany Lions as they committed three last weekend. Nittany Lions’ quarterback Sean Clifford threw two interceptions in last week’s loss to the Hoosiers. Clifford had seven interceptions last season and is already on his way there now. This will be Clifford’s second season as a starter. In last season’s matchup at Ohio Stadium, Clifford managed just 71 passing yards with zero touchdowns.
The Nittany Lions will be without their star running back Journey Brown this season which has emphasized the importance of Clifford to this offense. The Nittany Lions have also lost significant talent at the receiver position in the last few seasons which has been one of their strengths. Their most recent loss was KJ Hamler following the end of last season who was by far their leading receiver with over 900 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
The Nittany Lions will now turn to junior receiver Jahan Dotson, junior tight end Pat Freiermuth, and sophomore running back Devyn Ford. The team also very recently lost sophomore running back Noah Cain to injury following last week’s game. Cain was a significant part of the Nittany Lions’ rushing attack.
Sean Clifford is now under immense pressure to carry the Nittany Lions’ offense for the foreseeable future with many of his go-to players out of the lineup. The lack of reliable options for Clifford within the offense has loomed large as he has become vulnerable to mistakes. Look for the Buckeyes to put Clifford in obvious passing situations early in order to take advantage of his tendency to turn the ball over.