It was the best of games, it was the worst of games.
The Ohio State Buckeyes registered one of the greatest wins in OSU history in their 39-38 come-from-behind win against Penn State.
The Ohio State Buckeyes played one of the worst games played in OSU history against Penn State.
It doesn’t seem like both of those things can be true.
They were.
For much of the game there was serious concern that the Buckeyes would run out of body parts before the end of the game. That’s because after they shot themselves in both feet they proceeded to shoot themselves in every other body part available while seeming to do everything in their power to lose the game to the Nittany Lions.
A list of mistakes would be brutal. Suffice it to say that the Buckeyes turned over the ball, drew penalties, dropped passes and generally stunk up the place with regularity.
And special teams…oh my god, the special teams. It’s hard to imagine they could be worse. With the exception of a punt block, special teams almost killed them.
It was ugly. It was putrid. It was hard to watch. It was frustrating. It was just awful.
And all of that is what makes the one one of the greatest in Buckeye history.
Despite the errors and miscues, the Buckeyes never quit, and behind much-maligned and much-doubted senior quarterback J. T. Barrett rallied to outscore Penn State 19-3 in the fourth period to claim an improbable 39-38 win over the previously unbeaten No. 2 Nittany Lions. Barrett completed his last 16 passes in producing three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter for the come-from-behind win.
Barrett’s heroics overcame some of the mistakes, but despite the miscues there were good plays by Buckeyes all over the field. The OSU receiving corps stepped up against one of the best pass defenses in the nation, and the the Buckeye defense was tough when it needed to be despite the number of points on the scoreboard. Most of all, the Buckeyes won the line of scrimmage, particularly in the fourth quarter when they wore down the Penn State lines and simply dominated. Barrett had time to throw and the OSU defensive front just plain dominated the Penn State offensive line in the final stages of the game to help earn the victory.
For the game Barrett was 33-of-39 for 328 yards passing for four touchdowns and no interceptions. His 423 yards of total offense set a school record, topping Art Schlichter’s previous best of 412 against Florida State in 1981.
The win brought overwhelming jubilation to Buckeye Nation. The fans swarmed the field and Internet Message boards lit up with glee.
Despite the angst, anger and frustration brought about by the mistake-filled play, the victory, and the way it happened, erased all the bad feelings and put all things right in the Buckeye world.
The win avenges last year’s loss in Happy Valley. It also puts the Buckeyes squarely back into contention for the four-team national championship playoff. OSU should be no worse than fourth in that poll given the result of this game as well as a loss by TCU today as well.
Ohio State travels to Iowa to face the Hawkeyes next Saturday.
I think they ought to quit calling those backward screen passes they will not work against a good defense maybe get a pick six on you. And where was 10.5 yards a carry dobbins at. I want to see the stud running down the opponents throat
I can Not believe We are The Ohio State University and Do not have a kid under scholarship who can kick it in the end zone. I played little league to high school and they tell to spread the field and thats 5 guys from hash mark to side line and stay in your lane and dont get sucked in and come under control and make the tackle. If Paris is on kick team I bet he runs barkley down. Just saying Im sure trhe personel changes coach is talking about is getting some speed and upper classmen on kick team I Hope
praying…or prying, I don’t care.
Prying is more interesting.
Does anyone know how many D-linemen were rotated into the game for significant snaps? I think that freshness on defense late in the game was the telling key to victory. This comeback underscores the old football adage that defense wins games.
To paraphrase a common adage, to err is Buckeye.
To overcome those errors to record an unforgettable, classic victory – also is Buckeye.
I’m happy for J.T. after this one. I’m happier for the Defence. J.T. kept his chance for a championship alive, saving him from being the Credence Claerwater of Ohio State football, or at least staving it off. If he can go out with a B1G Championship and have a decent playoff game.
We can all breathe for a few weeks hopefully. It was interesting how once the chips were down, Wilson/ Meyer showed they actually know how to play real football. The side to side passing game was shelved, no trick plays, all the sudden the line could block and the receivers could get open.
The first half was not the first half of a good team. But blame it on the bye week. I wonder how many T.D.s special teams will give up before Meyer abandons that wonky kick-off scheme. Meyer gets these tings in his head and results never change his mind.
I don’t understand the misses on the long passes. Just by the law of averages a few of those should be caught. Maybe the luck gods are saving them for us, for the CCG and playoff.
In the second half of the game, the Bucks played one of their best halves ever and the 4th quarter was amazing.
6 more games to go hopefully. But the issue isn’t Barret anymore. The issue now is can the team put together a complete game.. From now on, it’s not about Barret leading the team, it’s about the team picking it up and playing at the level they played in the fourth quarter, throughout a whole game.
Once you’ve done it once, how hard can it be to lose it again? Hopefully we’ll get Meyer’s bad habits out of our systems and just play north south football the rest of the year. This is a team that can do that. Meyer should be looking at the way Dantonio uses the east west plays. 2 or 3 times a game at most so they surprise people, not 2 or 3 times every series with everyone practicing all week to stop them.
It is amazing that despite all the mistakes this Buckeye team beat a VERY GOOD football team in Penn St. Ohio State proved they are the best team in the Big 10 tonight.. Had the Buckeyes played mistake free in this one, and had an impartial officiating crew, they would have beat Penn State 45-17. The better team won. This had to be the most frustrating game I ever watched. Every time the Bucks starting gaining momentum, the refs just punched us in the gut. I was literally pulling out my hair in this one! Buckeyes just need to take it one week at a time against vastly inferior opponents en route to the playoff. We control our own destiny and will be double digit favorites in all of our remaining games including the Big 10 Championship. The special teams need an exorcism, Isiah Pronce needs benched, and Dobbins should get 80 % of the carries at least on offense. I can smell the playoffs…and maybe a Heisman for Barrett…..THIS WAS ONE FOR THE AGES…..GO BUCK!!!!!!
Okay, Barrett haters. Whatcha got NOW?! Congratulations, Joe Thomas the IV! GREAT job!
I have been watching Buckeye football since the 1950’s – I am a 1965 graduate of The Ohio State University. This is the most incredible Buckeye comeback I have ever seen. Barrett for Heisman !!!.
And, for Heaven’s sake, bury those awful alternate uniforms while we are at it.
Amen. Screw Nike and their wont to sell more jerseys. What happened to “The
People, The Tradition, The Excellence” mantra? We’re Scarlet and Gray…
OMG, we have the classiest uniforms in CFB and they wear that stuff. Take at least one lesson from what Bama does…or doesn’t do.
You were VERY kind in omitting the ATROCIOUS offensive game plan called throughout most of the game. Would anyone care for another stupid and pointless parallel to line of scrimmage pass? You can’t have another, you’re driving tonight? I understand. Ole’ Urban tried to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory all night with his insistence on ignoring productive running backs in favor of a passing game whose focus was…uh, unfocused. Wait, don’t go faulting Kevin Wilson for that, we know who insists on those calls regardless of who is nominally the offensive coordinator… I’ll point out that special teams are Urban’s baby too- and tonight was the WORST special teams display I can remember watching as an OSU fan. The players somehow managed to overcome their own coaches, a good opponent, and officials who were on another planet for much of the evening. Very proud of most of the players, not so much the guys being paid tons of money to prepare them.
The reason the stuff works over the middle is because the wide stuff has to be defended. The wide stuff opens the middle of the field.
I got your back, Gerd, but I gotta admit I was tearing my hair out over the slip screens to the side too. I think they went to that well TOO often after it was clear PSU was blowing ’em up. A fake that way and then a throw to the opposite side would’ve been nice…
There were a ton of negative plays, which you don’t want, but it’s pretty clear that the plan worked.
Yeah I’m kinda confused how you can say we had atrocious game called on offense when the stats say otherwise. I think we punted once all night, 2 fumbles, but other than that Penn State didn’t stop the offense. The only ones who stopped anyone was Ohio State and the officiating crew.
If you’re that easily confused, its likely you’ll stay that way. OSU won the game despite its game plan rather than because of it. And don’t even get me started on the special teams. With better play selection and even ordinary special teams play rather than the mess we saw, OSU is up 20 at half and on cruise control. Glad OSU won, not ready to throw roses at the feet of some of the coaches after it is all.
If “the plan” was to be behind for 58 minutes of the game, take the crowd out of it for significant amounts of time, largely ignore the best offensive threat that OSU had going (Dobbins AGAIN), and to hope against hope that a handful of players could overcome the poor planning, then you are right- the “plan” worked. Or, maybe its time to recognize a clear coaching problem rather than putting lipstick all over it. OSU won IN SPITE OF the plan. Nice omission of the special teams play in your comments too- was that cluster flluster part of the “plan”? Let me make this clear- great win, NOT great “planning”.
Fire Urban.
OSU basically spotted PSU 21 points. Seemed like our week off didn’t help either. Our defensive depth and the O coaches that adjusted to the vertical passing game doomed OSU. Urban’s best when his teams can dominate for a quarter or a quarter and a half and we saw that the last 11 minutes. No way should SB of PSU be considered for the Heisman, OSU held him to -3 yards from the LOS the 2nd half. Our stats show that w/o errors, we dominated that game, basically 528 yards to 284 yards. Terrible first call by the refs overturning that interception due to pass interference. Urban, work on the special teams, they just about lost a game we should of ran away with.
That’s not a testable theory. But an interesting speculation. And here I though pounding the ball up the middle forcing the line backer to be moving forward for run support was what opened up the middle. There is just no justification for running plays that lose yards when you can run plays that gain two or three and accomplish the same thing.
I’m just telling you what the coaches tell me.
Now that I believe! Lol. And thoughtless comment about firing Meyer btw. Rather than confront the issue, you try to draw attention away from it. Keep prying at his shrine, I’m sure he appreciates it.