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.