Ohio State's New Identity Can Take Them All The Way
Ohio State had another big-time win this weekend, taking down the number seven team, Penn State.
Both Penn State and Ohio State walked into Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday afternoon with perfect records, and the Buckeyes kept that record going with a 20-12 win.
Ohio State's quarterback Kyle McCord was far from perfect, going 22/35 with 286 yards and one touchdown, but he did hold his own against one of the best defenses in the country.
McCord was a little shaky at the beginning of the game with some off-target throws, but he was able to settle in and find his tight end, Cade Stover, down the field for some huge plays and, of course, his star wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison was the x-factor in this game, catching 11 of his 16 targets for 162 yards and a touchdown.
Harrison showed the world why he is one of the best players in the country and why he will be a top-five pick in next year's NFL Draft.
When Ohio State needed a big play, they went to Harrison; the rest was history.
The Buckeyes were down two huge stars on offense in running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. Both players have tons of talent and are huge factors on the team, but at the end of the day, it didn't come back to hurt them.
Ohio State had many chances to blow this game wide open but failed to convert on the fourth goal inside the five-yard line and missed a kick late in the game that would have made the score 23-6.
You have to tip your hat to Penn State's defense, who were flying all over the field and making huge plays, but it wasn't good enough.
The New Identity
Ohio State's defense was the story of this game, and honestly, they've been the talk all season after their performance against Notre Dame last month.
The defense made play after play all day, and they didn't even have possible first-round pick cornerback Denzel Burke. Defensive End J.T. Tuimoloau was again all over the field in the fourth quarter, just like he was last year in Happy Valley when Ohio State escaped with a win.
Penn State was 0/15 on third down entering the game's last drive when they converted one first down, and they were held out of the end zone until they scored six with 29 seconds left in the game.
Penn State's best offensive drive was their last one of the game when Ohio State's defense was trying to keep everything in front of them and keep the clock running.
The Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar had a rough day at the office, going 18/42 for 191 yards and a touchdown. Allar was sacked four times and was on his back for most of the day.
Ohio State held the two-headed monster running back group of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen to 18 attempts for 66 yards.
The second-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has his group playing great football, and it is about time Ohio State has a great defense.
The Buckeyes finally have a defense that can be the best in the country. I'm not saying Ohio State's offense is down this season, but it hasn't been clicking like in years past, so this is a great time to rely on the monsters on defense.
Ohio State's new identity is the defensive side of the ball, and if they keep playing the way they have had all season, they could be legit contenders to win the entire thing.
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Will Ohio State Win The Title?
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