Buckeyes finally get statement W at the expense of Penn St

Ohio St needed a statement win, and Penn St took the brunt end of it. The 63-14 ass-whooping the Lions took was their worst lost since 1899. Going into the game, I was very confident in a win. A freshman QB going into The Shoe in primetime usually doesn't work out so well. But nothing could have prepared me for what unfolded last Saturday night.


Game Recap
Ohio St jumped out to a quick lead after a Braxton Miller to Devin Smith completion netted 35 yards to set up a short Carlos Hyde touchdown. That would be the first of SIX rushing touchdowns the Buckeyes would accumulate during the game, to go along with its staggering 408 yards on the ground. Penn St responded with a good drive into the OSU redzone, but Corey Brown picked off Christian Hackenberg in the end zone and effectively ended the game.

Cameron Johnston punted after a Buckeye three-and-out, but it would be his only appearance of the half. PSU punted right back and Brax made it 14-0 on a 39-yard TD run. It was C.J. Barnett’s turn to victimize the young Nittany Lion QB on the next series, intercepting Hackenberg. With Christian Bryant out for the season, a lot of pressure has been put on his fellow senior safeties Brown and Barnett, and they certainly rose to the occasion early on in this contest.

The second quarter was 15 of the most dominating minutes of football Ohio St, or just about anyone in the nation, will play all season. Miller ran in his second score early in the period to extend the lead to 21. Penn St quickly went three-and-out then Braxton hooked up with Smith three more times before hitting Chris Fields for the score. Penn St did score once this quarter, when Hackenberg hit Brandon Felder to make it 28-7. Dontre Wilson took the kickoff back into PSU territory and two plays later Carlos Hyde scored on a 39-yard run. In the closing seconds of the half, Miller put up his fourth score by connecting with Philly Brown for a 42-7 halftime massacre.

After a Zach Zwinak fumble early in the second half, Braxton threw a swing pass to ‘Tre who sprinted 26 yards for another Buckeye touchdown. This dude is going to be a fucking stud. At 49-7, the evening was over for Miller and Hyde, but Jordan Hall and Kenny Guiton had no trouble keeping the momentum going. Kenny G ran for two scores of his own during his quarter of play before giving way to Cardale Jones, who closed out the game under center. Penn St superstar wideout Allen Robinson scored a late TD, bringing the final count to 63-14.


Game Ball
You know you’ve had a productive night offensively when your All-Conference tailback can ring up 147 yards and two touchdowns while gaining over nine yards per carry and not even be considered for the GB. Braxton Miller was untouchable in this game, flawlessly shredding the Nittany Lion defense time and time again. He finished 18/24 for 252 yards passing with a 3/0 TD/INT ratio, while rushing for 68 yards and another two scores.
Game balls to date: Guiton (3), Miller (2), Hyde (2)


Big Ten
There were only three other conference games on last week’s slate, the main one of note being Minnesota’s upset over 24th ranked Nebraska. That makes the Gophers second straight big conference win after beating Northwestern the week Pryor. Michigan St’s offense finally showed up, routing Illinois 42-3. The Spartan are quietly 7-1 and undefeated in conference play, and sport one of the best defenses in the nation. Buckeye fans should be rooting for MSU to run the table and move their way up to a top 10 ranking, so we can get a quality win in the B1G Championship. Also, Iowa beat Northwestern in OT. Wahoo.


Up Next: @Purdue (1-6, 0-3), 12:00, Big Ten Network
We all remember what happened last year when a beat-down Boilermaker squad came into Columbus expecting to be blown out of the stadium. While it turned out to be the most exciting victory of the season and the birth of the myth that is Kenny G, it was astounding how poorly the Buckeyes played. It won’t happen again this Saturday. Purdue has fielded some pretty poor teams in recent memory, but this one probably takes the cake, averaging 13 points per game offensively while giving up 34 on defense. Expect the Bucks to keep last week’s momentum going full force.
Prediction: Ohio St 55 Purdue 7


GET EM