#2 Ohio State (5-0, 8-0) at #13 Penn State (3-2, 6-2) Post Game

[Honestbuckeye]

It's funny to me to hear the reasoning for tOSU to be regarded as they are.  The very same thing can be said for another team also regarded but considered lessor than tOSU. 

And stats be damned, UTs D isn't that bad.  Their run D is tight and their secondary works when it needs to work. 

I'm truly hoping for a tOSU and UT match up.... yall can't tell me that won't be an entertaining game.  The o/u would likely be 100pts opening... and by game time 110pts. 

UT has to get through UGA first... and its critical.. if they win they go to #1 over tOSU and UM, but if they lose? They'll drop a lot further than bama did when they lost to UT- and likely to 10 or 12.... thats the way the system works. 

I agree.  UT is capable of beating anyone this season IMO.   
So is Georgia, so is Michigan and OSU.  Maybe Bama too.

But unlike the NFL- they only get one shot. 

[MrNubbz]

The Vols have to get thru their schedule just like everyone else.Just don't get caught looking ahead - that's the danger

[Honestbuckeye]

Ohio State hasn't looked beatable to me every week. I'd say just in the ND and PSU games. But they pulled away late in both games and won both by double digits. They have the ability to make explosive plays- and that's what the college game is all about imo.

I haven't really seen Michigan look beatable very much if at all. I think they've trailed maybe two times for very short periods of games all year. They were tied at the half with Indiana- but that 2nd half they flipped a switch and destroyed them. Michigan has been a 2nd half team- which I don't mind at all. DC Minter seems to make defensive adjustments every 2nd half and his defenses go into shutdown mode and feast.

But then again- their schedule hasn't been great with the exception of Penn State. They haven't really faced anyone that could beat them or stress them or get them out of their game and force them to play left handed- and they won't face that til they play Ohio State imo.

We are a funny bunch- us college football fans

Michigan was gifted seven points on opening  kick off by Maryland, in their own stadium. The difference in that game at the end was seven points. 

Michigan has looked beatable for stretches of games as you just mentioned but in the end they took control of those games.  But when our rival does that we point to it and say “see they are beatable, they didn’t dominate from the opening kick off!”

but you’re definitely correct. Neither has faced a super hard schedule. Michigan has played five teams with a losing record. Ohio State has only faced three but they’ve also only faced two teams with a winning record.  But I think we make too much of that. They have both done everything asked of them so far, just like Tennessee in Georgia have. 

they don’t control the schedules. I mean, in a “normal“ year Ohio State having to play Notre Dame and then a five week stretch which includes Wisconsin, MSU, Iowa and Penn State- would be brutal.   

[medinabuckeye1]

Did anyone else think Ohio State looked beatable?

Yes.

That said, the tOSU and M games against PSU were fairly similar in this way:

Against Michigan, Penn State kicked a FG for a 17-16 second half lead. Michigan then flipped a switch and scored three TD's and a FG on their next four possessions to take a 41-17 lead.

Against Ohio State, Penn State scored a TD for a 21-16 second half lead. Ohio State then flipped a switch and scored TD's on their next three possessions and added a pick-6 for a 44-24 lead. 

It has to be frustrating for Penn State's fans. In both games their team had a second half lead and was within striking distance deep into the second half but you wouldn't know it from the final scores.

[Mdot21]

Yes.

That said, the tOSU and M games against PSU were fairly similar in this way:

Against Michigan, Penn State kicked a FG for a 17-16 second half lead. Michigan then flipped a switch and scored three TD's and a FG on their next four possessions to take a 41-17 lead.

Against Ohio State, Penn State scored a TD for a 21-16 second half lead. Ohio State then flipped a switch and scored TD's on their next three possessions and added a pick-6 for a 44-24 lead.

It has to be frustrating for Penn State's fans. In both games their team had a second half lead and was within striking distance deep into the second half but you wouldn't know it from the final scores.

yeah, not really.

I was at that Mich-PSU game. Penn State was physically getting their asses whooped that game on both sides of the line of scrimmage from the opening bell. The only reason they were even in that game for like 30 seconds is because of a pretty gnarly fake hand-off by Clifford which he kept and busted for 60 and a truly flukish defensive play- a tipped pass which bounces off a Penn State defenders helmet and then right into the hands of a waiting Penn State defender and he runs it back. Take away those two plays- Penn State did literally jacksh*t the other 59+ mins of that game- Michigan flat out was whooping their ass and pummeling them at the lines of scrimmage. That game should've been 63-3. Felt like it. I didn't really see that from Ohio State to be honest- that one was an actual game.

[NorthernOhioBuckeye]

yeah, not really.

I was at that Mich-PSU game. Penn State was physically getting their asses whooped that game on both sides of the line of scrimmage from the opening bell. The only reason they were even in that game for like 30 seconds is because of a pretty gnarly fake hand-off by Clifford which he kept and busted for 60 and a truly flukish defensive play- a tipped pass which bounces off a Penn State defenders helmet and then right into the hands of a waiting Penn State defender and he runs it back. Take away those two plays- Penn State did literally jacksh*t the other 59+ mins of that game- Michigan flat out was whooping their ass and pummeling them at the lines of scrimmage. That game should've been 63-3. Felt like it. I didn't really see that from Ohio State to be honest- that one was an actual game.

I saw the Maryland game and Maryland was marching up and down the field on them. They looked very beatable.

The Buckeyes have looked beatable too, especially this past weekend at PSU. While both tOSU and M are very good teams, they both have had their moments of vulernability. 

[Mdot21]

I saw the Maryland game and Maryland was marching up and down the field on them. They looked very beatable.

The Buckeyes have looked beatable too, especially this past weekend at PSU. While both tOSU and M are very good teams, they both have had their moments of vulernability.

Marching up and down the field for....390 yards of offense- 75 yards of which came in the final 2 mins of the game when they were already down 15 points to score a garbage time TD with 40 seconds left in the game....that's really marching up and down the field all game long lol. You make it sound like they put up 500 yards and scored 50. 

They have 19 points and 315 yards of offense if not for their little garbage time score.....

[Mdot21]

The Buckeyes have looked beatable too, especially this past weekend at PSU. While both tOSU and M are very good teams, they both have had their moments of vulernability.

They just play very different styles. Michigan is conservative af. They try to choke the life out of teams on both sides of the line of scrimmage and make the game ugly and boring. They almost refuse to pass the ball- and they completely refuse to take deep shots. Ohio State on the other hand is sexy. Their passing game is explosive as is their running game. They are pedal to the metal, explosive plays. 

If Ohio State is playing at their best- they beat Michigan by 10-14 imo. I will take the explosive plays all day long over the way Harbaugh wants to play. Choking the life out of teams is not sustainable for an entire season. You have to have a passing game at some point. Not seeing one at all. 

[MrNubbz]

Marching up and down the field for....390 yards of offense- 75 yards of which came in the final 2 mins of the game when they were already down 15 points to score a garbage time TD with 40 seconds left in the game....that's really marching up and down the field all game long lol. You make it sound like they put up 500 yards and scored 50.

They have 19 points and 315 yards of offense if not for their little garbage time score.....

Congratulations on all you have forgotten - we aready discussed this. The Terps gave your juggernaut 7 pts right off the bat - that was the difference in the game - The Michigan Difference.And the starting QB Tagovailoa left the game in the 4th with rib/knee i njuries.And your boy corum was left into 1:10 in the game vs MSU saturday

Maryland had one more 1st down,3& 1/2 less minutes possession and a whole 45 total yds less than UM,so they were hardly dominating so take the goggles off.Comparing opponents never really worx

[medinabuckeye1]

yeah, not really.

Is there any part of my post that you think you rebutted? I don't see any, am I missing something?

I was at that Mich-PSU game. Penn State was physically getting their asses whooped that game on both sides of the line of scrimmage from the opening bell. The only reason they were even in that game for like 30 seconds is because of a pretty gnarly fake hand-off by Clifford which he kept and busted for 60 and a truly flukish defensive play- a tipped pass which bounces off a Penn State defenders helmet and then right into the hands of a waiting Penn State defender and he runs it back. Take away those two plays- Penn State did literally jacksh*t the other 59+ mins of that game- Michigan flat out was whooping their ass and pummeling them at the lines of scrimmage. That game should've been 63-3. Felt like it. I didn't really see that from Ohio State to be honest- that one was an actual game.

I've already covered this but ask Ohio State fans who watched the 2019 Clemson game or the 1996 Michigan game if looking dominant for a half is enough to win every time.

I'll concede that it is rare but teams do sometimes lose even while looking a lot better. That brings me to this gem:

The only reason they were even in that game for like 30 seconds

Really, Penn State was only in their game against Michigan for 30 seconds?

• It was within one score (tied then 3-0 then 6-0) until Michigan scored a TD with 8:29 to go in the second quarter, then it was 13-0 Michigan.
• On the next possession Penn State scored to bring it back within one score at 13-7 with 6:11 to go in the half.
• On the next possession Michigan threw a pick-6 giving PSU the LEAD 14-13 with 4:27 to go in the half.
• It remained within one score including a brief PSU lead until Michigan took a two score lead AFTER the midway point of the third quarter.

Penn State was in the game AT LEAST for the first two-and-a-half quarters and I would argue beyond that:

• Penn State had the ball down 14 (31-17) with a little over 22 minutes to play. That is still a game.

As an interested but somewhat neutral observer I didn't think it was over until Michigan's LONG FG drive that started in the third and ended in the 4th.

[Drew4UTk]

The Vols have to get thru their schedule just like everyone else.Just don't get caught looking ahead - that's the danger

We'll find out how the committee looks at it tomorrow... if there were algorithms and formulas, UT would be #1... because of the eye test (and I believe in the eye test more) I can't have them higher than 4... and that's because I view polls more on how I think they'll finish rather than where they are...

They lack something tOSU, UGA, UM and clemson don't, and that's depth- and depth becomes more apparent from Nov 1 onward.  

Again, I'm still in a bit of shock they're in contention.  The portal and NIL is good to UT.  

[NorthernOhioBuckeye]

Marching up and down the field for....390 yards of offense- 75 yards of which came in the final 2 mins of the game when they were already down 15 points to score a garbage time TD with 40 seconds left in the game....that's really marching up and down the field all game long lol. You make it sound like they put up 500 yards and scored 50.

They have 19 points and 315 yards of offense if not for their little garbage time score.....

Take off your Maze and Blue glasses and look again. Maryland was always very much in this game. They were moving the ball very effectively and playing fairly good defense. You can ignore that game all you wish, but we all saw it.