Penn State Football: 3 post-game overreactions vs Ohio State

2. Nittany Lions should go air raid

Penn State football moved the ball pretty well against the Ohio State defense, but as the story has been through most of the season, it was due to the passing game. Sean Clifford threw the ball 52 times with 361 yards and a 67.3 completion percentage.

The run game is non-existent for the Nittany Lions which has to be one of the team’s biggest disappointments on the season. Especially when they have a pretty good stable of running backs.

John Lovett led the team in rushing with 20 yards on 13 carries. They averaged as a team 1.1 yards on the ground. That absolutely is not going to get it done in the Big Ten.

Not a single Nittany Lion running back has eclipsed 100 yards this season. It is not for lack of talent. Lovett, Noah Cain, and Keyvone Lee have all shown they have what it takes to be the featured back. The offensive line has been atrocious at run blocking and the tight ends have not been good at run blocking either.

If James Franklin is back in Happy Valley next season, he needs to find a new offensive line coach and it needs to be a home run hire this time. Phil Trautwein is the third coach at the position in Franklin’s tenure after Herb Hand and Matt Limegrover were both dismissed. Trautwein should join them after the season.

At this point, the run game is a complete roadblock to the offense. It disrupts continuity and momentum on drives. Offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich should just go full on air raid and move the running back out as a fifth receiver nearly every play. The short passing game works as the Nittany Lions’ run game. Why disrupt what does work with a run that has little chance of success?

As long as Clifford is healthy, and he certainly looked healthier against the Buckeyes, Penn State should be passing the ball over 85% of the time. They can continue to use the gadget plays near the goal line as they did against Ohio State to score short-yard rushing touchdowns.