Ohio State Football: 3 Takeaways from home win against Penn State

What’s next for Ohio State football?

The Buckeyes have answered questions about their physicality. They were the tougher, harder-hitting team today. Playing a challenging game against Notre Dame early also made a difference today. Ohio State has a championship-caliber defense. They demonstrated that today. Kyle McCord continues to get better.

The Buckeyes have to figure out the running game, however. Ohio State was solid in pass protection but did not run the block well; as the season moves toward their annual showdown against the Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State needs to be balanced offensively. If not, they are going to struggle for a third year.

What’s next for Penn State football?

Let’s not bury the lede here; James Franklin is now 1-9 against Ohio State. This might have been the best opportunity for Franklin and the Nittany Lions to beat the Buckeyes. The offense was difficult to watch. Ohio State established the line of scrimmage and took away the run. When that happened, Penn State could not get any offensive rthymn.

Penn State was dominated on the line of scrimmage. Allar was constantly under pressure from Ohio State’s defensive line. Much like Ohio State, Penn State has to figure out the line of scrimmage before they play Michigan. The passing game had no explosion. Is that a scheme issue or a personnel issue? Franklin needs to figure that out.