Penn State vs. Ohio State: Live Game Grades and Analysis for the Buckeyes

Final: Ohio State 63, Penn State 14

Ohio State looked like a national title contender with a 63-14 beat down victory over Penn State on Saturday night. Let's take a look at the grades for this solid performance by the Buckeyes.

For the full box score, check out NCAA.com.

Positional Unit	1st Half Grades	Final Grades
Pass Offense	A	A
Run Offense	A	A
Pass Defense	A-	B+
Run Defense	B	A
Special Teams	B	A
Coaching	A	A

Game Analysis for the Ohio State Buckeyes

Pass Offense

Braxton Miller finished with 252 passing yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions. All of a sudden, the passing offense is dicing up the competition, and that likely has a lot to do with Carlos Hyde’s resurgence. Best game of year.

Run Offense

Miller also joined the mix in the running explosion, as Hyde, Kenny Guiton, and Miller each scored two touchdowns. Running for 390 yards shows pure domination up front, which is exactly what happened.

Pass Defense

The Nittany Lions did get some big pass plays from Allen Robinson, but it was not enough to stem the tide. The Buckeye blitz and defensive line aggressive play made a huge difference this game.

Run Defense

Bill Belton had an efficient day and nearly 100 yards, but the Buckeyes took advantage of the typical Zach Zwinak fumble. Another solid effort by the front of the Silver Bullets defense.

Special Teams

Drew Basil hit all 9 extra points and Cameron Johnston boomed punts with a 46.7 yard average. No absolute game-changers but no bad plays either from this unit.

Coaching

Whatever the Ohio State coaches called just kept working. The gameplan of total domination and aggressive play paid off against a young Nittany Lions team.

First-Half Analysis for the Ohio State Buckeyes

Pass Offense

Although Braxton Miller had some bad throws early, he still sliced up the Nittany Lions with 204 yards and two touchdowns. The short passing game has been highly effective, as Penn State is not making good tackles in open space.

Run Offense

Carlos Hyde and Miller look as good as they usually do in the second halves of games, which is a great sign. Penn State is in for a long night if “El Guapo” keeps ripping off 10 yards per carry.

Pass Defense

Although Ohio State is getting to freshman Christian Hackenberg with the pass rush, he still managed to drive the Lions down the field twice. Two interceptions blew this game open, though.

Run Defense

Bill Belton put together a nice half with 78 yards, but he got no help from Zach Zwinak. Ohio State is dominating the line of scrimmage and will likely shut this down in the second half.

Special Teams

Quiet half overall, but Cameron Johnston finally got to punt. (Zero last week!) Dontre Wilson’s 49-yard kickoff return really burned the Lions following their only touchdown.

Coaching

Tom Herman just rolled the offense out there and watched it dominate, as the play calls were easy. Defensive aggressiveness is a refreshing change of pace, also.