Penn State vs. Ohio State: Game Grades, Analysis for Nittany Lions and Buckeyes

J.T. Barrett sparked the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and guided the team to a 38-10 victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday.

The sophomore quarterback accounted for four total touchdowns, helping Ohio State pull away from the Big Ten foe during the final quarter and improve to 7-0.

Positional Unit	1st-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	C-	D+
Run Offense	B	B+
Pass Defense	B	B-
Run Defense	C-	D-
Special Teams	D+	D
Coaching	C	D+

Pass Offense: Although Christian Hackenberg connected with Chris Godwin for two gains of 40-plus yards, the Penn State passing game looked dreadful. Hack was sacked five times and finished 6-of-12 for 120 yards, though he hit DaeSean Hamilton for a short touchdown.

Run Offense: Saquon Barkley, on other hand, had a stellar outing. The freshman running back tallied 194 yards. However, a 44-yard touchdown that would have given the Nittany Lions a 10-0 lead was called back due to a holding penalty and turned the tide of the game.

Pass Defense: Carl Nassib was a part of two sacks, and Penn State kept Cardale Jones' rocket arm under control. Nevertheless, Braxton Miller and Michael Thomas broke through for late touchdowns against a defense that was expecting to stop the run.

Run Defense: The Nittany Lions contained Ezekiel Elliott early on, but Barrett changed the game with his dual-threat ability. Penn State surrendered a season-worst 315 yards—285 of which went to Elliott, Barrett and Miller.

Special Teams: Punters Chris Gulla and Daniel Pasquariello combined to manage 35.9 yards per attempt, which is not terrific—neither was the 16.7-yard average on seven kick returns from Brandon Polk and Nick Scott. At least Joey Julius converted his 33-yard field goal and one extra point to salvage a porous night front the unit.

Coaching: Bob Flounders of PennLive.com pointed out that second-year coach James Franklin has totaled 63 points during five Big Ten road games over the last two seasons. In a word, that's awful. Penn State has problems, and they start at the top.

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

Pass Offense: Warm up the quarterback controversy machine, because it should reach a new gear this week. Jones completed nine of 15 passes but was effectively pulled for Barrett during the second half. The second-stringer went 4-of-4 and threw two touchdowns.

Run Offense: Elliott ripped off his 12th straight 100-yard game and topped 150 yards for the seventh time in his college career. Barrett originally took snaps as the red-zone specialist but ultimately registered 102 yards and two scores behind a strong performance from the offensive line.

Pass Defense: The two long completions to Godwin were unfortunate, but they were the only blemishes on an outstanding day. Joey Bosa, who notched three tackles for loss and one sack, constantly pressured Hackenberg. Adolphus Washington added two sacks.

Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Run Defense: Ohio State's biggest weakness is a shaky run defense. Maryland's Perry Hills and now Barkley each located plenty of lanes to attack, particularly on the outside. The Buckeyes have little trouble stopping inside handoffs but are gashed when they fail to set the edge.

Special Teams: If anyone needs proof that punters are people too, look no further than Cameron Johnston. The junior had kicks four kicks downed inside the 10-yard line and boomed a 56-yarder. Jack Willoughby buried a career-long 39-yard field goal and all five extra points.

Coaching: Luke Fickell's defense limited Penn State to a 1-of-11 mark on third down, and the lone conversion came with 50 minutes remaining in the game. Once Urban Meyer turned to Barrett, the offense started clicking. To Meyer's credit, he stuck with the hot hand. And now, the starting quarterback decision looms once again.

Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.