Masked mostly by J.T. Barrett's ability to make plays, a stout running game and terrific defense, Ohio State sprinted to a 6-0 start this season with road wins against top-15 teams Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
The Buckeyes (mostly) put the clamps on Baker Mayfield and stopped the Badgers when they needed to most in order to leave those hostile road venues with victories. On Saturday, however, special teams snafus and horrendous performances both by the offensive line and receiving corps allowed Penn State to shock the college football world 24-21.
Urban Meyer proclaimed that Ohio State is "not a great team right now" following what is only his fifth loss as the head man in Columbus—and first in a true road game—and he is right. The issues that Barrett mostly covered up with his uncanny ability to find yards with his legs when there wasn't anything down the field didn't happen enough on Saturday. Penn State's linebackers, two returning from injury, played magnificently and Meyer forced his walk-on kicker onto the field late for a 45-yard field goal. As the play clock quickly headed toward zero, the Nittany Lions blocked the kick and returned 60 yards for the decisive score.
Now at 6-1 and at No. 6 in the AP Poll, the Buckeyes return home licking their wounds and with plenty of questions. Ohio State hosts a hot Northwestern team—Pat Fitzgerald's Wildcats ride a three-game winning streak after starting 1-3—on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Not much time to fix the issues that caused the meltdown in Beaver Stadium, but enough to show how the Buckeyes, even still with a solid chance to win the Big Ten, are now at a crossroads in their 2016 season.
“I think we’re blue collar people. Understand this is a test that we have and understand that this not the end by all means. It’s time to work and get better.”– J.T. Barrett
“We've been through a lot of adversity before. Old guys on the team, we lost to Virginia Tech before at home and we lost to Michigan State last year,” middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan said. “A lot of guys have been through it. We just have to come back next week and get the job done.”
McMillan wasn't particularly great against the Nittany Lions, finishing with only six tackles and finding himself out of position often as Trace McSorley scrambled by. But the middle linebacker's statement is true. Some players on Ohio State's roster played key roles on the teams that lost to the Hokies and Spartans. Each time, the Buckeyes rebounded and played well. In 2014, the end result was a national title. Last season, a thumping of Michigan and Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
“It's what we train for all year is adversity,” center Pat Elflein said. “When stuff is not going your way, how are you going to respond to it? We have great leaders, our coaches are really good leaders.”
Elflein is a three-year starter and a captain like McMillan. J.T. Barrett is a captain too and given credit as his team's most vocal and experienced leader. Barrett wasn't particularly outstanding against the Nittany Lions (just like two years ago against Virginia Tech and last season against Michigan State) but he didn't turn the ball over and did what he could while Penn State destroyed the right side of his offensive line to the tune of six sacks.
It is hard to believe Ohio State would have ever owned a lead in the game if it did not have Barrett.
“Just trying to be positive and understanding how crucial the little things were,” Barrett said. “I think here and there, we didn’t execute those things and that’s why we lost.”
Little things like a struggle to create separation by his receivers either because of poor technique or guys not finishing routes. Little things like a false start, a holding penalty or Barrett immediately having to step up in the pocket to avoid pressure as Isaiah Prince struggled to block his man. Little things like Cameron Johnston holding the ball too long on a punt to have it blocked, Dontre Wilson muffing a punt, a poor snap leading to a missed extra point and Meyer not giving his kick team enough time to get set before a lengthy field goal. Little things like allowing two scoring drives of at least 70 yards in no more than 80 seconds apiece when star corners Gareon Conley and Marshon Lattimore both got beat badly.
They all added up. If Ohio State wants to be an elite team and get back to Indianapolis and the Big Ten Championship Game, it must correct those errors. And quick. It might be odd to consider the 2016 season being at a crossroads but that is how Meyer built the program. Expectations are at such mountainous heights that the Buckeyes must fix what ails them as so to avoid another ugly slip-up.
“Offensively, we didn't control the line of scrimmage,” Meyer said. “[Barrett] was under pressure all night when we threw it and then we didn't move them off the ball in the run game. Gave up some big pass plays.”
Meyer wouldn't divulge much else about the issues with his team in the immediate moments following the loss, claiming he wants to see the tape in order to answer correctly. Specifically when it came to the passing offense, which saw Barrett throw it 43 times for only 245 yards—with only 70 of it to true outside receivers (Noah Brown, Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin).
“I just don't want to make comments before, I can't see it,” Meyer said. “I did think we had some guys open but I'll know more after watching the film.”
Or the offensive line in general, which allowed pressures on 34 of Barrett's 49 dropbacks.
“I don't know. I'll let you know more,” he said. “It's all fresh [right now].”
Ohio State faces questions after the loss at Penn State. via Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports
Meyer is set to meet with reporters around 11:45 a.m. on Monday, a handful of days before his team takes on Northwestern and needing a bounce-back performance to show they still belong in the same conversation with the nation's elite teams. It is clear the Buckeyes are nowhere near that plateau after seven games but have plenty of chances to right the ship. If righting the ship is needed after a 6-1 start.
“We’d like to try to keep the feeling. It’s motivation enough,” right guard Billy Price said. “All of our goals are still attainable and that’s the nice thing about — even though we took a hard loss against a good team, just go out the next game and execute and do the little things that we didn’t do [Saturday].”
Whether or not that happens will give an indication of where this Ohio State team is headed—north with a potential Big Ten title in sight or south with more frustration and stunning losses. Are the Buckeyes the team that decked Oklahoma and survived on the road against a strong Wisconsin team? Or are they the group that blew a double-digit fourth quarter lead at Penn State?
“I think we’re blue collar people,” Barrett said. “Understand this is a test that we have and understand that this not the end by all means. It’s time to work and get better.”
