The Hodgepodge: Ohio State and Penn State Meet in Monumental Big Ten Matchup, Washington vs. Oregon Lives Up to the Hype, Caleb Williams Looks Human Against Notre Dame

By Garrick Hodge on October 16, 2023 at 11:45 am
Ryan Day and James Franklin
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK
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Ohio State has now defeated Notre Dame, Indiana and Purdue en route to completing the grand Indiana FBS tour of 2023.

For their efforts, I award the Buckeyes the St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail Trophy, which can proudly be displayed in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center as proof of their dominance in the state of Indiana. Of course, the Buckeyes entered the year with loftier aspirations than sheer Hoosier State dominance. If they have it their way, they’ll play in Indiana for a fourth time this season at Lucas Oil Stadium in the Big Ten Championship Game after winning the Big Ten East.

Beating Penn State on Saturday is a necessary start to turning that dream into reality. It’s a task Ohio State has accomplished in the past six matchups and in 10 of the past 11 meetings, but the 2023 Nittany Lions boast a roster capable of finally breaking through and winning the Big Ten. 

It feels like this game needs no extra buildup based on the records alone. But to hell with that, think of the storylines this game brings. 

In a game featuring the second and third scoring defenses nationally, which one will make enough plays to secure a win? In a twist of irony, Kyle McCord and Drew Allar are both tasked with beating the primary school of the state where they played high school football. Will James Franklin screw something up with a hilariously bad clock management gaffe? Can Ryan Day continue his sheer dominance of every Big Ten opponent not named Michigan? Who wins the must-see star-studded matchup between Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kalen King? Does Ohio Stadium continue to be a house of horrors for the Nittany Lions, or do they get their first road win against the Buckeyes since 2011?

Will OSU even have any running backs available for Saturday’s noon kickoff? Speaking of which …

Ohio State spotlight of the week: Ohio State run game

Since the inception of this column, this is the most captain obvious spotlight of the week to identify. 

Two weeks ago, Ohio State averaged less than two yards per carry against Maryland. Through six games, Penn State has the nation’s third-best rushing defense, as it holds opponents to a measly 72.5 yards per game.

Combine that with the health of OSU’s top three running backs on the depth chart being in question and the inconsistency of the Buckeyes’ offensive line throughout the year, and this particular matchup looks like a nightmare for Ohio State, even if the running game was much more effective against Purdue. At the very least, the numbers say it’s a massive red flag.

But before I pull a Dennis Green and “crown their ass,” it’s worth noting Penn State has yet to face an offense anywhere close to as talented as Ohio State this season. West Virginia (70th in scoring offense, 79th in total offense) has been the most potent group the Nittany Lions have tackled so far this year, though they’ve yet to win a game by fewer than 17 points. 

You’d certainly feel better if TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams and Chip Trayanum were all given a clean bill of health for Saturday’s matchup. But all Dallan Hayden has done in his limited playing time in his Ohio State career is produce results. Regardless of who handles the lion’s share of the carries, the Buckeyes will need to run the ball with at least some efficiency to continue their perfect season.

RELATED Ohio State’s Run Game Makes Strides Against Purdue Despite Injuries to Top Three Running Backs

Washington wins an instant classic against Oregon

Oregon vs. Washington certainly lived up to the hype. 

Both quarterbacks Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. looked like Heisman hopefuls, as the duo each threw for more than 300 yards and had multiple touchdown passes. Ducks coach Dan Lanning made several gutsy yet questionable fourth-down calls. In the end, Washington put itself in the driver’s seat for the final Pac-12 title with a 36-33 victory over Oregon. Penix took the midseason Heisman Trophy lead by throwing for 302 yards and four touchdowns. 

One of those aforementioned gutsy fourth-down calls from Lanning set up Washington’s game-winning drive, with Oregon failing to convert a 4th-and-3 from the Huskies’ 47-yard line with just more than two minutes remaining. 

The decision sparked instant controversy, but I can understand the thought process. You’re three yards away from winning a monumental game on the road and have racked up nearly 500 yards of total offense to that point. Hard not to go for the dagger under the circumstances. Gutsy decision, an unfortunate result. The much more questionable fourth-down decision was going for it at the end of the first half on the Washington 3-yard line instead of taking the three points. 

After the fourth-quarter turnover on downs, Washington needed all of two plays to march 53 yards to erase its four-point deficit, with Penix connecting with star wideout Rome Odunze for the go-ahead score. It was the cherry on top of a magnificent day for Odunze, who caught eight passes for 128 yards with two touchdowns.

After all that, Oregon still had more than 90 seconds to at least get a game-tying field goal. Nix and company did their jobs, driving to the Washington 25 at the end of regulation. Alas, college kickers.

With the win, Washington now has a clear path to the College Football Playoff if it can take care of its own business, though there’s a chance the Pac-12 will cannibalize itself yet again. The Huskies’ final four games come against USC, Utah, Oregon State and Washington State. All winnable, but far from a certainty.  

Caleb Williams has an uncharacteristically poor showing against Notre Dame 

With each passing week of the college football season, USC looked more and more susceptible to defeat for reasons all too familiar to college football fans. In the three contests leading to the Trojans’ matchup with rival Notre Dame, their defense started springing leaks from all over, allowing an average of 36.6 points per game to opponents. 

Sure enough, on this fine Monday, we’re writing about a USC defeat. The Trojans were outclassed and outmatched against Notre Dame in South Bend, as the Fighting Irish steamrolled USC 48-20. 

Going by the score itself, an onlooker who missed this one might check the result, smirk, and think “same old Trojans.” Only, there will be no jokes today about The Grinch Who Was Accused of Stealing USC’s Undefeated Season. 

Despite allowing 48 points, the USC defense was nearly the only reason the Trojans stayed in the game as long as they did.

Instead, Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden and Marcus Freeman executed an excellent gameplan defensively and wreaked havoc against likely future No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Caleb Williams. Williams had his worst career collegiate game, completing 23 of 37 passes for 199 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. He had pressure in his face seemingly every other snap, as he was sacked six times.

Each of Notre Dame’s first three touchdowns were set up by USC turnovers, with the Fighting Irish beginning two of the three touchdown drives in the red zone. Funnily enough, for a team that won 48-20, Notre Dame was outgained by USC 302 to 251. When it didn’t have to defend a short field, USC’s defense largely held Sam Hartman and company in check until things got away from them in the second half. 

There’s no question Freeman has had an up-and-down start to his tenure at Notre Dame a year and a half in. He won’t make the College Football Playoff in either of his first two seasons, and the infamous 10-man gaffe against Ohio State will go down in infamy. But his win against USC gave him as many victories at Notre Dame Stadium against top-10 opponents as Brian Kelly had in his entire 12-year career with the Fighting Irish.

On the flip side, a poor one-game showing probably isn’t going to diminish Williams’ pro prospects in the eyes of NFL general managers. But it likely ensures Archie Griffin will remain the only player to win multiple Heisman Trophies for at least another year.

It’s also hard to see USC cracking the CFP’s four-team field even if it wins out. Sure, a lot can happen, and there would certainly be a heated debate within the CFP committee. But are you really going to put a USC team that lost by 28 points in over say, a one-loss Ohio State team that beat Notre Dame? The way the Trojans are playing, it will probably be a moot point by the end of the month.

And then there were 11

Nearing the season’s halfway point, 11 out of 130 FBS teams are still undefeated. 

Big Ten: Ohio State (6-0), Michigan (7-0), Penn State (6-0)

Big 12: Oklahoma (6-0)

ACC: North Carolina (6-0), Florida State (6-0)

SEC: Georgia (7-0)

Pac-12: Washington (6-0),

Group of Five: Liberty (6-0), James Madison (6-0), Air Force (6-0)

What was fun and what was wacky about Week 7

Week 7 had a lot of things that were fun

  • Houston’s win against West Virginia was probably the most entertaining ending to a game this season so far when factoring in both teams scored go-ahead touchdowns with less than 30 seconds remaining.
  • This formation somehow resulted in a successful two-point conversion.
  • Washington later said hold my beer.
  • With four minutes remaining, Colorado State trailed Boise State 30-10. The Rams quickly scored, recovered an onside kick, then scored again. CSU netted a stop, got the ball back with 33 seconds trailing by six with 88 yards to go. Then this happened. Definitely one of the more wild comebacks we’ve seen. 
  • Following its 31-13 romp of Jacksonville State, undefeated Liberty has a pretty clear path to an undefeated season. Its biggest obstacle is probably a road matchup against Western Kentucky on Oct. 24. 
  • Don’t sleep on Air Force, now the No. 22 ranked team in the country. The Falcons just bested a very good Wyoming team and now are the favorites to win the Mountain West. Personally, it would be pretty cool to see a service academy play in a New Year’s Six bowl.
  • Keon Coleman, you have my attention.
  • We’ll touch on this game more in a bit, but Stanford wideout Eric Ayomanor entered halftime against Colorado with zero catches. He finished the game with 13 receptions for 294 yards (!) with three touchdowns, one of which included an absurd catch over Colorado cornerback Travis Hunter.
  • Courtesy of another dumb rule by the NCAA, James Madison is ineligible for any postseason play this season since it's in the second year of its two-year transitionary period to the FBS. Yet, JMU is a damn good team and one of the 11 remaining unbeatens remaining in the sport. It leads the nation in rushing defense, holding opponents to a whopping 42.83 yards per game, 24 yards lower than Utah’s second-ranked run defense. Let the Dukes go to a bowl! 
  • Can’t say I’ve ever seen an onside kick attempt returned for a touchdown to start a game.
  • Indiana may have gotten its doors blown off against Michigan, but at least Omar Cooper Jr. made an insane catch.
  • In a triumphant return to the field, North Carolina wide receiver Tez Walker caught six passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns to keep the Tarheels’ perfect season alive with a double-digit win over Miami. At least Mario Cristobal didn’t have to worry about taking a knee this week. 
  • Mizzou’s punter threw a passing touchdown! Also, heck of a bounceback win for the Tigers against Kentucky after heartbreak against LSU a week ago.
  • I’ll admit it, this play fooled me too. 

Week 7 had a lot of wacky things too

  • Like most others, I too thought I had seen enough Friday evening with Colorado took a 29-0 halftime lead against Stanford, one of the worst teams in the FBS, and drifted off into slumber. When morning came, I thought my phone had secretly been filled with a deadly virus, as it was trying to tell me something asinine like the Buffs somehow blew that lead and lost 46-43 in overtime. But, there was no deception. Colorado let Ayomanor run wild and allowed Stanford to overcome the largest halftime deficit for a win in the 108-year history of the Pac-12. The catastrophic choke job kneecapped Colorado’s chances of making a bowl game this year, as the Buffs will likely be the underdog in every game for the remainder of the season. The Deion Sanders story was definitely fun for a few weeks. But this is a flawed roster, and it will likely take a few seasons before the Buffs have fully rebuilt the program.  
  • If someone offered me a cool million dollars if I correctly guessed what this official was going to say with 20 guesses to spare, I would not have passed. 
  • While some of you were watching commercials on Peacock during a media timeout, those of us that were at Ross-Ade Stadium stood witness as a random Purdue student from the stands drilled 20, 30 and 40-yard field goals respectively as part of a promotional contest, and he walked away with a two-year lease on a car for his efforts. Meanwhile, Purdue’s kicker missed field goals from 27, 39 and 48 yards out. Whoops.  
  • What was this play supposed to be?
  • For most of the 2023 season, Stanford has been absolutely abysmal. Here’s its season summed up in one play save for that miracle second half against the Buffs.
  • There’s cheap shots, and then there’s this.
  • Some members of Michigan’s band performed at halftime wearing some … interesting … costumes.
  • Presented without comment.
  • Louisville starts 6-0 with an exclamation point win against Notre Dame, only to get blown out by a Pittsburgh team that had one win before Saturday. Woof. 
  • This wide receiver needs a hug.
  • I present, the slowest-moving fumble recovery of all time.
  • Just when you think Michigan State can’t sink any lower, the Spartans blow a 24-6 fourth-quarter lead to Rutgers.

Nepotism tracker 

Saturday must have been a bittersweet day for our pal Brian Ferentz. On one hand, his Iowa Hawkeyes put themselves in prime position to cruise to a Big Ten West title and eventually have the right to get blown out by Ohio State/Penn State/Michigan in Indianapolis later this year.

On the other, he got even further away from his contractual goal. It’s not common for a team to win a division title and then fire its offensive coordinator, but we could be close to seeing it happen unless there’s some magic loophole in his deal. Side note: If you watched Iowa vs. Wisconsin at the same time Oregon and Washington was happening, you’re either a fan of one of those teams, have multiple screens at your home or really love rock fights.

The goal: 325 points across 13 games, for an average of 25 points per game. 

Last game: Iowa 15, Wisconsin 6

Points tallied this season: 146

If the season ended today: Iowa would average 20.8 points per game, making Christmas dinner very awkward at the Ferentz household. Seriously, Iowa is dead last in the country of 133 FBS teams in total yards per game, averaging 247.4 yards per contest. 

Up next: Iowa faces Minnesota, which is coming off an off week.

Game of the Week

No. 16 Duke at No. 4 Florida State, 7:30 p.m., ABC

Season record: 4-3-1

My pick: Florida State -13.5

Breakdown: Outside of OSU vs. Penn State, I don’t know if there’s a slam-dunk, must-watch game for Week 8. 

Michigan is going to pummel Michigan State into oblivion. Utah will probably do Utah-ish things against USC. Tennessee against Alabama is probably the runner-up considering last year’s results. But I think most intriguing has to go to Duke vs. Florida State and most of that intrigue is dependent on Duke quarterback Riley Leonard’s availability. 

Leonard was reportedly a game-time decision for Duke against North Carolina State on Saturday after he suffered an injury against Notre Dame several weeks ago, but he was ultimately held out against NC State. The Blue Devils survived without him, cruising to a 24-3 win against the Wolfpack despite only completing four passes the entire game. Brian Ferentz wept with pride. 

If they’re going to give the No. 4 Seminoles a scare on Saturday, they’ll need a fully capable Leonard to lead the charge offensively. 

With his status up in the air, we’re rolling with the Seminoles to cover until further notice. But if Leonard is good to go, you’ll want to tune in to this one.

Hodgepodge team classifiers after Week 7

CFP contenders: Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Florida State, Georgia, Washington, Oklahoma, North Carolina

Better win out if you want to be in the CFP: Alabama, Utah, Texas, Oregon

New Year’s Six Bowl contenders: Oregon State, Louisville, Air Force, Ole Miss, Liberty

Sorry bud, maybe you’ll get to the CFP next year: LSU, Clemson, Notre Dame, USC

This team lost a game where all it needed was one kneel-down: Miami

This team is undefeated but ineligible for any postseason since it’s in its second year of transition to the FBS: James Madison

Fun Group of Five teams: Wyoming, Tulane, UNLV, Toledo, Miami (OH), Fresno State

This team is somehow going to win the B1G West despite being the running joke of the college football season: Iowa

These teams have had a fun year: Arizona, Washington State, Kansas, UCLA, Duke, Missouri, Rutgers 

These teams have not had a fun year: Texas Tech, Baylor, Nebraska, Purdue, Illinois, Arizona State, Stanford, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Minnesota, Arkansas, UCF, Cincinnati, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Cal

Shoulder shrug: Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Houston, West Virginia, Kentucky, BYU, Syracuse, Colorado, North Carolina State, Wisconsin, Maryland, Florida

These poor teams have not won a game yet: Sam Houston State, Nevada

Might be looking for a new coach at the end of the year: Virginia, Boston College, Indiana

There’s already an interim coach: Northwestern 

The coach is already fired: Michigan State

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