The Hodgepodge: Ohio State's Win Meant Everything to Its Players and Coaches, Big Game James Goes Full Big Game James, Chaos Engulfs Big 12 and ACC

By Garrick Hodge on November 4, 2024 at 12:01 pm
Will Howard and Ryan Day
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Welcome to The Hodgepodge.

I feel like Saturday was equivalent to picking out your favorite classic movie you’ve watched countless times and settling in for a three-hour epic adventure that never fails you. 

Ohio State vs. Penn State. There will be suspense, declarations that officials must be tried as war criminals, agonizing mistakes by both sides and enough tomfoolery that leaves neutral observers wondering what in the Sam Hill is happening. But never fear, eventually, order will be restored. Ohio State will settle in and find a way to win and Big Game James is going to go full Big Game James. Sure enough, the Buckeyes won their eighth straight game over the Nittany Lions by a score of 20-13 in front of a record-setting crowd at Beaver Stadium. 

The point being, I feel like we’ve watched Saturday’s game many times over the years and this was as close as you get to a rerun. 

But that didn’t make it any less fulfilling for those who watched it. Nor to the players and coaches who participated in it. 

Neither Ryan Day nor his coordinators or players wanted to show they were feeling the seismic heat and pressure that mounts in Columbus following a narrow loss to Oregon and then a frustratingly close game against Nebraska two weeks later. But their emotions following the game were palpable. 

Offensive linemen Donovan Jackson and Carson Hinzman, who no doubt probably heard the talk their unit was a glaring weakness leading up to the game, each let out a primal scream when the clock hit zero and embraced. Hinzman played like a man who was a full-time starter a year ago, only he was playing out of position at left guard. You barely noticed him throughout the game, which is probably the best compliment you can give to a guard. Jackson moved from left guard to left tackle out of pure necessity and while it was far from perfect (Abdul Carter made his day hell more than once), he held his own in far from ideal circumstances and gave the Buckeyes a chance to move the ball. 

Will Howard was mobbed by a small swarm of teammates and coaches following the game, who all know how much this game meant to a Pennsylvania kid who grew up a Penn State fan. Howard was far from perfect and put the Buckeyes in a hole early with a pick-six, then later squandered an opportunity to go up two scores by fumbling in the end zone. But he responded with mental toughness following each mistake and didn’t let the chaotic environment crush him. Howard threw for two touchdowns, ran for a few crucial first downs late in the game and played with enough composure to ensure his team comes out ahead in a must-win game. 

Chip Kelly and Howard embraced near the visitor sideline following the game, and each had plenty to be proud of. Particularly Kelly, who called a fantastic game that compensated for a banged-up offensive line and schemed open both of the Buckeyes’ touchdowns on the day. Not to be outdone was Jim Knowles, whose defense only allowed six points and was the first opponent to hold an Andy Kotelnicki offense without a touchdown since 2021 (which was also Knowles, coincidentally, when Knowles was at Oklahoma State and Kotelnicki was at Kansas).

But you’d be hard-pressed to find a man more relieved from the win than Ryan Day. Nobody affiliated with OSU is in a bigger pressure-cooker than Day, who showed signs in the postgame presser that the speculation surrounding his job status was weighing heavily on him. This was a game he had to have, and he won it. 

Even better for him, the game ended with his team showing the kind of toughness that Day’s harshest critics often say the Buckeyes lack when it matters most. In a top-five matchup in front of a record crowd, Ohio State made a crucial goal-line stand despite missing Tyleik Williams, its best defensive tackle. Once the Buckeyes got the ball back at the one-yard line, they – as Jackson put it so eloquently postgame – dropped their nuts.

With a hellacious effort from the front five, Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson and Howard, OSU ran out the final 5 minutes and 15 seconds of game action, a week after averaging less than three yards per carry. It was a hell of a statement from a much-maligned offensive line and a hell of a way to close out a game that can make the old-school OSU fans feel great. 

All right, now that we’ve discussed the OSU angle, I briefly want to talk about the Penn State sort of things. 

We’ve likened watching this game from an OSU perspective to watching your favorite movie you’ve seen 100 times. Viewing it as a PSU fan must be like paying a small fortune to go see the newest movie from your favorite film studio, which makes incredible trailers year in and year out and gets you instantly hooked while you also completely ignore the past few movies that have ended in disaster. You get to the studio, and 70 percent of the way through, the plot is compelling and engrossing. Yet, the ending always stinks and leaves you wondering why you even go to the movies in the first place. You take your anger to fan forums and post that the studio really, really needs a new director. 

Big Game James Franklin was feeling that heat all too well Saturday. That goal-line possession was nothing short of a disaster from the Nittany Lions’ end, with three non-innovative runs up the middle ending in futility. The fourth-down play call was even worse, with PSU going in an empty set needing only one yard, which leaves no doubt what play is coming. The Nittany Lions used an offensive lineman as a motion man (obviously not throwing to him!) and Drew Allar was forced to throw the ball into coverage since prime target Tyler Warren was covered like a blanket by Lathan Ransom.

Speaking of Warren (who was Penn State’s leading rusher!), that funky tight end Wildcat trick PSU ran occasionally worked pretty well, they didn’t think of trying a play from that set at least once down at the goal line?

Maybe you can blame the play calling on Kotelnicki, but lackluster play design in crucial moments is a staple from Franklin in top-10 matchups, so we’re laying it at his feet. Following the game, Franklin got combative with a frustrated fan (not the first time he’s done that), then ran into the tunnel as a couple of “fire Franklin” chants were noticeable. 

I heard a lot of talk after the game that Franklin proved once again he’s the most overrated coach in college football. I’d actually push back on that narrative and slightly defend Franklin. I’d argue he’s the most properly rated coach in the sport. His reputation is built on beating the teams he’s supposed to beat, and almost always losing to teams he’s an underdog against. 

Plus, all your goals are still in front of you. No team will benefit from a 12-team playoff more than Penn State, which is still on track to host a College Football Playoff game assuming it wins out. I think fans will come around to that once they see it. 

Still, I get it, getting your hopes up and getting let down in the same game for the eighth straight year stinks. Ohio State essentially spotted you a free 14 points with the pick-six and fumble in the end zone, and yet PSU still couldn't beat the Buckeyes. But here’s some advice, if you want to compete in these games in the future, you gotta recruit better wide receivers. Because the current corps you have now scares no Big Ten defensive backs and severely limits your upside.

Ohio State spotlight of the week: Avoiding a letdown

Pretty self-explanatory. 

There’s a 0.000001 percent chance Ohio State is in any danger of losing to this truly horrid Purdue team on Saturday even if it plays close to its worst game possible, Spoilermakers jokes aside. But still, following an emotional win, you’d like to see them start fast, build momentum and have the game effectively over by halftime instead of sleepwalking through the game because of a letdown a week after a hard-fought win. 

Considering the opponents the next two weeks are Purdue and Northwestern, the goal should be to get through the game unscathed injury-wise, leave no doubt and coast in preparation for another giant Big Ten game against Indiana. (Still not over that sentence). 

Seven ranked teams fall, Big 12 and ACC get interesting

It wasn’t quite the chaos-filled weekend that Week 6 brought, but seven ranked teams went down on Saturday. Let’s recap a bit of the other action around the country.

  • The Big 12 race officially has gotten interesting. Iowa State suffered its first loss of the season, falling late to Texas Tech on the road, while Kansas State may have had its season ruined by falling to hapless Houston in a road game. BYU remains undefeated atop the conference, while Iowa State and …wait for it… Colorado, sits tied for second place with one conference loss apiece.
  • It feels like we’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop for Clemson for a while now. Week 1 proved the fightin’ Dabo Swinneys were frauds on a national scale, but the Tigers took advantage of weak competition for six weeks and weren’t challenged again. That was until Louisville came into Clemson and beat the Tigers like a drum, putting their CFP hopes on life support. Things were getting so bad for Clemson that fans started to leave in the third quarter. The Tigers no longer control their own destiny, which is unfortunate for them considering any chance at an at-large berth probably went up in flames.
  • SMU handled its toughest remaining game on the schedule rather easily, beating previously undefeated Pittsburgh 48-25. If the Mustangs and Miami both win out, they’ll play each other for the ACC championship. Didn’t exactly see SMU making a run at this thing in its first year as a Power Four team, eh? 
  • Illinois was going to need a lot of chaos and help to get in the CFP anyway even if it finished 10-2, but Minnesota effectively ended all postseason dreams for the Illini by going on the road and winning 25-17. The Illini had the perfect remaining schedule to get to 10 wins, but couldn’t make use of it.
  • I continue to not know what to make of Georgia, which played with its food against Florida and only pulled away very late in the contest. The Bulldogs have a legitimate Carson Beck problem, who’s thrown 11 interceptions in the past five games. 
  • Florida State’s season from hell continues, as it lost 35-11 to North Carolina at home. The Willie Taggart era was bad at FSU, but this is legit the worst Florida State team I think I’ve ever seen. To take it a step further, I can not for the life of me remember seeing a team collapse so hard in one season. When was the last time a college team won 13 games one year and finished either 1-11 or 2-10 a year later? Truly baffling. 
  • Indiana finally trailed in a game for the first time all season, falling behind 10-0 to Michigan State early. Anyway, the Hoosiers won 47-10. Has Indiana earned a marquee win all season? No, but it’s beating the snot out of every team in its path, which is impressive no matter the opponents. The Hoosiers are good, man. If they beat Michigan on Saturday, they’ll probably essentially secure a CFP berth no matter what happens in the Ohio State game, considering Purdue is a doormat waiting to be walked over.
  • Nebraska started its season 5-1 and finally looked like it was going to snap its long streak of missing bowl games. Then it lost three straight games, including to UCLA, its easiest opponent left on the schedule. The Cornhuskers have USC, Wisconsin and Iowa left on the schedule. There’s a non-zero chance they lose out and miss a bowl game yet again.
  • The Nebraska vs. USC game is hilarious because the loser will be in severe danger of missing a bowl game. Especially USC, since it sits at four wins and closes the season against Notre Dame. Fun fact: Lincoln Riley’s record at Oklahoma was 55-10. His record in the last 16 games at USC is 6-10. 
  • Texas A&M finally suffered its first SEC loss of the season and now is on the brink of playoff elimination with two losses overall. The SEC race for both the conference title and the postseason is fascinating, and the only guaranteed thing is a couple of fan bases are going to be really pissed in November. 
  • Last thing, don’t think we didn’t notice how underwhelming you were against Kentucky, Tennessee. Seriously, is anyone in the SEC (or the nation for that matter) good this year? 

And then there were five

Two-thirds of the way through the season, we have five undefeated teams remaining.

Big Ten: Oregon, Indiana
SEC: None
ACC: Miami
Big 12: BYU
Group of Five: Army

Week 10 had some fun moments

  • Trailing by seven, Eastern Michigan converted a Hail Mary as time expired to give itself a chance to beat Toledo. The storybook ending wasn’t meant to be as the two-point conversion fell short, but it was still an incredible play.
  • Duke ended up getting steamrolled by Miami, but it will always have this insane catch to look back on. 
  • It’s not every day you score a touchdown on a kickoff, but Colorado State pulled it off. 
  • Who doesn’t love a celebratory backflip following victory formations? 
  • Vanderbilt secured its first bowl game appearance since 2018 by taking down Auburn. Gotta feel a little happy for the often-bullied Commodores, right? 
  • You know who the win felt really good for? Vanderbilt linebacker Bryan Longwell, who kept receipts of an Auburn coach telling him he had no interest in him on Christmas of all days two years ago. 
  • You gotta admit, whoever runs the Duck’s Twitter account has an elite troll game. 
  • The Cam Ward experience summed up in one play.
  • Minnesota has caught on that flipping ball carriers is an effective way to force fumbles.
  • It’s been that kind of season for Indiana.
  • Colorado State’s kicker is like 32 years old (no, seriously), so he might as well make 60-yard field goals. 

Week 10 had some wacky things, too

  • Of course we have to lead this section with Big Game James’ argument with a fan immediately following the loss.
  • I enjoyed how Penn State and Ohio State fought a mini-Cold War over keeping a loose towel on their side of the line of scrimmage a few seconds before a play. 
  • Lane Kiffin was not happy about his quarterback throwing the ball away apparently. 
  • A Miami player attempted to punch the ball loose from a Duke ball carrier, but accidentally punched him in the face instead. 
  • If you’re looking for where things went sideways for Florida against Georgia, it’s probably right here. 
  • Justtttttt a bit outside on this field goal attempt. 
  • Somehow, there was no penalty called on Tennessee for this. 
  • Not the most conventional interception we’ve ever seen, but Iowa will take it.
  • Just how they drew it up, South Alabama edition. 
  • Clemson fans tried the “throw trash on the field” trick to get a call they didn’t like reversed, but it didn’t work. Louisville scored on the next play, by the way.
  • Non-zero chance a Louisiana Monroe assistant coach just sealed his eventual firing on Saturday, or at the very least a suspension.
  • Good for Northwestern getting a walk-off win here, but you can tell the disdain from Purdue fans from how this season has gone with the boos here. 
  • Very much a facemask there, bud. But look at the distance that helmet traveled! 

Former Buckeye of the week 

Week 10 former Buckeye of the week: Enokk Vimahi, guard, Washington

Giving a little love to an offensive lineman this week, as former OSU offensive lineman Enokk Vimahi has been a primary starter for the Huskies this season. Though he did not start on Saturday, Vimahi played 29 snaps in Washington’s 26-20 win over USC and was part of an offensive line that kept quarterback Will Rogers clean and allowed zero sacks to the Trojans.

Past results

  • Week Zero former Buckeye of the week: Mason Arnold, long snapper, Florida State
  • Week One former Buckeye of the week: Evan Pryor, RB, Cincinnati
  • Week Two former Buckeye of the week: Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas
  • Week Three former Buckeye of the week: Mookie Cooper, WR, Missouri
  • Week Four former Buckeye of the week: Julian Fleming, WR, Penn State
  • Week Five former Buckeye of the week: Noah Rogers, WR, North Carolina State
  • Week Six former Buckeye of the week: Kyle McCord, QB, Syracuse
  • Week Seven former Buckeye of the week: Joe Royer, tight end, Cincinnati
  • Week Eight former Buckeye of the week: Cameron Martinez, DB, Boston College
  • Week Nine former Buckeye of the week: Bryson Shaw, safety, USC

Games of the week

Another above .500 week, now we just have to capitalize and improve each day. Or whatever other generic football cliche you hold most dear.  

Week 10 record: 4-3
Overall record: 38-32

Appointment viewing

Alabama at LSU, 7:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC

Pick: LSU +3

Breakdown: Both of these teams are flawed and are on the brink of playoff elimination. It’s a hard game to pick and I could see it going either way, but I believe in Tiger Stadium magic in must-win territory in a contest with similar talent levels. 

Georgia at Ole Miss, 3:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC

Pick: Georgia -2.5

Breakdown: Georgia seemingly looks mortal almost every week because Carson Beck can’t stop and won’t stop throwing interceptions. If the Bulldogs can stop turning the ball over like maniacs they should be able to cover the spread in one piece. This is a risky proposition though, since Ole Miss’ season as far as playoff hopes are concerned is on the line, so the Rebels will be bringing their best effort. Still, bet on the better coach and the better roster nine out of 10 times.

Michigan at Indiana, 3:30 p.m. Saturday on CBS

Pick: Indiana -12.5

Breakdown: I still am in awe that Indiana is a double-digit favorite against Michigan. We all would have lost our minds hearing that at the beginning of the season. Now it’s like, ‘Yeah, makes sense.’ Anyway, Indiana’s lowest margin of victory has been 14 points this season and I don’t expect that to change in what will likely be a raucous environment in Bloomington. 

Colorado at Texas Tech, 4 p.m. Saturday on FOX

Pick: Colorado -3

Breakdown: With Kansas State and Iowa State both going down this weekend, Colorado has a legitimate shot at making the Big 12 title game, which means Colorado has a legitimate shot at making the College Football Playoff. Would not have believed you in a million years if you told me that following the Nebraska game in Week 2. Anyway, the Buffs have the highest ceiling of any Big 12 team if their defense can stay consistent considering they have the two best players in the league offensively, and I expect them to find a way to beat a scrappy but flawed Texas Tech squad.

Underrated games

BYU at Utah, 10:15 p.m. Saturday on ESPN

Pick: Utah +4.5

Breakdown: This is me going out on a limb and calling my shot. Utah has had an off week to prepare for BYU, will get the Cougars at home and are going to throw the kitchen sink at them in a rivalry game. I think the story of BYU this season is awesome and the Cougars could still very well win the Big 12. But even though his offense stinks and his quarterback is a liability, this just feels like a game Kyle Whittingham finds a way to squeak out, especially with how chaotic the season has been.

Washington at Penn State, 8 p.m. Saturday on Peacock

Pick: Penn State -13.5

Breakdown: I almost went with Washington and the points in this contest because Penn State could be poised for a classic “just played Ohio State” letdown game. But then I remembered it’s the White Out game and a very just-OK Washington team is making the long trek to Happy Valley. The Huskies have also lost all three road games they’ve played so far this season. So we’ll take the Nittany Lions to cover the spread. 

Clemson at Virginia Tech

Pick: Virginia Tech +6.5

Breakdown: Maybe it’s a bit too early to be dancing on a very overrated Clemson team’s grave, but sometimes you just can’t help yourself. The Hokies and Tigers could be in for a dog fight, and we’re rolling with the home team to squeak by here.

Hot seat tracker

Pretty boring weekend as far as the hot seat tracker is concerned, but we press on.

Already fired

  • Mike Houston, East Carolina 
  • Will Hall, Southern Miss
  • Mike Bloomgren, Rice

Seat is red hot

Billy Napier, Florida: I hate to keep Napier here with how well Florida played against Georgia down to its third-string quarterback, but the games don’t get any easier for the Gators and now DJ Lagway’s health comes into question. The Gators’ remaining four opponents are Texas (yikes), LSU (not ideal but maybe), Ole Miss (read LSU description) and Florida State (go get ‘em, Billy). You probably have to win two of those to get a mulligan next year. It’s easy to see a win over the Seminoles, but not sure where that second one is coming from.

Seat is probably a little warm

Mack Brown, North Carolina: The Tar Heels won their second in a row and beat up on ACC doormat Florida State (what universe is this) to give Brown a little juice. I don’t know if the administration is going to make a move on Brown this year, but it does seem like it’s getting close to time for him to hang it up. 

Ryan Walters, Purdue: Walters stays in the warm section for now mostly because it’s tough to see Purdue pulling the plug after two years and paying an early buyout, but man, the Boilermakers stink.

Mike Locksley, Maryland: The Terps were off last week and will need a few more solid showings to secure Locksley’s future at Maryland. 

Somehow trending toward safe

Dave Aranda, Baylor: I’ve had this guy on the red hot seat since the column resurfaced this fall, but I’m close to removing him entirely. The Bears have won two in a row and are close to bowl eligibility, and if that happens, I think Baylor will give it another go with Aranda. 

Not officially on the hot seat yet but raising some eyebrows

  • Brent Venables, Oklahoma
  • Lincoln Riley, USC
  • Hugh Freeze, Auburn
  • Sherrone Moore, Michigan
  • Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

Hodgepodge Week 10 classifiers

Undefeated conference contenders: Oregon, Indiana, Miami, BYU

One-loss conference contenders: Ohio State, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, SMU, Penn State, Iowa State

Probably have to win out to have a chance to make the CFP: LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Kansas State, Colorado, Pittsburgh, Clemson

Group of Five playoff contenders: Boise State, Army, UNLV, Louisiana, Tulane

Have clinched a bowl game but not going to the CFP: Illinois, Arizona State, Missouri, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Iowa, Louisville, Duke, Minnesota

Fighting for a bowl game: Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Boston College, Cal, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Baylor, TCU, Utah, Rutgers, Washington, Maryland, South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida

Once-proud programs that you’re not positive will even be bowl-eligible this year: Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, USC, Michigan State, Oklahoma

It’s not looking great: Northwestern, Kentucky, Auburn, UCLA, Purdue, Houston, Mississippi State, Florida State, UCF, Arizona, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Stanford

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