Penn State Debriefing: Ohio State Loses Against All Odds and Despite J.T. Barrett's Gutty Performance

Ohio State opened as 20-point favorites against Penn State, which seemed like free money given the witchcraft that happens in Happy Valley. Still, it was hard to imagine Ohio State would actually lose to the Fighting James Franklins.

Even the locals had written off Penn State before the game. Let's take a gander at the score predictions from our friends over at Roar Lions Roar:

• Peter Berkes: 52-20, Ohio State
• Bill DiFilippo: 45-13, Ohio State
• Mike Treb: 40-27, Ohio State

Alas, here we are. Penn State dumped Ohio State 24-21 in Happy Valley and handed Urban Meyer just his fifth loss in five seasons.

The Short Story

The Happy Valley sorcery did it again. Ohio State came in as huge favorites, and left with its tail between its legs. The Buckeyes started slow, not scoring until the second quarter, but held a 12-7 lead at the half. A run by Curtis Samuel followed by a Penn State safety gave Ohio State a comfortable lead, but two special teams blunders allowed the Nittany Lions to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. J.T. Barrett had a chance to lead the team to victory on a final drive, but given how the offensive line was playing, that just wasn't realistic. Barrett took back-to-back sacks to end the game and the Buckeyes fell 24-21 in Happy Valley.

What Happened?

Honestly, it's a miracle Penn State was even in this game. When you actually break it down and look at the stats, this loss is quite perplexing to say the least.

What Went Right

• Ohio State outgained Penn State 413 to 276.
• Ohio State led at the half and led by double-digits in the fourth-quarter.
• Penn State converted just 2 of 13 third-downs.
• Ohio State blocked a field goal and forced a safety.
• Trace McSorley went just 8-of-24 for 154 yards compared to J.T. Barrett's 28-of-43 for 245.
• Ohio State didn't turn the ball over on offense.
• J.T. Barrett converted 15 of his final 19 passes, missing on his last two.
• Ohio State held Penn State to -7 yards in the third quarter and just 74 yards in the second-half.

When all that happens, you've gotta be borderline creative (or play above an ancient Native American burial ground) to pull out a loss. It's honestly like snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. 

So what actually went wrong? How did Ohio State possibly lose that game? Let's take a look.

What Went Wrong

• The Ohio State offensive line was a turnstile at times, especially in crucial moments. J.T. Barrett was sacked six times (which is the second-most during the Urban Meyer era), including twice on the final drive, and the Nittany Lines had 11 total tackles for a loss. Those numbers could have been much, much higher if J.T. Barrett didn't escape and/or desperately throw the ball away at times.
• The Buckeyes still struggled to move the ball through the air, particularly downfield. Over half the team's passes went to running backs and just five were caught by wide receivers.
• Penn State didn't have a lot of total offense, but what they got came in chunks in succession. The Nittany Lions' two touchdown drives were 5 plays for 90 yards and 7 plays for 74 yards.   
• Aside from Cameron Johnston's big boots, special teams play was garbage. Ohio State missed an extra point, muffed a punt and had two blocked kicks. Both blocks led to Penn State scores and both were absolute momentum suckers.

Ultimately, there were a lot of things Ohio State did to hurt itself, but they still played well enough to win the game. Sometimes things just don't go your way.

Who Earned a Buckeye Leaf?

Offense: J.T. Barrett

He couldn't engineer some late-game magic, but J.T. Barrett played his ass off yet again. He finished 28-for-43 for 245 yards and a touchdown while facing nearly constant pressure.

Like last week, Barrett was at his best in clutch time and Saturday against Penn State was no different. The Buckeye signal-caller completed 15 of his last 19 passes. Of those four incompletions, two were thrown away and one was perfectly thrown and fell incomplete after a missed pass-interference call.

Barrett did everything he could to will his team to victory, but the Buckeye offensive line imploded and Barrett spent much of the game running for his life and pulling turf out of his helmet. He was sacked six times throughout the game – the most since his second-career start against Virginia Tech in 2014.

Defense: Malik Hooker

Malik Hooker led the team with seven tackles and had two tackles for a loss, including a key play following Penn State's blocked punt and the questionable horsecollar penalty. He was also one of the few members of the secondary to not give up a big passing play. He was crucial in pass protection and stopping the run.

Bright Spots

Offense:

If you had "Marcus Baugh Truck-Stick and Spin Move for a Touchdown" on your prediction sheet before the game, you can meet me at the local Arby's to collect your prize.

Another look at Baugh's spin. pic.twitter.com/8PT5DbWwvd

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 23, 2016

Baugh was one of Barrett's most reliable receiving threats Saturday night, hauling in five catches for 55 yards. He was limited in the second half with an injury, but played through it.

Also, Curtis Samuel did a good thing.

On his first carry of the ballgame (which came midway through the third quarter, perplexingly enough), Samuel found a crease and took it 74 yards to the house.

Samuel finished the day with two rushes for 71 yards and eight catches for 68 yards.

Defense:

This is less of a play and more of a defensive stand than one specific play, but I write my own rules here so we're going with it. 

After a blocked punt midway through the fourth quarter, the Penn State offense faced a short field with an opportunity to tie the game at 21. The Nittany Lions moved the ball inside the Ohio State 10-yard-line thanks to a questionable horse-collar call, but were immediately knocked back by a Malik Hooker tackle six yards behind the line of scrimmage. Penn State had to settle for a field goal.

This series was emblematic of the game as a whole: the defense was put in a tough spot and held strong. The offense just couldn't do its part.

Biggest Surprise

Curtis Samuel will either be severely underutilized or absolutely force-fed unfruitful carries – there is no in-between.

After getting 18 touches on 12 carries and six catches last week against Wisconsin, Samuel got just two carries against Penn State. His first carry didn't come until midway through the third-quarter.

The lack of Samuel's presence in the game early on is the biggest surprise to me.

Honorable Mentions

• Horrible special teams play
• Terrible offensive line play
• Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley each got beat on one-on-one balls when they had postition.

Jim Tressel's Least Favorite Moment

Jim Tressel rested his crochet project on the armrest of the glider he and his wife Ellen had just picked up at a garage sale. It was a great find, really – a sturdy, solid wood, American-made glider. They just don't make furniture like they used to.

The game was reaching a climax, and he realized it needed his full attention. Tressel put on his distance glasses and fixed his eyes on his old tube TV. What he saw nearly made his eyes well up with joy.

Urban Meyer was facing a fourth-and-medium on the edge of field-goal range. Typically, this means he'll go for it, but today was different. Meyer sent out his kicker to try for a career-long field goal and put his team up seven points.

Moments later, all hell broke loose. The kick was blocked and returned all the way for a Penn State touchdown. It was a ten-point swing in the Nittany Lions' favor.

Tressel stared blankly at the television for a few moments before Ellen broke the silence.

"Jim, are you alright?" she said.

"Oh dear, Ellen," Tressel said. "He's never going to kick the ball again."

Biggest Blunder

With just under five minutes left in the game, Ohio State went from a chance to lead by seven to trailing by three in a matter of seconds.

Tyler Durbin was rushed to the field to kick what would was a career-long attempt – it did not go as planned.

This blunder is on Urban Meyer for not giving a rookie kicker more time before trying a new career-long at a key moment in front of a Penn State white out. He had two time outs at this time and he ended up going home with one of them in his pocket.

Underrated Moment

So, Mike Weber killed a man on Curtis Samuel's 74-yard touchdown run.

Mike Weber's block on the Samuel touchdown. pic.twitter.com/X2KTW8fPnC

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 23, 2016

It's refreshing to see Weber attended the Ezekiel Elliott School of Hurting People Without the Ball. He also impressed with his hands. He led the team with eight catches Saturday night (which is a problem, actually, but not his problem).

Quotes From a Football-Knower

Our resident football-knower Kyle Jones provided us with some personal analysis after the game which I will leak to you all free of charge.

• "Ohio State didn't play its best game on either side of the ball, but played better overall than Penn State."
• "J.T. Barrett made some serious throws tonight. Easily the reason they were in the game at all."
• "Curtis Samuel had 10 touches, Mike Weber had 29; that's a problem."
• "The really tough pill to swallow from tonight is that OSU couldn't do a thing against a decent pass rush and man coverage aka what Michigan does best."
• "Final story: Ohio State's offense and defense didn't play great, but played good enough. Special teams played like a garbage fire."
• "This is going to be a miserable week to be a member of this team."

Jones will have more things to tell you Monday when he does his weekly film study. I whole-heartedly suggest you read that. It will make you smarter.

It Was Over When

Penn State sacked J.T. Barrett on third down of Ohio State's last drive. The Buckeyes technically had one more play, but the life was sucked out of the team after Barrett went down in the backfield. Surviving the oncoming pass-rush, much less gaining 24 yards on one play, seemed all-but out of the question. Turns out, it was.

Biggest Question Going Forward

How will Ohio State respond to a loss? Will it jump-start the team much like the Virginia Tech loss in 2014 or the Michigan State loss in 2015, or will it have a lasting effect like defeat against Michigan State in 2013?