THE SITUATIONAL: The Warm Hands of Ghosts

The governor was distant second. Urban Meyer called the offensive line the heart and soul of a football team, which if you put those two together places the state's most important person right behind the identity of the football program.

They're both correct. You have to pick your priorities - if everyone and everything are important, then no one and nothing are important. It's quarterback and offensive line. Defense Wins Championships only works if it can stay off the field long enough.

J.T. Barrett was a lot more than just a distributor in 2014, and the Buckeyes could not have reached Indianapolis without him. The Slobs that season were the karmic and relentless brutes who elevated that team to heights the previous one failed to reach.

QB and OL. Add a difference maker and you're contending. Juice is contagious.

Kyle McCord lives in Syracuse these days for a reason, and the consternation over Justin Frye's offensive line has been more than just warranted, it is necessary. Josh Simmons and Will Kacmarek both falling off of the availability list produced a unit so abruptly rickety that a bye week and a Homecoming game against a rebuilding program which had just lost by 49 points made it look unsalvageable.

They had rest, time and a mediocre opponent and they lowered themselves to the challenge.

the Buckeyes had the Nittany Lions in hell for the final 55 minutes of the game.

For Ohio State in 2024, it bleak a week ago. State media and friendly voices alike were picking the Buckeyes to lose in Pennsylvania (not all of us). This was because the most conspicuous barometer of program health - the Heart and Soul of the program - looked lost.

Were we all being dramatic? Never. Ohio State fans have unmatched domain expertise into what matters. Our scholars can tell you that those Slobs of 2014 were the driving force behind the first-ever CFP national title. Cardale Jones had freedom to operate. Ezekiel Elliott was the difference maker. It started and ended with Slobs.

The OL performance of the 2024 Nebraska game was going to send this team to the Outback Bowl with two dozen opt-outs. Dramatic? This isn't drama club, brother. The team that sent Nebraska home with a moral victory looked dead inside and out.

Talent had nothing to do with it. Those same scholars will remind you the 2013 OSU OL had significantly more talent than that 2014 one. The latter has gawdy rings, though. How did that happen?

Heart and soul don't have 40-times or squat racks, and religion doesn't care about recruiting or stars. Jack Mewhort, Andrew Norwell and Corey Linsley were NFL starters when the 2014 Buckeyes kicked off Meyer's third season, with sole returnee Taylor Decker playing on the opposite side of the line next to three new starters and a converted defensive tackle in Uncle Darryl Baldwin.

That line was cobbled together, struggled early - and blew out its final three opponents, each featuring a Heisman finalist, en route to a national title.

What happened was the Heart and Soul figured out what needed figuring out, and by the time Wisconsin showed up in Indy as 3.5-point favorites, the Badgers were dead and desecrated for all the CFP committee to see.

You can diminish and disparage the Negativity Wing of the Ohio State Football fan legislature all you want, but it never goes quiet and it is always heard. Be more positive is not a strategy for winning a game predicated on violence and ballet. Players listen to criticism and coaches read all of it. They also knew how poorly they played.

Penn State and everyone else saw that Nebraska game. The Nits had the momentum, as well as their own big game albatross to shed. Now that was drama - both college football Saturday morning shows set up shop and spent three hours showcasing the scrappy home team on the precipice of finally breaking through.

Perhaps maybe this could be Penn State's year to beat Ohio State. This could be the game that turns it around for PSU. Did you see the Buckeyes' OL last week? Do you know who Abdul Carter is?

Anyway, here's Donovan Jackson making breakfast out of a 2025 1st Round Draft Pick.

Will Howard gave away a touchdown and donated two more with a fumble and a missed freebie, which if you live inside of an analytics spreadsheet - that performance loses a top-five matchup.

But if you look up from the cells, the Buckeyes had the Nittany Lions in hell for the final 55 minutes of the game, including their own mistakes. Eighty percent of that listless offensive line from Homecoming exerted its will when the game was on the line even and especially when late-game clock-killing intentions were being telegraphed.

Ohio State's defense produced a goal line stand for the second straight week. And Howard, for all of his regrettable moments, lost nobody's confidence on the visitors' sideline. He was mobbed by teammates, coaches and staffers before he could reach the locker room.

The most important person in the state of Ohio found himself in victory formation in Pennsylvania, right behind the Heart and Soul. What's possible intersected with what's expected and what happened was the turning point of a season on the brink.

Juice is a hell of a drug. *checks watch* oh look at that, it's time to get Situational again.

OPENER | DARK MATTER & THE DINOSAURS

Ohio State OL coach Justin Frye celebrates with Carson Hinzman (75) and Seth McLaughlin (56) following the 20-13 win over Penn State at Beaver Stadium. © Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On the left in the photo above is Ohio State's starting center for a dozen games in 2023. On the right is the grad student who was brought in to replace him. They look happy.

Some fans love spread offenses. Some love vicious defenses. There are sickos among you who like punting *slowly raises hand* and shame on you *lowers hand*. But there's one element to this violent game we all love above everything else.

Ohio State fans love a team that has guys who love to block. They like bullies who go to other campuses, find their Fonzie and stuff him into a trash can. Donny Pancakes lined up across from Carter and erased him on several snaps, playing an unfamiliar position out of necessity.

The guy on the left above spent 11 months in Ryan Day's doghouse and emerged from it in Beaver Stadium looking like an angry, seasoned veteran, which...he is. Carson Hinzman had his blocking assignment in shambles the whole afternoon. It was the first dirt to hit his jersey since last season.

A makeshift offensive line required chipping tight ends to lighten the load, but the most memorable moment from Saturday was Jelani Thurman doing everything Ryan Hamby could not nearly two decades ago against another undefeated team - he caught a pass five times and secured it while being tackled.

They should have been up three scores with the ball on that final drive, but they weren't. Instead, Day's Buckeyes were in possession during what's called Winning Time, the portion of the game the program has become known for squandering, like against Oregon, Michigan, Georgia, Clemson, you remember, everyone remembers.

Winning Time is usually accompanied by clock management miscues. A premature slide. Curious, maddening and clenched play-calling that fails to meet what the moment demands. A miscommunication and poor field awareness. All of those memories felt like they belonged to another program on Saturday.

Ohio State took the ball following another goal line stand and snapped it after burning off enough time, each snap. They pushed the home team around and moved the chains, again and again, in a manner that barely resembled what we've seen this year and especially last week.

When Howard slid for that first down with a minute left, all that was left was the math. The guy on the left and the grad student on the right who came to town and took his job had found a way to win together - on a stage that demanded them to do so.

INTERMISSION

The Solo

The last time we had to tolerate the unforgivable phrase Defending National Champion Michigan Wolverines it was following the 1997 season. This year, intermissions will pay homage to that cursed year's Billboard Hot 100.

Shawn Carter was a few months removed from still selling CDs out of the trunk of his car to make ends meet when he showed up on Foxy Brown's record in 1997 with this song which he co-wrote. If you are unfamiliar with Carter's career arc, he's currently worth $2.5B and married to a lady worth a mere $800M. He's Jay-Z, for those who prefer government names.

I'll Be includes a mid-song rap interlude. Let's answer our two questions.

Is the musician in the video actually rapping?

Pre-cancelation Brett Ratner (Christmas in Hollis, all of the Rush Hour movies) directed what's basically a Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation pastiche, an appropriate timestamp for both the era and Jay-Z's relative anonymity in that moment.

Jay's there. There's no way he lip synced his takes. High confidence.VERDICT: Yes, conclusive.

does this mid-song rap interlude slap?

Brown never had the makings of a varsity athlete in an era dominated by Lauryn Hill where urban dance pop couldn't allow too many female protagonists not part of a larger group to enjoy sustained solo longevity. Ladies had to link up with East or West Coast rappers, and that's largely what she ended up doing.

Not everyone could be Salt N Pepa or the little group Jay-Z's wife came up through. Imagine being the last person to ever buy a CD from him out of the trunk of his car. I gave this kid $5 for a demo, and you know what - it sounds decent? Hey good for him. VERDICT: Slaps.

The Bourbon

There is a bourbon for every situation. Sometimes the spirits and the events overlap, which means that where bourbon is concerned there can be more than one worthy choice.

Rod & Hammer's. It can be fun, but only at home.

Every time you drink a California Chardonnay, you can draw a line from your glass to the Baby Boomers who smuggled French vines to Northern California to unlock the burgeoning American champagne market, which they didn't bother to study first.

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir make the bubbly drink our citizens enjoy a) at weddings, and b) on New Year's. And that's basically it, like five days of addressable market - once the smugglers realized their shortsightedness they just started bottling the grapes they had without champagnifying them and bam, you've got skunk butter in a glass for Alannis Morissette to play fast and loose with rhetorical devices.

Rod & Hammer, emphasis on the second partner, is black and gold like this weekend's opponent - but carries a California flair, like late Purdue icon John Wooden. Juice is an off-the-shelf MGP 55/35/10 corn/rye/barley youngster, pulled after two years and finished in chardonnay casks.

We know from other finishes you don't get knocked over with the discarded stuff, like Angel's Envy bourbon doesn't hit like port and the rye isn't rummy. What you get is essence, and the R&H finish - especially with a young bourbon - is apparent.

Burnt tangerine peel on the nose, generic MGP caramel on the palate, buttery apple finish. Don't pay more than $40, and definitely don't play it in West Lafayette at night.

CLOSER | THE WARM HANDS OF GHOSTS

Nov 8, 2014; Michael Thomas makes a catch in front of Michigan State DB Darian Hicks and runs for a touchdown © Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-Imagn Images

Purdue is such a funny opponent because depending on where the Buckeyes play the Boilermakers, it's either OH NO HIGH ALERT or alright, let's make sure no one gets injured.

PICTURED: Purdue football 2024 scouting report.

The undefeated Hoosiers are three weeks away, and they have a bye week following their date with Michigan Saturday. While they're taking that week off, Ohio State goes to Chicago - not Evanston - to play Northwestern in what will be a Wrigley Field novelty. The Wildcats aren't great but they notoriously bring out the worst in your favorite team. We can fret about that next week.

For now, the 18th-best team in the B1G is the concern, in large part due to its chaos potential. Have you ever heard of a team scoring 49 one week and then getting shut out six days later - both in conference play, and both against ranked opponents? Meet Purdue, 2024.

The Boilermakers just finished losing an overtime heartbreaker to the Buckeyes' next opponent, and they're coming to Columbus in search of their first FBS win of the season. Ohio State has played with its food before, but coming off the Crossroads Game at Happy Valley - relevant 10-year old moment pictured atop this section - it would be incredibly disappointing for this homecoming to play out like actual Homecoming.

Which means we're now back to our September Sustainability goals with two four-plus touchdown underdogs on the horizon. Time to dust off the chart from the Akron-Western Michigan-Marshall portion of the programming:

Ohio State passed the early season sustainability test with high marks - Tyliek Williams and Donovan Jackson were held out for precautionary reasons and no significant injuries were suffered during the opening frames.

It would not be surprising for Williams - and possibly Lathan Ransom - to be held to what sports metaphor mixers call a pitch count the next two weeks. As for the assignment, Ohio State should again play on running it up early and allowing its heavy lifters to do some extended sitting.

SITUATIONAL ARCHIVE The Situational Whiskey Cellar

Purdue has scored 26 1st half points against FBS opponents this whole season which is seven games. They're averaging almost four points per game before the band performs. Ohio State's plan should be to hit 35 and then give the youngsters some reps.

The game within the game can help win The Game. Yeah, that's lame. But hey, so is Purdue.

Thanks for getting Situational today. Go Bucks. Beat Purdue.