Penn State vs Ohio State Game Grades

Oct 25, 2014; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin (center) walks off the field after losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes 31-24 at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Coaching

Bob Shoop continues to do an outstanding job with the defense, but the offense still seems to be lacking direction. Penn State has failed to properly use Christian Hackenberg’s skill set. However, this isn’t entirely the coaching staff’s fault, as the offensive line struggles severely hamper their play-calling ability. That being said, something has to be done to put Hack in the best position to succeed and that hasn’t been done just yet. Some of the play-calling was confusing at times, but there were some decisions that I thought were smart. Instead of running for two yards on first down, I would like to see more quick throws on first down to set up the run game in more advantageous situations. A couple play clock issues and timeout calls also have to be put on the coaching staff. It wasn’t a great day for the staff, but they still helped give the team a shot to win. Credit must be given for the halftime adjustments to fight back into the game and I still believe in the process in place.

Grade: C