Penn State vs. Ohio State Position Grades

Oct 17, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton (5) scores as Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Gareon Conley (8) misses a tackle at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:

I’ve said it before, Chris Godwin is the best receiver on this football team.  If it weren’t for him, and DaeSean Hamilton’s touchdown, the grade would be lower.

Godwin finished the night with three catches for 103 yards.  The longest was a 56-yard catch that opened up the second half and put Penn State in position to score its lone touchdown of the night.  He also had a 45-yard catch and run on the Nittany Lions first drive. Hamilton had two catches for 13 yards and the touchdown where he had great balance to stay in bounds and get the ball over the pylon.

Unfortunately, it was another game and another dropped ball for Mike Gesicki.  It occurred on Penn State’s third drive of the game and would have set the Nittany Lions up in the red zone.  Instead, that drive stalled after the called back Barkley touchdown, so it loomed large and left fans thinking, “what if.”

No tight ends recorded a catch against the Buckeyes.

It’s hard to fault the receivers too much when not many pass plays were called.  Godwin and Hamilton made the most of their opportunities.

Grade: C

Next: Offensive Line

Oct 17, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive lineman Adolphus Washington (92) sacks Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Christian Hackenberg (14) at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 38-10. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Line: 

The above picture says it all for the pass blocking.  Coming into the game, we knew it was going to be difficult for Penn State’s patchwork offensive line going up against Ohio State’s stout front seven, and sure enough, it was.

Christian Hackenberg was sacked five times on the night and was never really comfortable in the pocket as he was constantly harassed.   The linemen missed assignments and you just can’t do that against the number one team in the country.  Brian Gaia’s holding call on Penn State’s third drive was particularly egregious because it negated Saquon Barkley’s 44-yard touchdown run.  Yes it was holding, but I have seen teams get away with worse.  Regardless, that was a huge momentum shift and Penn State never recovered.

As for a bright spot, the line did run block reasonably well.  Barkley is great, but I’ll give credit where it’s due and they did open up some nice running lanes for him.  For this the grade is slightly higher than it should be.

While watching the play of the line, I constantly have to remind myself that they are still playing two converted defensive linemen and a junior college transfer.  Reinforcements are coming in the next couple recruiting classes, but for now this is what we have to live with.

Grade: D+

Next: Defensive Line