Penn State vs. Ohio State Position Grades

Oct 17, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) carries the ball in the fourth quarter as Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Carl Nassib (95) and defensive tackle Austin Johnson (99) defend at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Line:

The front four did all they could to keep Penn State in this game, but it was to no avail.  Once they were on the field too long and J.T. Barrett was in at quarterback, things started to break down for the Nittany Lion defense.

Defensive end Carl Nassib put together another nice game with eight total tackles.  As part of that he had 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss.  He will be a force on Sundays next fall.  Garret Sickels also had eight tackles and played a really good game.  Anthony Zettel and Austin Johnson each had four tackles and a pass breakup.  Zettel was credited with a half sack and two tackles for loss.  Backup Curtis Cothran had one tackle for loss.

The rotation of starters and backups continued along the defensive line, but that’s more on the coaches.  I’m still not sure why they aren’t putting out their best four every down, especially in the first half when they couldn’t have been tired yet.  Overall though, it was a solid night for the starting front four.

Grade: B

Next: Linebackers