Week 7 Grades

Losses are never fun, but they are understandable against the #1 team in the country.  Penn State suffered such a defeat on Saturday night in front of a prime time audience.  It was a game that began with such promise: a 5-game winning streak, a dominant defense, an improving offense, and a roster finally rebounding from the injury bug.  It would end in a humbling of the entire fanbase and flashbacks to the Temple game: 5 sacks, a flawed defense, complete stagnation on offense, and first stringers left in the game long after it ceased being competitive.  Time to find out where things went wrong, and where there's still some hope.  Let's roll out some grades!

Offense
QB: (C-) Christian Hackenberg (7-13 for 120 yds and 1 TD) actually had very comparable stats with OSU starter Cardale Jones (9-15 for 84 yds and 0 TD).  However, considering Ohio State has officially replaced Jones with JT Barrett moving forward, that's not exactly saying a lot.  The big news, though, was the gash on Hack's leg that caused him to limp for the entire 2nd half, and an apparent back injury suffered late in the game.  Per usual, James Franklin will not comment on injuries.  We'll find out on Saturday I guess.

OL: (C+) Did they give up 5 sacks? Yes.  Did the tackles, in particular, get pushed around by Joey Bosa and Co? Yes.  Are we a complete mess at guard? Absolutely!  Here's the thing, none of that matters.  As the year goes on, more and more of those sacks are on Hack for holding the ball too long.  Joey Bosa is a top 10 draft pick on a defensive line almost as good as ours.  Even the best offensive lines are bound to get pushed around a little.  And... actually there's no excuse for the situation at guard.  Either way, the big guys are markedly improved since Temple.  Running lanes are more open (or at least look that way thanks to Barkley), there's some semblance of a pocket on most plays, and the WRs have more time to get downfield.  The best team in the country presented a huge challenge for these guys, and they survived no worse for the wear.

RB: (A) Saquon Barkley, an 18 yr old true freshman, just showed up Ezekiel Elliott!  Seriously, he had 40 more yds on 1 fewer carries (and that's with his 30+ yd TD run wiped off the board)!  After the game, the cameras caught the two star RBs meeting at mid-field.  I don't know what Elliott said, but from his facial expression it seemed to be some form of, "damn kid, you got skills!"  We may lose Hackenberg at the end of this season, but we got Barkley for at least two more years!

WR: (B+) Chris Godwin (3 catches for 103 yds) has firmly staked his claim to the #1 WR spot, while Daesean Hamilton (2 catches for 13 yds and 1 TD) has quietly faded into second place.  That's not necessarily a bad thing, and the pair (both sophomores) should grow into a deadly combination by the time they leave Happy Valley.  Behind them is a log jam of different skill sets, from the lanky Juwaun Johnson and Geno Lewis, to the powerful Saeed Blacknall, and the speedy Brandon Polk and DeAndre Thompkins.  There's talent for days, and once the OL can give a QB enough time to distribute the ball, it's going to get real fun on game days!

TE: (F+) The plus is due to the return of Adam Breneman, who played about 6 snaps against the Buckeyes.  Unfortunately, his return was coupled with the loss of Kyle Carter to injury.  None of the TEs caught a pass, and Mike Gesicki continues to showcase the slipperiest hands in college football.  I love the kid's freakish athleticism, but wow, he sucks at catching the football.  It's times like these that I REALLY miss Bill O'Brien...

Defense
DL: (A+) Opposite a defensive line with an equal amount of NFL talent, Penn State's line shined brightest of all!  Carl Nassib continues to lead the nation in sacks, tackles for a loss, and forced fumbles!  Four PSU players, including both DEs Nassib and Garrett Sickels, got more tackles than OSU's leading tackler DE Joey Bosa.  The dynamic duo of Zettel and Johnson each collected 4 tackles as well as a combined 2 tackles for a loss and 2 pass break ups!  The announcers rightfully lavished them with praise all night and gave some publicity to their "Wild Dogs" nickname.  Even when the Lions aren't playing their best, this front four plays like gladiators!

LB: (B+) This unit is being held together with string.  Brandon Bell, Troy Reeder, and Jason Cabinda combined for 16 tackles and are playing well, but there is absolutely no one behind them.  As long as they stay healthy, they're strong enough to hang with the rest of the schedule.  The second string?  Not so much.

DB: (A) Jordan Lucas and Marcus Allen are machines, combining for 17 tackles (more than the entire LB corps).  Grant Haley and John Reid each had 4 tackles, but more importantly, (outside of Braxton Miller) they kept the Buckeye WRs in check.  The defensive back field is quickly becoming a strength for the team, and even more recruits are filing in behind them.

Special Teams
K: (A) Big Toe was back and hit a 33 yd FG and an extra point.  That FG served as the first points of the game and could have served as a serious momentum booster... if it weren't for Barkley's TD getting called back.  Oh well.

P: (F) I shared these stats in the wrap up but they bear repeating.  Ohio State only had to start inside their 25 twice, while Penn State did it 11 out of 12 times.  OSU got to start in PSU territory four times, the Lions didn't get that opportunity once.  James Franklin hinted at holding campus-wide tryouts for a new punter (an idea that has since been rescinded).  It's really gotten that bad.  This position is an unmitigated disaster, and it will cost us a few more games before it gets better.

Alright, that will do it for Ohio State.  Check back in on Friday for my prediction as the Nittany Lions travel to Baltimore for their "neutral site" game against Maryland.  In the meantime, head on over to my Facebook page and give it a like or even a share.  You can always submit questions or comments to PSUOptimus@gmail.com.  Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @PSUOptimus, and as always, go State!