STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 01: Fans of the Penn State Nittany Lions react after losing to the Ohio Bobcats at Beaver Stadium on September 1, 2012 in State College, Pennsylvania. The Bobcats won 24-14. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
OSU defeated a very solid Nittany Lions team, 20-12, but it wasn’t the offensive explosion we’ve come to expect from them in previous years. PSU only gained 240 total yards from Ohio State’s defense, yet quarterback Kyle McCord kept the offense going.
With a perfect record and victories over No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 7 Penn State, the Ohio State Buckeyes team is starting to receive praise from the media on a national level.
Joel Klatt, a talking head and color commentator for Fox Sports, is one of them.
On his podcast, Klatt commented on OSU’s victory, saying, “Obviously they’ve got to feel great about this” (h/t On3). “They own what is currently the best resumé in the nation. Two victories against teams ranked in the top 10, including one against Notre Dame on the road. These are two excellent football squads.
“Football fans, Penn State is still a tremendously excellent team. There is no question in my mind regarding this. And the reason I believe they have such high regard for the Buckeyes is that they triumphed in two contests that many people doubted they could win—slugfests with low scoring that prioritized defense, the run game, and fortitude.
It’s obvious that this defense-first strategy differs somewhat from what we’ve come to expect in Columbus, but the approach is bearing fruit. In every game this season, Ohio State has given up fewer than 17 points, and against Penn State, the Buckeyes limited the Nittany Lions to just 1-of-16 conversions on third down.
Elite defense, that.
According to ESPN, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles stated of his team after the game, “They now have confidence that they can win the game on defense.” “I don’t look at stats, but I imagine Penn State had a pretty solid defense, so we spoke to them before the game and said, ‘Hey, you’re not just playing Penn State’s offense. You’re taking advantage of Penn State’s defense. We must make two plays if they make one. We must make three if they only make two. Therefore, it’s a sense of leadership, maturity, and possibly a small chip on the shoulder.
Returning to rankings, the Ohio State Buckeyes are still third in the country, trailing only Georgia and Michigan.
However, to Klatt’s point, Ohio State’s track record is possibly the strongest within that bunch. This season, Georgia has only faced one other ranked opponent, No. 20 Kentucky. While the Wolverines began the season with the “gauntlet” of East Carolina, UNLV, and Bowling Green, Michigan has not yet faced a ranked opponent.
