Barrett, defense overcome early woes
Ohio State did almost everything it could Saturday at Ohio Stadium to give the game to Penn State, then put up a fight for the ages to take it back.
J.T. Barrett had his Heisman Trophy moment, leading the five-play, 58-yard drive that won it, 39-38, on a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Marcus Baugh.
The defensive front took over on Penn State’s final possession, finally forcing a fourth-down pass from Trace McSorley that went awry. And the fans who stayed, which appeared to be everybody, were treated to possibly the greatest comeback — the Buckeyes were down by 18 — in Ohio State history.
The standouts
Barrett was 33-of-39 passing for 328 yards and four touchdowns, and he ran for 95 yards. Through the end of the winning drive, he completed 16 straight passes. K.J. Hill figured prominently in Quarterback J.T. Barrett, threading a pass between Penn State’s Parker Cothren, left, and Jason Cabinda, completed his final 16 throws as the Buckeyes rallied from an 18-point deficit.
the comeback with 12 catches for 102 yards. Johnnie Dixon caught two TD passes and Austin Mack had six catches for 90 yards. Safety Jordan Fuller was the top tackler, taking part in nine. Defensive end Sam Hubbard was the top tackler on a single play, grabbing McSorley and Saquon Barkley to help set up the punt before the
winning drive.
Unsung workers
The wide receiver group, maligned since the loss at Penn State last year and through at the start of this season, made a positive statement. Six caught at least one pass. The offensive line, also maligned a year ago, stepped up, especially right tackle Isaiah Prince. The defensive line was relentless in the fourth quarter.
Strategically speaking
The Buckeyes kept attacking the edges with the passing game with the idea it might open up things over the middle. It did. Dixon broke open down the middle for a 38-yard touchdown reception that cut Penn State’s lead to 35-27 early in the fourth quarter. Then, on the winning TD, no one ran with Baugh as he turned to catch a 16-yard pass over the middle from Barrett.
Exposed
The Ohio State defensive backs gave up a few plays, several on “50-50” balls that kept Penn State drives alive and/or went for touchdowns. And several times the defensive line, in its zeal to get to McSorley, let him leak out on runs that helped keep drives alive.
Key stat
The 13 tackles for loss by the Buckeyes were symbolic of a relentless effort that finally paid a huge dividend. Injury report
Parris Campbell fumbled when hit after a catch on Ohio State’s first possession and never returned. He had to leave the Nebraska game two weeks earlier after suffering a head bump. It’s believed he left Saturday for the same reason.
By the numbers
22: Games that Urban Meyer coached teams have won coming off a bye, with just one loss, at Bowling Green in 2001.
6: Consecutive games in which the Buckeyes have gained more than 500 yards, an Ohio State record extended with 529 against Penn State.
What now?
The Buckeyes took control of the Big Ten East with four games to play. They are in first place after beating the defending Big Ten champion, coupled with Michigan State’s loss at Northwestern. The Buckeyes seem have their destiny in their hands, headed toward Iowa this week.