Recap

It was not a pretty game, but it was a game that was not ever in question. The Buckeye offense stepped up in several areas from last week, as was expected with the opponent, but we also saw how each quarterback handled the game. With Kyle McCord, the plays were a lot of long pass plays that stretched the field, and outside run plays. With Devin Brown, the offense looked more quarterback read option with more of a running flavor. Brown showed his athleticism, but based on the talent around, I think the Buckeyes are going to be better suited with the play-calling they showed with McCord as a distributor. 

The Buckeyes started with the ball and scored on a long pass play from McCord to Marvin Harrison Jr, who reminded the country he was still “HIM.” The Penguins responded with an 11 play scoring drive of their own, but that was their only scoring drive in the game. The closest they got was in the 3rd quarter, but Denzel Burke intercepted the ball in the end-zone on a well defensed play, and it was the first interception from a cornerback since 2021. 

Kyle McCord got his second start, and passed for 258 yards with a 14/20 completion mark, and 3 touchdowns. He did have a scramble for 1 yard as well. Devin Brown was able to play almost half the game, and he was able to pass for 101 yards on 7 of 13 passing. He also added 9 yards on 6 carries on the ground.

Turning Point

Whenever this game was scheduled, the Penguins didnt have a chance. They showed today they have some fight, but this was not a game where Ohio State needed to dominate to prove they were the better team, but what we got was a live practice look for the Buckeyes as Day was live testing the quarterback battle. 

Star of the Game

Marvin Harrison Jr. A week after only getting 2 catches, he showed the country why he is one of the best receivers in the country with a huge bounce back game. He had a few uncharacteristic drops, but it was good to see “Route-man” Marv back to his 2022 self. 

Playoff Picture

This was not a game that necessarily helped the Buckeyes, but it didn’t realy hurt them either.  Penn State rolled, and Georgia took some time to get going against Ball State, but the Buckeyes looked a little uneven on offense when they let their quarterback battle play out, but this was the best chance to let it play out where the outcome was never in question. Based on what we saw in the production, McCord earned the starting role, and every first team rep should go to him moving forward as they prepare to take on Western Kentucky, and then the real litmus test of how good this team is on the road in South Bend in two weeks. 

Looking Ahead

Ohio State (2-0) hosts Western Kentucky (1-0) on Saturday September 16 at 4pm on FOX. Youngstown State (1-1) will return home to go back to their FCS schedule and host Robert Morris (0-1) on Saturday September 16 at 2pm on ESPN+.

Photo Credit: Ohio State Football Media Team