Treat it like a dress rehearsal, and learn from it.
That’s how No. 13 Ohio State should treat Saturday’s 31-24 double-overtime win against Penn State. Urban Meyer can point to this game as what you can and can’t do looking ahead to a showdown on Nov. 8 at Michigan State.
— You can count on J.T. Barrett in the clutch. Ohio State didn’t throw the football in either overtime, and Barrett finished off both possessions with touchdown runs.
— You can’t give up 17-0 halftime leads. The Buckeyes shouldn’t have been in this position, but Penn State managed to rally to force overtime despite rushing 31 times for 16 yards. The Nittany Lions clearly were in, “Let-Christian-Hackenberg-throw-50-times-and-see-what-happens” mode. Hackenberg had 224 yards on 49 attempts. That’s good defense.
— You can control the clock. The Buckeyes controlled the first half with Barrett (13 carries, 46 yards) and Ezekiel Elliott (14 carries, 76 yards). Those two finished with 46 carries for 184 yards and three TDs.
— You can’t be one dimensional and beat Michigan State. Barrett completed 12-of-19 passes, but finished with just 74 yards and two interceptions. He’ll have to be more of a factor in the passing game against the Spartans.
— You can compare defensive end Joey Bosa to a young J.J. Watt. Bosa ended the game by basically throttling a Penn State tackle into Hackenberg, and the sophomore is emerging as the best defensive lineman in the nation. It’s not really close.
You can't count out the Buckeyes of the College Football Playoff hunt yet. Perception is everything, and Ohio State is haunted by that early-season loss to Virginia Tech. Winning at Penn State at night isn’t easy, and the Buckeyes survived. Look for them to hit the next gear at home against Illinois next week. The Spartans have a bye week to get ready.
You can wait another week for the buildup.
