The Nittany Lions continued their spiral into a now-five-game losing streak, likely to be six, when it’s all said and done, on the road against the Ohio State Buckeyes. No one in their right mind thought
they had a chance, but, for at least a half, Penn State looked like it was ready to shock the world.
Ohio State made it look easy on their first drive, marching right down the field for a touchdown. They did it again, but this time had to settle for a field goal. The Nittany Lions, in response, started to give some looks they hadn’t to this point, and were able to cash in for a touchdown of their own.
The score would remain 10-7 for the majority of the first half, until Ohio State started opening the playbook. Bam. 17-7. The rout was on.
As the closing minutes of the first half continued, with Penn State unable to do much more than that lone touchdown, the Buckeyes lost a fumble deep in their own territory, and Chaz Coleman nearly walked it in for a score of his own. A few plays later, the Lions would cash in, and suddenly, what looked like an absolute murder turned into a fun half.
But that’s all it was. The Buckeyes made adjustments Penn State couldn’t overcome, Penn State did not make adjustments to handle Ohio State’s passing game, and a close, 17-14 game turned into the 38-14 laugher we all expected all along.
Stats and Storylines
It’s all easier from here – Ethan Grunkemeyer’s first two starts as a Nittany Lion came on the road at Iowa, then on the road again at Ohio State. Yes, Indiana is not small task either, but that one’s at home, a place the Hoosiers have never won, and Indiana’s dealing with their own injuries to boot. Don’t get your hopes up, but never say never.
Speaking of – Grunkemeyer’s stat line at Ohio State won’t impress anyone, but it still showed a drastic improvement from just two weeks ago. 67% completion percentage vs 53% at Iowa. 145 yards vs 93. 1 interception vs 2. Taken with context, the game is starting to slow down. Maybe by the time Penn State faces the Michigan States and Rutgers of the world, this stat line will look like more of what one should expect from a Penn State quarterback.
