Penn State returns from its bye week searching for traction after a 3-4 start that has tested the roster\u2019s depth and resolve. The Nittany Lions travel to Columbus for their eighth game of the season, a meeting with top-ranked Ohio State that will test their toughness and execution. Both programs had two weeks to prepare, leaving no excuse for sloppy football.<\/p>\n
Penn State returns from its bye week searching for traction after a 3-4 start that has tested the roster\u2019s depth and resolve. The Nittany Lions travel to Columbus for their eighth game of the season, a meeting with top-ranked Ohio State that will test their toughness and execution. Both programs had two weeks to prepare, leaving no excuse for sloppy football.<\/p>\n
Interim head coach Terry Smith<\/a> has challenged his team to reset its approach and embrace the opportunity. \u201cWe have a tremendous opportunity here on Saturday to go to Ohio State,\u201d Smith said earlier this week. \u201cThey\u2019re a very well-coached team, very talented. This is why you come to Penn State, to play a game like this and be able to compete against the No. 1 team in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n The message has been consistent. Play clean, control the line of scrimmage, and rediscover the physical identity that has defined Penn State football.<\/p>\n Ohio State\u2019s offense remains efficient, but its run game has shown vulnerability. The Buckeyes average under 160 rushing yards per contest and have struggled most on the right side of the line, where guard Tegra Tshabola<\/a> and tackle Phillip Daniels have had trouble maintaining leverage and finishing blocks.<\/p>\n Penn State must exploit that weakness. The defensive line should use stunts and slants through interior gaps to create early disruption. Winning first down will be critical. If the Lions can force second-and-long, they can dictate tempo and limit Ohio State\u2019s play-action options.<\/p>\n The Buckeyes\u2019 short-yardage execution has also been inconsistent, particularly on third-and-short runs up the middle. Turning those downs into stops could swing momentum and field position.<\/p>\n Penn State\u2019s defense has been stronger against the pass than the run, but it needs faster pursuit and cleaner tackling. Smith and his staff used the bye week to retool rotations and add athleticism at key spots.<\/p>\n Freshman defensive end Chaz Coleman<\/a> is expected to play more after flashing burst and power off the edge. At linebacker, Alex Tatsch and Cam Smith will see expanded snaps to inject speed and range. In the secondary, cornerback Jahmir Joseph<\/a> is slated for more work in nickel packages. \u201cWe just have to create more depth at the linebacker position,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWhen Tony Rojas<\/a> went down, that\u2019s a big gap we haven\u2019t replaced yet, so we\u2019re searching for some answers to help the defensive line stop the run game.\u201d<\/p>\n Those additions should help close running lanes and give the Lions more versatility in coverage. The secondary remains a strength, but the front seven must hold its ground and tackle decisively to prevent Ohio State\u2019s backs from breaking long gains.<\/p>\n Offensively, Smith has made it clear he wants a more vertical passing attack. He has pressed offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki<\/a> to move away from short throws and expand the field. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to throw the ball so much horizontally,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWe want to throw it vertically.\u201d<\/p>\n That shift also calls for simplification. Kotelnicki needs to shelve the two-quarterback looks and stop the gimmicky packages. The priority is getting Ethan Grunkemeyer<\/a> into rhythm in just his second start. He needs steady snaps, not rotation. It is already a tall task for the freshman to face the Ohio Stadium crowd. However, it doubles as a homecoming since Grunkemeyer starred at Olentangy High School just north of Columbus.<\/p>\n Smith said the staff\u2019s focus is on giving Grunkemeyer a clear plan. \u201cWe got to put him in position to succeed,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can\u2019t ask him to go out there and throw the ball 45 times and be effective and win that way. We\u2019ve got to create the run game and have some pass plays off the run game.\u201d<\/p>\n The new vertical approach highlights receivers Cory Koby Howard<\/a> and Tyseer Denmark<\/a>, both expected to see more reps. Their speed can stretch Ohio State\u2019s coverage and open space for running back Kaytron Allen<\/a>, who remains the offense\u2019s foundation. \u201cThe most important thing we have to do is be able to run the football,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWe have to out-rush Ohio State to have a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n Protection will determine how far the plan can go. Ohio State\u2019s defensive front is deep and athletic. Penn State\u2019s offensive line must communicate and stay composed against interior pressure to keep the pocket clean and drives alive.<\/p>\n Oddsmakers have Ohio State favored by 18.5 points after the line opened at 21, a spread that underscores the challenge ahead. Smith said the focus for Penn State isn\u2019t the numbers but the response. \u201cObviously, no one is giving us a chance,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it\u2019s motivation. No one believes in us, and we\u2019re going to come out and fight.\u201d To compete, Penn State must win on early downs, stay balanced, and avoid the penalties and turnovers that have derailed drives all season. The Lions can\u2019t match the Buckeyes\u2019 depth, but they can close the gap with tempo, toughness, and focus.<\/p>\n This game won\u2019t change Ohio State\u2019s path, but it can change Penn State\u2019s tone. A hard, competitive effort in Columbus would show that the team still has fight and that Smith\u2019s message is starting to take hold inside a locker room that badly needs a response.<\/p>\n Main Image: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Penn State returns from its bye week searching for traction after a 3-4 start that has tested the roster\u2019s depth and resolve. The Nittany Lions travel to Columbus for their eighth game of the season, a meeting with top-ranked Ohio State that will test their toughness and execution. Both programs had two weeks to prepare, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5544,"featured_media":81891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,2,17,35609,35610],"tags":[32817,8061],"class_list":["post-81885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bigten","category-featured","category-news","category-ohio-state-buckeyes","category-penn-state-nittany-lions","tag-andy-kotelnicki","tag-cam-smith"],"modified_by":"Tony Siracusa, CFB Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5544"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81885"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81892,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81885\/revisions\/81892"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Targeting Ohio State\u2019s Run-Game Issues<\/h3>\n
Youth and Speed on Defense<\/h3>\n
Pushing the Passing Game Downfield<\/h3>\n
What Penn State Needs to Do<\/h3>\n