Buckeyes 38, Nittany Lions 14

Photo of Boom Herron by Marvin Fong
The Good
Offense
This begins with the offensive line and Zach Boren. In the second half those guys did a great job giving Boom Herron room to run. You need look no further than the Buckeyes' first touchdown of the game to see the evidence of that. Oh and how about that touchdown drive: 96 yards in 11 plays. I wouldn't mind seeing more of those. On the topic of Boom, he did a pretty good job creating his own space to run on his longest runs. Just look at those runs. Both of them are all Boom. Dane Sanzenbacher had a very quiet game, but his one catch was a good one. He was definitely in the right place at the right time on that touchdown.
Defense
It's a good thing Devon Torrence had that interception return for a touchdown. Before that, he was not having a good game at all. Travis Howard's interception was great. Hopefully, the defense can come up with more plays like that against Iowa. Before halftime, it looked like the only guys on the defense that were interested in playing were Ross Homan and Brian Rolle.
Special Teams
OK, so maybe there wasn't really anything spectacular about special teams, but the kicks have been deeper and the coverage has been way better.
The Bad
I could make this real easy and say that everything from the first half belongs here. And that's true, but I will break it down a little more than that. The offense looked like it was using the road playbook. The offensive line was great at giving just enough blocking for a 2-yard gain. The defense looked like the same group that lined up against Wisconsin. At halftime, I thought for sure I would be writing a scathing indictment of the Buckeyes lack of heart. While this isn't a scathing indictment, I will say this. It would be nice to see someone get in the face of other guys when the offense is stagnant and the defense gets punched in the mouth.
The Ugly
It would be easy to put most of the first half here too. I mean, sorting that first half into bad or ugly is splitting hairs. However, there is one thing that belongs here for sure. Did you see Chimdi Chekwa on Penn State's second touchdown? He looked like he didn't even know a play was happening. I have never seen any defensive back concede the end zone as easily as Chekwa did on that play.
Oh, and the penalties were pretty ugly too. Eight penalties. The team will need to shore that up against Iowa.
Schwinderjection
Lousy Buckeyes! Another nationally televised game and these guys show up the same as they did in the stinking Wisconsin game! Unbelievable! Won't someone tell these guys that a game is 60 minutes long? Oh, they got that message? Never mind.
Under the Radar player of the game
It's been a while since I've had this opportunity, so I am going to take full advantage. Your UtR player of the game is Zach Boren. He had some good blocks, clearing the way for Boom to get more than 190 yards.

Buckeyes 43, Bobcats 7

Let's get right to it, shall we?
The Good
Offense
It's a funny thing. Ohio State put up 43 points and 439 yards, but no one had the sort of game that makes you sit up and say "Wow!" Terrelle Pryor had a tremendous first half and ended with some pretty good numbers. I'll take 22 out of 29 every week. Dane Sanzenbacher had an amazing one-handed catch in the first half. And if that weren't enough, he finished the play by getting the first down. Jake Stoneburner had five receptions. I ask you, when was the last time an OSU tight end had five receptions in a game? Devier Posey had another good game. He definitely looks like the go-to receiver.
Defense
Wrap your mind around this one. The Buckeyes defense gave up only seven first downs in the entire game. The Bobcats finished with 158 total yards. That means the defense is doing a bang-up job. Ross Homan had a good game. The guy had four tackles in the first quarter. Devon Torrence was good. Cameron Heyward is a total beast.
Special Teams
Well, the special teams definitely had a better game. Aside from the return which would have given the Bobcats a 7-3 lead, the special teams did what it was supposed to do.
The Bad
Offense
I would have liked to see more from the running game. I mean, the opponent was a MAC team and the Buckeyes averaged only 3.9 yards per carry for the whole game. I know that's good enough for the Woody Hayes offense, but I think they could have done better against the competition.
Defense
I wished the defense could have finished with a shutout, but it's hard to complain about a performance like this.
The Ugly
I know what you're thinking. How could I have anything in the ugly for this game? How about the end of the first half? After 16 consecutive completions, Terrelle threw one short, then was sacked, then threw an interception. No es bueno.
Schwinderjection
Dear Jake Stoneburner, I realize you had a good game and I congratulate you. However, for the Buckeyes to maintain the status quo, I'm afraid Pryor won't be able to throw you the ball again until at least the Purdue game.
Under the Radar player of the game
Ross Homan would be a great candidate for this. However, I can go a little more under the radar than that. Devon Torrence caused the interception in the first quarter. If you ask me, that set the tone for the defense in the game and for that he is the UtR player of the game.