Ohio State barely had put to bed its latest win but Jalyn Holmes already looked ahead at what its defense is set to face in its next outing—a player Urban Meyer believes is among the best in the country.
“The fundamentals will be big next week,” the defensive end said in the bowels of Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday night. “Penn State, they've got a great running back so we've just gotta get back to the basics and everything will come together.”
The Buckeyes allowed 236 rushing yards in their 30-23 come-from-behind overtime win at Wisconsin, by far the most Holmes and his teammates gave up through its first six games. The only other time in 2016 an opponent rushed for more than 100 yards on Ohio State came in Week 3, when Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon led the charge in picking up 177.
“He just kind of came out of nowhere and was making crazy runs, crazy plays, hurdling guys and he’s just hard to tackle, pretty elusive and a big, strong guy.”– Sam Hubbard on Saquon Barkley
Meyer thought highly of both those players but never put them in the category he put Penn State's Saquon Barkley in on Monday.
“I will say this about Penn State, their first rounder tailback, and we believe this is as good a group of receivers we've faced, not this year, but in a while,” Meyer said.
Barkley shredded the Buckeyes for 194 yards on 26 carries in Ohio State's 38-10 victory against the Nittany Lions last October in Columbus. He didn't reach the end zone but Penn State barely did at all that night as Luke Fickell's defense made Christian Hackenberg's life miserable, sacking him five times. Hackenberg now plays for the New York Jets and James Franklin finally has one of his own quarterbacks, Trace McSorley, in the fold.
Wide receivers DeAndre Thompkins, Chris Godwin and DaeSean Hamilton all have at least 18 receptions this season, while tight end Mike Gesicki has 23 and two touchdowns. So Meyer knows what he's talking about when referencing Penn State's skill players having talent. But Barkley is the guy that stirs the drink and keeps the chains moving for the Nittany Lions—he has 582 yards on 117 carries this season and his eight touchdowns are tied for the most in the Big Ten with Iowa's Akrum Wadley.
“But that's No. 1 on the hit parade as far as Penn State, to stop them—you won't stop him, but minimize the impact the running back has on us,” Meyer said.
Ohio State's head coach said he heard enough from Fickell and Greg Schiano to know what challenge his defense faces Saturday night. Plus, he remembers the way Barkley ripped off big run after big run last season against a defense that included six NFL Draft picks.
“The kingpin of the whole offense is that tailback,” Meyer said Tuesday on the Big Ten teleconference. “I thought he hurt us last year. I think he’s a phenomenal player.”
Barkley recorded rushes of 18, 14 (twice), 23 and 56 yards in that game. He took advantage of an early ankle injury to linebacker Joshua Perry and inexperience in Perry's backup, Dante Booker, to piece together his huge day. All but one starter on Penn State's offensive line is back this season and while that unit struggled mightily last year and even some in 2016 it is playing better. Barkley set a Penn State freshman rushing record with 1,076 yards last year while averaging 5.9 yards per carry.
Barkley made an impression in Columbus last season.
“I remember him last year, for sure. We weren’t really expecting him… I mean, we weren’t really talking about him as much last year,” Ohio State defensive end Sam Hubbard said of Barkley on Monday. “He just kind of came out of nowhere and was making crazy runs, crazy plays, hurdling guys and he’s just hard to tackle, pretty elusive and a big, strong guy.
“We’re definitely going to be a lot more focused on him this year than we were last year.”
Meyer feels that way too, even if he doesn't feel like the Buckeyes will be able to stop Barkley completely. How they can at least slow him down doesn't take too many bells and whistles, Meyer said.
But Barkley's been on his mind ever since Ohio State left Madison late Saturday night.
“I'm going to give you the coach-speak answer,” Meyer said. “You got to tackle well and make sure your gap's sound.”
