For a while, the White Out looked like it might swallow Ohio State whole.
Instead, the Buckeyes survived a gritty Penn State team and Happy Valley's House of Horrors in a double-overtime thriller Saturday night.
"I'll probably never forget that look when I saw our offense taking the field against that White Out in the student section," head coach Urban Meyer said of the extra periods.
In two weekends, Ohio State will face a similar monster when it travels to Michigan State. The Buckeyes, admittedly, say it they have the nighttime bout circled on their calendars. But they'll play unranked Illinois — which beat Minnesota for its first home Big Ten win under head coach Tim Beckman. The Buckeyes are 28-point favorites, according to VegasInsider.com.
NOTES:
- Meyer said redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett will be limited in practice this week after suffering a sprained MCL in the second quarter against Penn State. Meyer said Ohio State's planned accordingly. "He's going to be a guy that you probably won't tell that he's limited."
- Meyer said he was pleased, "I don't want to say relieved" to escape Penn State with a win Saturday night. "Invested players and invested teams celebrate wins ... you were just in a street fight, you were winning, you started getting your tail kicked and you won."
- Meyer said Beaver Stadium is among the top-three atmospheres in college football.
- Meyer: "The offensive line did not play up to Ohio State standards."
- Meyer said Ohio State's playing with swagger defensively; said he can see it in the coaches, in the players.
- Meyer, stating the obvious, when it comes to Ohio State's offense Saturday: "I was not (pleased)." The Buckeyes were held to a season-low output of 293 yards. "It was nasty, I didn't like it."
- Meyer on playing a bad Illinois team with Michigan State looming after: "There will be no overlooking anything." Added the Fighting Illini are "much better ... much better than a year ago on defense."
- Meyer on having to be impressive down the stretch: "I think style points are real. Does it affect how we go about our business? No."
- Meyer said junior linebacker Devan Bogard will have ACL surgery for the third time in three years. Bogard suffered the injury against Rutgers two weeks ago.
- Meyer said safety Cam Burrows and defensive end Rashad Frazier should be back this weekend and that safety Ron Tanner and running back Bri'onte Dunn are "close."
- Meyer on how the college football playoff committee might operate and make decisions: "I spend zero time on that."
