The 11W Football Mailbag is the only stop you need for answers to your most pressing questions about Ohio State's next matchup. Have a question? Ask it, and if we can, we'll answer it.
Penn State's offensive line struggles have been well documented this season (especially against Temple). What kind of stat line do you expect to see from Ohio State's defensive front at the end of the game? Having been double teamed most of the year do you see this as a potential break out game for Joey Bosa (in terms of stats)? Also, what are the odds Bosa uses another human being to sack Christian Hackenberg again this year? — OSU_ALUM_05, BuckeyeCWRU and Seattle Linga
Penn State's offensive line issues were a popular topic among mailbag questions this week, and rightfully so. Let's start there.
The unit's been battling some nicks and bruises this year and is also relatively inexperienced. The ugly display at Temple — where the Owls beat Penn State for the first time since 1941 — was about as bad as a performance as you can get from an offensive line. Giving up 10 sacks is terrible, but Penn State recorded only nine first downs and 183 total yards. Bad, worse and horrible.
I think the Ohio State defensive line has an excellent chance to get to Christian Hackenberg often, but a lot of it depends on how well its secondary plays. Penn State's offensive line is playing better now that it has six games under its belt, but James Franklin and crew are also helping matters by calling a bunch of quick screens and other short passes. If the Ohio State secondary takes those away and Hackenberg is forced to improvise or go through his other options, Joey Bosa, Tyquan Lewis and others will have more time to get to him.
Bosa could break out, but he's still going to get plenty of attention from the opposition. It's going to be like that for as long as he's at Ohio State. The odds of him replicating his walk-off sack are slim to none, as even he said this week. I think Ohio State gets five sacks of Hackenberg.
What is the biggest difference between the PSU team that lost to Temple and the team facing the Bucks on Saturday? — FitzBuck
Good question, and I touched on this a little bit above when I said I think more experience for the offensive line has played an important role in Penn State's five straight wins. Also, no disrespect to any of the other opponents on its schedule, but Temple is 5-0. Yes, they play in the American Athletic Conference, but undefeated is undefeated.
Another thing that is different from Penn State this season than last is it isn't turning the ball over much. The Nittany Lions are +8 in turnover margin this year. In 2014, they were -5.
Eric, is the PSU defense as good as advertised and are there any weaknesses you think the Buckeye offensive staff will scheme to try to exploit? — ScarletNGrey01
Yes, I think Penn State's defense is as good as advertised. The numbers don't lie: The Nittanys rank third in total defense in the Big Ten and fourth in scoring defense. There are some dynamite defenses in the conference, and Penn State is certainly one of them.
I think Ohio State will try and exploit things in the short passing game, whether it be on slants to Michael Thomas or swings to Ezekiel Elliott, Braxton Miller or Curtis Samuel. The strength of Penn State's defense is its front four, so getting the ball away from there should be in the minds of Urban Meyer, Tim Beck and Ed Warinner.
Penn State's defense has allowed just one 100-yard rusher this season. How will Ohio State's offensive line perform in the trenches against a very good Penn State defensive front four? Will they break Elliott's current streak of 11 straight games over the century mark? — Icouldnotgofor3, KevinJ, BuckeyeWarrior27
Piggybacking a bit off what I said in the previous question, I think it'll be difficult for Ohio State to run the ball consistently inside against Penn State. I'm not saying the Buckeyes won't try, but if they can have success with Elliott up the middle or even on their beloved counter play, it would go a long way to sustaining drives and scoring points.
I think Elliott will still get his 100 yards, but barely. Think Maryland last week; the Terrapins put all their focus in stopping Ohio State's running game. I think Penn State will do the same. Elliott's still going to get his touches — he's too good a player not to — but we'll see if there's space to run.
Hackenberg was once thought to be a top QB in the country, this year has been extremely rough for him so far, with our secondary being extremely thin what will be the key to stopping the passing game? — Adamluangraj
Have you looked at his numbers or seen Penn State play at all this year? Hackenberg's totals (87-of-164 for 1,086 yards, seven touchdowns and two picks) are by no means overwhelming, but he's playing better than he did last year. I know the unit as a whole isn't all that special, but he's taking care of the ball better and making better decisions.
Ohio State's secondary depth is a growing concern for Meyer and his staff. The key will be getting to Hackenberg's wide receivers early and not missing tackles.
Regarding Christian Hackenberg — all I've heard for the last three years is how he's an NFL level talent and likely first round draft pick after this year. Watching him play for three years against Ohio State (as well as a few others) I've never really been impressed at all. I understand there are lot of other factors that have been hampering him so you can't just look at stats (which aren't impressive) — namely a leaky offensive line — but other college quarterbacks have had to deal with similar situations and done better. What am I missing that makes him such a good prospect? — CTBuckeye
Those are all excellent observations. Hackenberg's offensive lines have largely been the issue for him in his time at Penn State, as well as a head coaching switch and dealing with the transition into a new offensive scheme and personnel.
Like I mentioned above, his stats aren't too great this season, but they're not horrible, either. He's taking care of the ball, which helped Penn State win five straight games.
The reason he's so highly regarding among pro scouts is his ridiculous potential. They see his size (6-foot-4, 230 pounds), his powerful right arm, solid throwing motion and his experience in a pro-style offense. All those things are tools you need to succeed at the next level. Now, his mechanics are at time an issue and he has shied away in big games in the past. A good quarterback coach will fix the first issue and better protection/more help offensively could help fix the other. That's why he's so highly projected. He has the capability of being great. Just is a matter if he wants to work at it or not.
It seems like most of our opponents figure something out offensively when they play the Buckeyes. Is there something you think Penn State is going to get clicking that will give the defense troubles? Similar thought line — what do you think they might try to exploit about our defense? Is there something they might target the most? — BUCKEYE3M, ScarletNGrey01 and Steve-OH
Penn State is probably going to test Ohio State on the outside with quick screens and slant patterns. The screens were a problem in recent years, but the new press-quarters scheme and talented, fast athletes like Darron Lee, Vonn Bell and Raekwon McMillan help run them down.
Outside of that, look for Penn State to try and run the ball up the middle. It's easily the weakest part of the defensive front for Ohio State, and though the Penn State offensive line is a bit shaky, Akeel Lynch and Saquon Barkley could find space there.
Aside from the trenches, where else do you predict the key battles will be? — ISURVIVEDCOOPER
On the outside, when Ohio State's on offense. Penn State's secondary is solid. Whether or not the Ohio State wide receivers can create separation and Cardale Jones/J.T. Barrett get them the ball when they're open is a key matchup to watch.
With all the talk about the black uniforms and a black out at the stadium what do you expect the game time atmosphere to be like? Will we see an actual black out or will it fall flat? — Dweinz and BuckeyeCWRU
I think plenty of fans will wear black, but since more than 100,000 will be there to watch the game live, a total blackout is likely to fall short. Just hard to convince that many people to buy all that new gear for one game, in my opinion.
That won't stop the crowd from being loud and wild at kickoff, though. It is a night game, so there will be plenty of time for certain liquids to get consumed, and it is Penn State, after all.
In last year’s game, the momentum shifted after PSU picked off J.T. Barrett to start the third quarter. It really woke up a crowd that ended up playing a big part in the game. What kind of big play could set an already rowdy Ohio State home crowd off, to the point PSU is shaken? I think a long score by Braxton Miller or a kick return. — RK84
Great observation about last year's game. That pick-six by Anthony Zettel was not only a great play, but one Beaver Stadium needed to re-ignite what was a dormant fire underneath it.
A long touchdown run or pass by anybody would ignite the Ohio Stadium crowd. If it's on a kick return, that could be even better, because those are so rare.
Last couple of PSU games, we've had a 'signature' play. From Braxton's 'stop-n-go' to Bosa's 'walk-off sack' and not forgetting Ryan Shazier's 'Pick-6'. Do we get one this year? Who gets the pick-six? — KBonay and D1145Fresh
Don't forget about Chris Gamble's pick-six in 2002, either. That was as an iconic a play in a Penn State game as the others you mentioned.
Does Ohio State get one this year? Who knows. The track record isn't against it happening. If I had to say who would get the pick-six, I'd go with Vonn Bell.
What are the chances that Joey Bosa could replace Tommy Schutt permanently on the interior line to get our four best lineman on the field together? Then our starters would be two of Sam Hubbard, Tyquan Lewis, and Jalyn Holmes on the ends and Bosa and Adolphus Washington on the interior line. I'm not sure if I would have Washington switch back or just put Bosa in his Schutt's spot without moving Washington. Thoughts? — Gobucks2204
Pretty much zero. I see your desire to get the best players on the field, but it's hard to justify playing Bosa on the interior defensive line all the time. He's just so good at rushing the quarterback from his end spot.
I know Bosa's played inside some this season, but its typically been in special situations to get Hubbard on the field on a passing down. The trio of Lewis, Hubbard and Bosa on 3rd-and-long is scary.
Schutt's having a decent senior year and is finally healthy, so don't expect him to just get taken completely out of the equation.
How serious is our depth at DB moving forward? How come we aren't able to get Curtis Samuel the ball more? Do the coaches think Johnnie Dixon will ever be healthy enough to contribute? What is it going to take to get Marcus Baugh involved with the passing game? — BuckeyeCity
The depth in the defensive backfield is a concern, and Meyer admitted that Wednesday evening in his post-practice press conference. After all, a walk-on is now on the depth chart as a backup safety. The losses of Erick Smith, Damon Webb and Cam Burrows are creating some serious depth issues.
Samuel's lack of touches could be a direct result of Braxton Miller still being around. They're both in the same position now, and Meyer's going to get Miller the ball — just the way it is. Samuel's also been a bit banged up with some back spasms in recent weeks, potentially the reason for not getting the ball much.
In order for Baugh to get more involved in the passing game, Nick Vannett is either going to have to be injured and not playing or suspended. There's a reason Baugh's second on the depth chart, though Meyer's spoken glowingly recently about his blocking.
Being that the offensive play calling was much improved last week, do you think that Tom Herman will also secretly call the Penn State game? — Earthoid.
You're funny. Actually, all the people who complain about the play calling and beg for Tom Herman to come back are really hilarious to me. Why? Because last season when one little thing went wrong with the offense — you know, as it dealt with a rash of injuries at quarterback, the most important position on the field — some called for Herman's job.
Anyway, I do agree the play calling was much improved against Maryland, particularly in the red zone. Barrett is a solid runner which was clearly their directive once the offense got inside the 20. I think Ed Warinner and Tim Beck needed some time with Meyer to get used to one another and the personnel they have on offense, especially with Beck coming from an entirely different system at Nebraska. He's getting more responsibility, a likely plus because he's the one sitting up top and can see everything.
He'll never be Tom Herman, but last week's offensive performance should rest the minds of fans.
Tom Herman called our fan base an interesting sort in his latest presser. He said that we were 6-0 and averaging over 500 yards a game on offense and that everyone was "freakin' out." Are we? — Buckzilla1
Continuing the Tom Herman theme of the mailbag, I thank you for bringing this to my attention. I couldn't find where Herman said this, so if you're making it up, shame on you, but the point remains the same.
Ohio State fans are an interesting sort, no doubt about it. They're passionate and want to win at all costs, which is the same way Urban Meyer is as a coach. Oh, and by the way, that's pretty much all he's done since coming to Columbus. The offensive numbers are at or near the top in the conference right now and the Buckeyes are undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country. What more do you want?
Injury updates on Curtis Samuel and Darron Lee? — BrutusAndBeers
Darron Lee's been fine ever since getting leg-whipped against Western Michigan, so I don't think you need to worry about that anymore. Curtis Samuel should be good to go this week, too, at least based on everything Meyer's said.
We (fans and media) will be talking about Ohio State's two quarterbacks all year no matter what Meyer does, won't we? If J.T. was the full-time quarterback, I think each time he threw an incompletion or an interception, we'd be making so much noise about what Cardale could do. Do you see a situation — a decision Meyer could make — where we as fans and media wouldn't obsess about the two quarterbacks constantly? — BuckeyeInTheDesert
You're preaching to the choir. Now that fans saw what both Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett can do when the offense is solely theirs to run last season, as soon as one messes up one little thing they would be calling for the other guy to go in. Just how some fans are wired.
To your other question, no, I don't see a decision Meyer would make that would happen. Only way it does is if one of them gets injured, and I don't like wishing injuries on anybody.
Is this the game the offense and defense both click together, putting the nation back on notice that the B1G still runs through Columbus? — JohnnyKozmo
I'm pretty sure the nation still knows the Big Ten runs through Columbus. Once you're on top and until you're knocked off, that's going to remain the case.
Whether or not Ohio State can put together a complete game on both sides of the ball is one of the more interesting things I'll be watching for Saturday. The offense played well against a weak defense last week, while the defense struggled to stop another running quarterback. Hackenberg isn't a running quarterback, but he can sling it.
Can it happen? Absolutely. Will it happen? Time will tell, but Ohio State has good vibes about it after last weekend.
Is it a rivalry game? — Apack614
When I was at Ohio State for four years, the most hype obviously surrounded the Michigan game at the end of the season. It is the rivalry.
However, when Penn State came to town and when I went out there in 2012 to watch, the matchup nearly carried the same amount of importance. Penn State has great history just like Ohio State, so whenever the two teams get together on the football field it is a huge deal.
To answer your question, no, I don't think it's a rivalry. It's just a little bit different than say, a game against Iowa.
Can you ask Birm if we will get a Boom this weekend? — Buckguyfan1
I spoke with the Lord of Whispers, who told me there might be some more clarity with the future at running back after this weekend, but most of the big names that are visiting aren't expected to make decisions. There's always a chance, however. Recruiting is a funny game.
I'm coming up from New Orleans and my parents informed me that it might get near freezing temperature-wise during the game. Will this affect either team? I'm sure I'll feel like it's 10 below. — NOLABuckeye
It's certainly going to be a chilly night at Ohio Stadium, the first one of the year. October is half over.
I don't think it'll affect either team. These guys played in a chilly environment last year at Penn State and go to Big Ten schools. They're used to this.
Safe travels and make sure you bring your long sleeves and pants.
BONUS: Will you be wearing black? — SFlaBuckeye13
I have no idea. I normally don't decide my attire for games until about 10 minutes before I leave for the stadium after I shower. Unless it's a road game, then I have to plan a little differently.
Since it looks like it's going to be a little on the chilly side, I might get crazy and make it the first official Sweater Saturday of the season.
Thanks as always for all your questions. Looking forward to next week.
