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Ohio State’s Chip Kelly makes his millions playing football at Penn State

Posted on by L. Dreeye
Ohio State’s Chip Kelly makes his millions playing football at Penn State

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Ohio State used a variation of the “Go Big or Go Home” theme at Penn State on Saturday.

The No. 4 Buckeyes played a few big games and then headed home. Winners 20-13 over the third-ranked Nittany Lions.

Of course, there were some bad moments (Will Howard’s punt six and his ball in the end zone comes to mind). But between the goal line stand with 5:13 left (Caleb Downs’ defensive coverage was exceptional) and the touchdowns, Chip Kelly’s skillful play put the Buckeyes on more scoring plays than Penn State, which hasn’t beaten OSU since 2016.

Oh, and Jim Knowles’ defense didn’t allow a touchdown, thanks in part to a PSU play call. Why did the Nits run three times down the middle at the goal line late in the fourth quarter? Blunt.

OSU offensive coordinator Chip Kelly earns his keep

For the most part, Ohio State’s play under Chip Kelly hasn’t been much different from what Ryan Day has called it the past few years.

Then Saturday came and Kelly’s offensive abilities came out in full force, which must have been a big relief for Day, who had rid himself of some fans. For now. Day entered with a 2-6 record against top five teams, making the win huge on social media.

The Buckeyes added a few wrinkles that caught Penn State off guard, including a pair of quick throws to the tailbacks and a fake throw that led to a 21-yard touchdown pass from Will Howard to Brandon Inniss. Howard also found receiver Emeka Egbuka for a 25-yard touchdown after he faked a throw and looked to his right and found Egbuka alone to score.

Ohio State also used Howard effectively as a runner, opening the second half with an 11-yard run. The play sent a message to Penn State: Let Howard run at his own peril. Until he fumbles (see below).

Will Howard makes homecoming mistakes, but turns things around with his feet

Howard grew up in Pennsylvania and rooted for the Nittany Lions, so it was always a big game for the fifth-year senior quarterback, who made it clear after the Nebraska game that he was looking forward to showing PSU it should have recruited him tougher.

But sometimes the pressure of trying to prove people wrong comes back to bite you. Or maybe Howard just left.

Regardless of the reason, he made some terrible mistakes in the first half, throwing a pick-six on OSU’s first drive after telegraphing a pass to Jeremiah Smith and running out of the end zone on a 13-yard run that would have given the Buckeyes a 21-10 lead. . He also missed a deep throw to receiver Carnell Tate that likely would have been a touchdown had Tate not been thrown over the wrong shoulder and out of bounds.

Howard redeemed himself somewhat with his running, most notably a 3-yard run on fourth-and-2 with 1:20 left and another first down on third down in the final seconds to secure the win. Howard completed 16 of 24 passes for 182 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Seth McLaughlin takes pictures worth noticing

McLaughlin arrived as a transfer center from Alabama after struggling late in the season with the Crimson Tide. The snapping issue, which Ryan Day attributes to a rhythm issue with the Bama quarterback rather than a mental block, showed up again against Penn State. At least half a dozen shots to Howard were small, but none of them resulted in disaster.

At one point, Howard looked at McLaughlin and pressed his palms to the ground, clearly signaling to calm down.

Davison Igbinosun makes coaches both crazy and happy

Davison Igbinosun is a typical no-no-no-yes-yes-yes type of player who drives coaches crazy with his risky covering technique – he has to wear gloves in training to break the habit of being too mobile – but also makes them grateful that they have such a player.

The Ohio State quarterback is on the verge of being called for pass interference and making high-risk, high-reward plays that work in the Buckeyes’ favor.

Exhibit A: Igbinosun kept Penn State off the scoreboard in the second quarter when his choke tackle on Harrison Wallace III resulted in an interception in the end zone.

At some point, Igbinosun may cost OSU a game, but there are times, like Saturday, when he turns potential losses into wins.

The offensive line is rated a solid B (all things considered).

Despite operating on a relatively makeshift line, the Buckeyes’ offensive line, at least on the left side, held up for the most part. And got enough momentum late in the game to allow defensive backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshawn Judkins to ice the game on the ground.

Donovan Jackson, who moved from left guard to left tackle, allowed 2 1/2 sacks, but left guard Carson Hinzman, making his first start, was more than adequate. Overall, the line gained momentum as the game progressed. OSU finished with 176 yards, much better than last week’s 64 yards.

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