Blue White Illustrated

August 2022

Penn State Sports Magazine

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A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 9 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M At this point, it almost goes without saying that Ohio State is going to be scary good on offense. Only twice since the Big Ten's Griese- Brees Quarterback of the Year award was first bestowed in 2011 has a player from a school other than Ohio State won it. Only three times in the past 10 years has the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year trophy ended up somewhere other than Columbus. There is every reason to believe those trends will continue in 2022. C.J. Stroud concluded his debut season as the Buck- eyes' starting quarterback by carving up Utah in the Rose Bowl, totaling 573 pass- ing yards and 6 touchdowns, with re- ceiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba accounting for 347 of those yards and 3 scores on 15 catches in the 48-45 victory. Stroud finished his redshirt freshman season with 44 touchdown passes and just 6 interceptions, numbers that help explain why the sophomore is among the preseason Heisman Trophy favorites this coming year. If there are any concerns at Ohio State, they are focused on the other side of the ball. While the Buckeyes were as profi- cient as ever on offense last year, lead- ing the FBS in scoring at 45.7 points per game, they had some problems on de- fense. In addition to the trouble it en- countered against the Utes in Pasadena, Ohio State gave up 35 points in a Week 2 loss to Oregon and 42 to Michigan in The Game. OSU finished the year ranked 38th in scoring defense (22.8 points per game) and 59th in total defense (372.9 yards per game). The inconsistency did not sit well with head coach Ryan Day. "We played some games where we were really tough," Day said. "We were really physical in some games. And then there were other times where you watched the film and you just wished it was better. "One of the things we talk about is competitive stamina, bringing it every single week. The thing that's unique about Ohio State is that you're not allowed to lose a game here. I talked to the players about this in the offseason. The [Los An- geles] Rams went on a losing streak last year. They lost a bunch of games, but they played in the Super Bowl and won it all. You can't do that at Ohio State. You have to be tough week in and week out." What made the inconsistency even harder to swallow was that one of those bad days occurred at Michigan. The Buckeyes got shoved around in Ann Ar- bor, surrendering 297 yards and 6 touch- downs on the ground in a 42-27 loss to their archrival. In January, Ohio State hired Jim Knowles to take charge of its defense. In Knowles' four seasons at Oklahoma State, his defenses were known for their attacking style. Last year, the Cowboys led the FBS in sacks with 57. At Ohio State, Knowles inherited a depth chart that includes some poten- tial difference-makers in defensive ends Jack Sawyer and Zach Harrison, along with safeties Ronnie Hickman and Josh Proctor. Day is hoping the combination of new leadership and added experience will provide a lift. Knowles' defense "comes at you fast," Day said. "It's exciting to watch. It's ex- citing to see these guys have energy, be decisive, be physical. … It's exciting over there right now." — Matt Herb O C T . 2 9 | T I M E T B A | T V T B A | B E A V E R S T A D I U M | U N I V E R S I T Y P A R K , P A . When Michigan beat Ohio State last year, it was Ryan Day's first Big Ten loss in three-plus seasons as head coach of the Buckeyes. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL 2022 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2021 Result Sept. 3 Notre Dame — Sept. 10 Arkansas State — Sept. 17 Toledo — Sept. 24 Wisconsin — Oct. 1 Rutgers W, 52-13 Oct. 8 at Michigan State W, 56-7 Oct. 22 Iowa — Oct. 29 at Penn State W, 33-24 Nov. 5 at Northwestern — Nov. 12 Indiana W, 54-7 Nov. 19 at Maryland W, 66-17 Nov. 26 Michigan L, 42-27 WHAT COULD GO RIGHT Quarterback C.J. Stroud and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba could keep doing what they did to Utah in the Rose Bowl, forcing opponents to score in the 30s or 40s to have a chance of keeping up. WHAT COULD GO WRONG The Buckeyes could fail to solve their defensive issues and lose to Michigan again, this time at home. Ohio State hasn't dropped two in a row to its archrival since the 1999 and 2000 seasons, so that would be a severe blow to scarlet-and-gray self- esteem — as well as a likely playoff dis- qualifier. QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Ohio State leads 22-14 Last Meeting: Ohio State defeated visiting Penn State 33-24 on Oct. 30, 2021 Head Coach: Ryan Day (34-4 in three full seasons and one partial season at Ohio State; career coaching record: same) 2021 Record: 11-2, 8-1 Big Ten Returning Starters: 14 (6 offense, 6 de- fense, 2 specialists) RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: RB TreVeyon Henderson (1,248 yards, 15 TDs) Passing: QB C.J. Stroud (4,435 yards, 44 TDs) Receiving: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (1,606 yards, 9 TDs) Tackles: S Ronnie Hickman (100) Sacks: DE Zach Harrison (4.0) Interceptions: S Ronnie Hickman (2) WEEK 8 OHIO STATE

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