The Ohio State Buckeyes were nearly 20-point favorites on the road against Penn State but, with the aid of a questionable no-call, Urban Meyer's team came up short in their quest for an undefeated 2016 season. While there was plenty of blame to go around for the Buckeyes, one position group stood out as the centerpiece of the team's struggles.
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The offensive line.
ESPN's Todd Blackledge highlighted part of the story:
JT Barrett was sacked only 5x in the first 6 games. Last night the PSU D sacked him 5x in the second half, including the last 2 plays!
— Todd Blackledge (@Todd_Blackledge) October 23, 2016
Ohio State held a 21-7 lead and looked to be well on their way to a runaway victory, but the offensive line play slipped precipitously down the stretch. As noted above, the Buckeyes allowed five sacks in the second half (six total) and, for good measure, Penn State was able to generate a staggering 11 tackles for loss in the game.
While the Nittany Lions should be credited for ferocious play, this wasn't a typical Ohio State performance up front. Right tackle Isaiah Prince and true freshman Michael Jordan were particularly glaring in their ineffectiveness and, with a game looming against Michigan's dominant defensive line in late November, the Buckeyes have plenty of work to do to sure up that position group.
Fortunately, a clean finish to the season, featuring a win over Michigan, would likely be enough to vault Ohio State to the College Football Playoff, but the offensive line absolutely must improve for that to come to fruition.
