5-stars: The best and worst of Ohio State’s win over Penn State

What went well, what didn’t for the Buckeyes? #GoBucks

For four quarters, Ohio State football dominated on the defensive side, while its offense did just enough to defeat Penn State, 20-12, in front of a home crowd in Columbus.

It wasn’t all easy for the Buckeyes, especially when you score just two touchdowns. The Nittany Lion defense should get plenty of credit for part of the output, as it was statistically one of the best in the country entering the contest.

As with every game, we take a look at who was the best, five stars, and the worst, one star, and everything in between in Ohio State’s slugfest win over visiting Penn State.

5 stars: The best and worst of Ohio State’s win on the road over Purdue

What who played well, who didn’t for the Bucks against Purdue? #GoBucks

[autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] went into Ross-Ade Stadium, and thoroughly defeated a [autotag]Purdue[/autotag] team that was severely overmatched.

It will not erase the past recent results in West Lafayette, but it has to feel good for head coach [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] and his team to go there and get a win. Ohio State improves to 4-5 there since 2000, something not many of us are accustomed to seeing or maybe even aware of.

There was a lot of good for the Buckeyes today and also some bad. Let’s take a look at the best performances, five stars, and worst performances, one star, of Ohio State’s 41-7 victory on the road against Purdue.

Five Potential Landing Spots for C.J. Stroud in the NFL draft

Breaking down the best potential landing spots for C.J. Stroud. #GoBucks

With the 2023 NFL draft upon us, there are a great many rumors surrounding former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud potentially falling on draft night.  Stroud led high-powered offenses in each of his two seasons starting and was a Heisman finalist in 2021 and 2022.

It appears most likely that former Alabama star Bryce Young will be the pick for the Panthers at No. 1. Beyond that, however, it’s unclear what will unfold.

There are plenty of teams in the top 10 that will be looking for quarterbacks. Plus, I also wouldn’t rule out a team trading up for Stroud if he falls, much like we saw with Justin Fields in the 2021 NFL draft.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Here is a look at some of the potential landing spots for Stroud as we get ready for all the hoopla that comes with the circus that is the NFL draft.

Ohio State rises to No. 2 nationally after latest 4-star 2024 commitment

Since the new year began one could argue no other program has done a better job.

Ohio State suffered a significant loss in December when No. 1 overall 2024 recruit Dylan Raiola decommitted. However, since the recruiting cycle got busy, no other program has done a better job of accumulating high-end high school football talent from around the country.

Over the last two weeks, the Buckeyes have gotten a flurry of new commitments from blue-chip recruits, including four-star twin offensive tackles Deontae Armstrong and Devontae Armstrong from St. Edward (Ohio). They have also replaced Raiola with Langston Hughes (Ga.) four-star quarterback Air Noland.

The latest addition is Lovejoy (Texas) four-star linebacker Payton Pierce.

According to On3, Pierce had offers from nearly 40 other schools, including Texas, Baylor, North Texas, TCU and Texas A&M. However, Pierce told Nick Harris at Rivals that Ohio State is a special opportunity.

“I have a really great relationship with Coach Laurinaitis. He’s done it at the highest level and he’s done it the right way. I think it’s really cool to have someone who knows how to do it at that university and at that position so I think it’s just a really special opportunity. Their defense fits me real well.”

Pierce (6-foot-1, 225 pounds) is ranked No. 15 among linebackers in his class and No. 27 overall in the state of Texas.

Ohio State’s class of 2024 now has 10 hard commits, with nine of them having a four or five-star rating. This group ranks No. 2 in the nation.

More football stories

Three different schools all recruit 3-star cornerbacks

Ranking Ohio State’s top 10 recruits of 2023

Ohio State finally gets a commitment from a transfer portal offensive lineman

The Buckeyes get an addition to their offensive line #GoBucks

The [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] team’s search for a transfer portal offensive lineman to help fill three vacant spots had come up empty until Wednesday. [autotag]Louisiana-Monroe[/autotag] offensive lineman [autotag]Victor Cutler[/autotag] ended the drought by committing to the Buckeyes.

The 6-foot, 2-inch, 280-pound guard will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. This is a very interesting addition because offensive guard is the only position along the line with returning starters, [autotag]Matthew Jones[/autotag] and[autotag]Donovan Jackson[/autotag].

Could one of them move inside and play center? That is a real possibility, but we will find out much more when spring practice begins and reports of what the offensive line looks like emerge. None of these three have the length teams are looking for at tackle, so it’s unlikely one of them moves to the outside of the line.

[mm-video type=video id=01gpyq26k0brhk7ax9h5 playlist_id=01eqbz0qtnjg5x7tc8 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gpyq26k0brhk7ax9h5/01gpyq26k0brhk7ax9h5-74c18cc118ee2a79b4a2e9c877936a07.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=104334]

[lawrence-related id=104052]

[listicle id=103617]

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on Twitter.

Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today

Report: Ohio State to get commitment from transfer portal quarterback

The Buckeyes add some quarterback depth #GoBucks

The [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] Buckeyes have added to their quarterback room over the past 36 hours. Obviously, we all know who they lost. C.J. Stroud declared for the NFL draft on Monday morning.

[autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] found a veteran presence to replace Stroud’s seat in the quarterback room, [autotag]Oregon State[/autotag] transfer [autotag]Tristan Gebbia[/autotag]. It’s clearly not a splash move for the program. The former Beaver has thrown for 1,250 yards in three seasons. Gebbia accounted for five touchdowns through the air while throwing four interceptions.

He’s an average runner, with less than 50 yards and three scores in his career on the ground. It seems he will be more of a mentor to [autotag]Kyle McCord[/autotag] and [autotag]Devin Brown[/autotag], who are viewed as the real contenders for the vacant starting spot. You also can never have too much depth at the position.

[autotag]Austin Ward[/autotag] was the first to report the news, while Gebbia’s Twitter account has been silent. We are awaiting word from the quarterback, but multiple reputable outlets have confirmed the addition.

[mm-video type=video id=01gpyq26k0brhk7ax9h5 playlist_id=01eqbz0qtnjg5x7tc8 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gpyq26k0brhk7ax9h5/01gpyq26k0brhk7ax9h5-74c18cc118ee2a79b4a2e9c877936a07.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=104203]

[listicle id=104230]

[listicle id=104268]

[listicle id=104260]

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on Twitter.

Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today

Ohio State running back spurns draft, will return to Columbus for another season

“Chop” is back! #GoBucks

The life of a running back is much shorter than any other position in football. The punishment players at the position take on a daily basis makes it very hard for them to play at a high level for a long period of time.

For [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] running back [autotag]Miyan Williams[/autotag] who had a break-out season and battled injuries, he still had a big decision on his hands this off-season. Today, Williams let everyone know what his intentions are by announcing that he will return to Columbus for another campaign.

We all know how tough Williams is, he attempted to play against our rivals along with Georgia, but he clearly wasn’t as healthy as he would have liked. He will now have plenty of time to heal up in advance for the punishment that he will receive and dish out next fall.

Last year Williams showed flashes of what he could be and really took a big leap forward. His touchdowns went up from 3 in 2021 to 14 this season, while his yardage jumped from 507 to 825 as well. If fully healthy next year, I expect “Chop” to go over the 1,000-yard mark even with splitting carries with [autotag]TreVeyon Henderson[/autotag].

[mm-video type=video id=01gnnvwqp5r8sn4jb2bd playlist_id=01eqbz0qtnjg5x7tc8 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gnnvwqp5r8sn4jb2bd/01gnnvwqp5r8sn4jb2bd-1d4427e9246394286e25a95059efe559.jpg]

[listicle id=103617]

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on Twitter.

Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today

Ohio State offers massive transfer portal offensive tackle

The Buckeyes are looking to the portal to fill potential gaps on their offensive line

Even though I’d like to believe [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] reads my content, I know he doesn’t.

What I do know is we both see a need at offensive tackle, especially considering the potential for both tackles, [autotag]Paris Johnson Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Dawand Jones[/autotag], to move to the next level after this season.

At minimum, one of the two will leave early. And with not much experience behind them, Day pulled the trigger on former Rhode Island offensive tackle [autotag]Ajani Cornelius[/autotag] and offered him a scholarship. The lineman checks in at 6 feet, 4 inches and 320 pounds. He is getting interest from a good number of Power Five programs, including Oregon, Nebraska, Tennessee, Boston College and Illinois.

The next step for the Buckeyes is getting Cornelius on campus, something Oregon did this past weekend. Hopefully Day can get that visit soon to show Cornelius what Ohio State has to offer.

[lawrence-related id=102213]

[lawrence-related id=102212]

[listicle id=102171]

[listicle id=101927]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz0qtnjg5x7tc8 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on Twitter.

Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today

Wisconsin Twitter reacts to Ohio State football’s 52-21 masterclass

Ohio State dominated from the beginning on Saturday night

It was a night that was over before it started. Wisconsin went down 7-0 thanks to a six-play, 88-yard blitz from Ohio State to begin the evening.

That was a sign of things to come, as the Buckeyes built an insurmountable 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Outside of an explosive 75-yard Braelon Allen touchdown run late, and a few decent drives sprinkled in, it was hard to find any positives for Wisconsin on a night to forget.

Badgers Twitter surely viewed it in a rational, calm way right? Maybe, and, well, maybe not. Here is a look at reactions from Wisconsin media, fans, and more:

Is Alabama projected to make playoffs? Latest bowl game predictions have interesting top-4

Some very big shakeups in these projections, and even more interesting matchups!

The Alabama Crimson Tide opened the season as the top-ranked team in the nation, following a fully-undefeated, national championship season in 2020. The team even operated as the No. 1 team for nearly half a season, before they fell to an unranked Texas A&M team on the road.

Now, Georgia is the highest-ranked team, and the three spots below it, which will join the Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff, have seen a starting lack of consistency since the Crimson Tide loss.

Alabama now ranks as the No. 3 team, with Cincinnati in second and Oklahoma at fourth.

USA TODAY recently released their latest bowl game predictions for the end of the season, including the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl, which are this season’s playoff semifinal contests.

In the Cotton Bowl, they have the Sooners of Oklahoma taking on the Georgia Bulldogs.

The Orange Bowl, according to the projection, is a rematch of the 2020 national championship game, which also took place in Miami, Alabama vs. Ohio State.

The projections don’t include the rankings, but the inclusion of Ohio State and the absence of Cincinnati are surely a big shake up compared to the current rankings.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to cover the Crimson Tide as they continue on through the 2021 college football season and look to capture national championship No. 19.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM.