| 06 November 2009
I do not feel good about this game. I think we have a decent shot but we have to be better than we have been recently. Consistency is an issue, not just for Pryor but overall. I think fans are getting too excited about having Larimore back. Being back and being healthy are two different things. He has been off for so long I can't imagine he is going to step in and play at the same level he was when he went down. A tackle pushing the pocket back is as important to the pass rush as the ends coming off the edges.
Keys to victory:
- We have to protect Pryor. Penn State is 4th in the nation in sacks. We have been vulnerable. I am very worried about left tackle. I argued for years with fans that Alex Boone was a solid tackle. Now we are seeing that he was. More Miller is a good thing. Cordle is lost out there.
- We have to get to Clark. He has yet to be good in a big game but recently he looks like he might be on the verge of changing that. He is playing really well. Sacks are great but pressure seems to bother him. Ohio State is 3rd in the country in interceptions. Getting one early could shake his confidence.
- Evan Royster runs for 100 yards, we will not win this game. Penn State has done a great job running the ball against the Buckeyes in recent years with our undersized tackles and no thumper in the middle. All year the key to Rolle being effective has been keeping him clean. It is tough for a linebacker his size to play the run clean, let alone with a guards helmet in his chest.
- A back, any of our backs, needs to have a good game. When Penn State feels like they can tee-off on Pryor, the offense stops.
- Pryor must step up. He does not need to be Vince Young but he needs to be better. No turnovers. If he does not turn the ball over we stay in the game.
So many of the numbers show two very similar teams. Penn State is 5th in total defense and rushing defense,12th in pass defense. Ohio State is 6th in total defense and rushing defense, and 14th in pass defense. Penn State is 1st in scoring defense, Ohio State 6th. Big play defense, both have their big pluses. Penn State is 4th in sacks, 2nd in tackles for loss. OSU is 20th and 46th, but third in pass interceptions. Where is goes south is in the passing game. Penn State is 34th in passing, Ohio State 94th. Ohio State is 50th in pass protection. That is scary going up against the 4th best pass rush in college football.
The importance of the interception issue cannot be underscored enough. I don't know if you have seen Penn State but their receivers do not impress. I like our defensive backfield on the ball versus their receivers. I think getting after Clark many be the single most important factor in the game. I watched the Iowa game. He was awful. If we can make him be awful again we can win this game.
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