Welcome to Femme Football, the Ohio State football coverage for Her Campus. Here, you’ll find an overview of this week’s game with in-depth explanation to build your understanding week by week, as well as position highlights that will teach the responsibilities of different players.
The Buckeyes lived up to their reputation as a second-half team against Penn State this weekend, pulling out a heart-stopping 39-38 win in the final minutes in what Urban Meyer says may be “the greatest comeback of his career.”
The first 30 seconds of the game showed the fans and players alike that Penn State came to play; Saquon Barkley returned the opening kick for a touchdown. Three minutes later, Penn State was leading by two touchdowns. Fans were tense; memories from the last game against That Team Up North (1) haunted peoples’ minds.
The doubt continued to settle. By the second quarter, Ohio State was down 21-3. The receivers dropped critical passes, although J.T. Barrett went on to pass for 328 yards, and the Buckeyes were continuously called for penalties, such as three false starts (2), a face mask (3), and a delay of game (4).
This game also epitomized the risks and surprises the biggest game of the year brings. The Buckeyes’ elected to attempt two two-point conversions (5), both of which resulted in no extra points. J.T. Barrett fumbled a snap (6), losing the ball to Penn State. Hearts sank. But when all hope was thought to be lost, Ohio State blocked a punt (7), resulting in a touchdown.
The defense was able to do what other teams before hadn’t: stuff Saquon Barkley. The running back who is in prominent in Heisman (8) conversation was limited to 44 rushing yards. The Silver Bullets held their own, ending the night with 13 tackles for a loss of yards and two sacks (9).
While the first few quarters were rough, a team (and a tenth unit) (10) with an unmatched determination to win came onto the field in the last minutes of the fourth quarter. J.T. Barrett marched the offense downfield in five plays for 76 yards to score in only one minute and twenty-two seconds, bringing the score to a close 38-33. After holding Penn State’s offense back, the Buckeyes’ drove 58 yards in one minute and nineteen seconds to score the touchdown that brought OSU the win, saving the season.
Ohio State finished the game with 529 total yards and 27 first downs, topping Penn State, but more importantly, the Buckeyes ended with a mass of thrilled fans holding each other on the field, screaming “Sweet Caroline.”
The position highlight this week is on J.T. Barrett, the quarterback, but in a capacity aside from his position. Barrett yet again proved himself an inspiring leader that inspired his team to push through the final minutes. He knew when he needed to step up and take care of business himself (he rushed for 95 yards), but trusted both his running backs and receivers to finish the job and his offensive line to give him time to read the field.
1 That Team Up North: The school from the state North of Ohio that looks like a mitten whose name is not said on Ohio State campus.
2 False start: Occurs when a member of the offense begins to move before the snap.
3 Face mask: A penalty that happens when a player grabs another player’s face mask.
4 Delay of game: A penalty that occurs when the offense does not snap the ball before the 25 second play clock runs out.
5 Two-point conversion: An extra point option in which a team attempts to run into the end zone for two points instead of kicking an extra point for one point.
6 Fumbled snap: Occurs when the quarterback drops the snap from his center.
7 Blocked a punt: Occurs when a member of the team receiving the punt (often on fourth down) reaches the punter and deflects the punt as he kicks it.
8 Heisman: The Heisman Trophy is awarded to a player who is deemed the best college football player in the country.
9 Sacks: Occurs when a member of the defense tackles the quarterback before he throws the ball.
10 The tenth unit: In football, there are nine different units on a team. Urban Meyer refers to the fans as the tenth unit, as they “play” by cheering so loudly that the opposing team cannot call their plays.