Grades: Ohio State

QUARTERBACKS:

Even with a completion percentage of just 50 percent, Trace McSorley found a way to be effective against Ohio State. Dealing with numerous drops from his wide receivers, McSorley still passed for 286 yards. But his biggest impact may have come on the ground, where he produced a career-high 175 yards.

GRADE: A-

RUNNING BACKS:

At best, Miles Sanders was a non-factor. A week after dominating Illinois, Sanders was kept in check by the Ohio State defense, rushing for just 43 yards on 16 carries. Sanders also produced a costly giveaway, fumbling late in the first half to set Ohio State up with a short field which the Buckeyes used to score their first touchdown.

GRADE: C-

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS:

Penn State’s pass catchers had little difficulty with the spectacular and much trouble with the routine against Ohio State. Juwan Johnson collected one of the most spectacular catches you’ll ever see for a gain of 31 yards, Pat Freiermuth came up with a one-handed touchdown grab and KJ Hamler outrain the Buckeye defense for a 93-yard touchdown on a simple slant play. But the Nttany Lions once again had difficulty reeling in easy catches from McSorley. They made up for it, however, with their blocking on the edge, helping to spring McSorley on numerous lengthy runs.

GRADE: B+

OFFENSIVE LINE:

The Nittany Lions were never going to run the ball through Ohio State like they did to Illinois a week ago, but Penn State’s offensive line had quite a bit of difficulty opening holes for Sanders. Even without Nick Bosa, the Buckeyes were frequently able to rush McSorley too. Ohio State finished the day with four sacks and 11 tackles for loss.

GRADE: C+

DEFENSIVE LINE:

Penn State’s defensive line dominated the first half and, overall, played much better than most expected. The Nittany Lions limited the Buckeyes to just 119 rushing yards and did a good job pressuring Dwayne Haskins in the first half before the pass rush struggled late.

GRADE: B+

LINEBACKERS:

Much like the defensive line, Penn State’s linebackers were unexpectedly effective. The Nittany Lions did an excellent job of plugging their gaps to limit the Ohio State running game. Dobbins never got going, and neither did the Buckeye offense until the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, a late explosion from Ohio State was enough to earn the win.

GRADE: B

DEFENSIVE BACKS:

Thanks to an improved pass rush, Penn State’s defensive backs had the game under control for the first three quarters. Garrett Taylor picked up an interception after an Ohio State wide receiver saw a pass bounce off his hands. Like the rest of the Penn State defense, though, the secondary deteriorated in the fourth quarter. Haskins passed for 138 of his 270 yards in the fourth quarter to lead the Buckeyes to a win.

GRADE: B-

SPECIAL TEAMS:

What had previously seemed like a relative strength for Penn State was more like a glaring hole on Saturday. Return men DeAndre Thompkins and Hamler were both held in check. Penn State punter Blake Gillikin struggled at times, and Jake Pinegar missed one of his three field goal attempts. Comparatively, Ohio State punter Drue Chrisman may have been the best player on the field, forcing the Nittany Lions to start from deep in their own territory several times while the Buckeye offense sputtered.

GRADE: C

COACHES:

The defensive adjustments made by Brent Pry alone are worthy of positive grade. His defense slowed the nation’s No. 2 scoring offense to a halt after a concerning performance against a lowly Illinois team. However, James Franklin’s decision to hand the ball off on a game-defining fourth-and-5 was questionable, and he said he should have called something different postgame. There were a lot of positive over the course of 60 minutes, but that's not what fans are going to remember. That's why we have to bump this down.

GRADE: C