Buckeyes Took Care Of Business

Ohio State defeated Penn State 38-14, as the Buckeyes delighted in ruining any type of homecoming by former Ohio State defensive coordinator and current Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin had a spectacular game, completing 20 of 23 passes for 316 yards and 4 touchdowns. Penn State has now lost 5 straight games and sits at 3-5 for the season and winless in The Big Ten.

Hoosiers Handle The Terps

Indiana went on the road at Maryland, easily defeating the Terrapins 55-10. Heisman Trophy hopeful Fernando Mendoza threw for 1 touchdown, while also running for 1 touchdown, and the Hoosiers are keeping pace with the Buckeyes as both are undefeated. Maryland is 1-4 in Big Ten play, with a 4-4 overall record.

Still Fight Left In The Fighting Illini

Coming off two disappointing Big Ten losses to Ohio State and at Washington, Illinois defeated Rutgers 35-13. Illinois now sits at 6-3 overall, with a 3-3 Big Ten record. While playing for The Big Ten conference championship is probably not going to happen, Illinois may still be able to qualify for a College Football Playoff berth. Rutgers fell to 1-5 in Big Ten play, and now has a 4-5 record. The Scarlet Knights need to win two more games to qualify for bowl eligibility.

An Overtime Battle In Minnesota

Minnesota held a 10-0 halftime lead over the visiting Michigan State Spartans, then saw Michigan State claw back to take the lead in the second half. Minnesota forced the game into overtime, and Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey scored the winning touchdown on a 3 yard touchdown run to win 23-20. Like Illinois, Minnesota may not be in The Big Ten Championship Game, but may still be able to qualify for a College Football Playoff spot, as the Golden Gophers now sit at 4-2 in Big Ten play and 6-3 overall. Michigan State fell to 3-6 for the season, and are now 0-6 in Big Ten play. The Spartans will need to win their remaining three games of the regular season to qualify for a bowl game.

USC Keeps Playoff Hopes Alive

The Trojans went on the road to Lincoln, Nebraska, and defeated the Cornhuskers 21-17. USC still holds Big Ten championship hopes with a 4-1 conference record and a 6-2 record. The defeat was even more painful for Nebraska, as starting quarterback Dylan Raiola sustained an injury that will keep him out for the remainder of the season. Nebraska now is at 3-3 in Big Ten play, with a 6-3 overall record.

The Wolverines Are Running Into November Contention

Michigan defeated the visiting Purdue Boilermakers 21-16, behind an impressive rushing performance by Jordan Marshall (25 carries for 185 yards and 3 touchdowns). Michigan has a 7-2 overall record, with a 5-1 conference record. Purdue fell to 2-7, and are now 0-6 in Big Ten play.

Ohio State and Indiana sit atop the conference standings as the only undefeated teams in The Big Ten, with Iowa, Michigan, Oregon, and USC all one game behind in The Big Ten race with one conference loss. Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue, and Wisconsin are all winless in conference play as the season begins the final month of the regular season.

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With nearly 6 months before the game on November 1st, the highly anticipated match up between Penn State and Ohio State was ratcheted up after the publication of a story by Heather Dinich of ESPN.com on May 6th. Dinich’s story gave college football fans, most notably Ohio State and Penn State fans, insight into the reasons why Jim Knowles left his position as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator to join Jim Franklin’s staff at Penn State for this upcoming season.

In the article, Knowles explained to Dinich his reasoning for leaving Ohio State, despite the Buckeyes’ recent national championship success. Essentially, Knowles wanted a contract extension/adjustment prior to Ohio State’s national championship game versus Notre Dame, and when the adjustment did not happen, Knowles felt that it was in his best interests to look elsewhere.

In the article, Jim Knowles stated, “I did not want to put anyone, including myself, in a position to have to deal with it immediately following the national championship game…And that’s the way it happened…Season’s over, everything coming to a head again quickly…Ohio State hasn’t come forward with a deal, and it’s like, OK, if I’m going to act on this or at least explore it, I have got to make the call.“.

Adding to the awkwardness of the situation was how this all played out in the backdrop of a national championship celebration at Ohio Stadium, minus Jim Knowles. Negotiations with Knowles were ongoing, and Knowles was asked not to attend the celebration. In the article, Knowles stated, “I was asked not to go to the parade, and I respect that…I’m not trying to be a secretive guy. Here’s this offer, there were a couple others that were every bit as much money, and then there was Ohio State’s offer, which was still great money, but not as much, so then you have to sit with it.”.

Both Penn State and Ohio State have moved on, with Knowles taking over as Penn State’s defensive coordinator, while Ohio State head coach Ryan Day elected to hire Matt Patricia as defensive coordinator, while also promoting Tim Walton to co-defensive coordinator. Needless to say, the backstory and drama surrounding the departure of Jim Knowles from Ohio State to a rival Big Ten program in Penn State has only fueled the anticipation for one of college football’s biggest games of the 2025 season.

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Chambers arrived as a Buckeye first as a running back. Two seasons later, Chambers jumped across the line of scrimmage and became a linebacker where he’d earn All-Big Ten honors in his career.

Now at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Chambers said his focus on the NFL Draft couldn’t be sharper if it weren’t for his time at Ohio State.

“It’s prepared me for everything,” Chambers told the media on Wednesday afternoon. “It’s just prepared me for life. I mean, what coach (Ryan) Day, coach (Jim) Knowles, coach Mick (Marotti), everything they do, they just, they work to make you a better man, a better person on and off the field. So I’ve got so much gratitude for that place I can’t really explain it.”

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On Tuesday, the Selection Committee released its fifth version of the rankings, with No. 3 Washington and No. 4 Florida State moving up one spot each and No. 6 Ohio State falling three places. 

PODCAST: Week 13 almost had all-out chaos

Sunday will be the day that the Playoff field will be set and unveiled, with the semifinal games taking place at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles and Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. 

Here are several players and notes to keep a tab on in this week’s Big Board.   

Conference championship week will reveal true contenders 

Up until this point in the season, an array of teams had their hats involved in the mix to compete for berths in their respective conferences’ championship games. 

The field is set. 

On Friday, No. 5 Oregon and No. 3 Washington will face off one more time for supremacy in the Pac-12 Conference. 

Then, on Saturday, No. 18 Oklahoma State and No. 7 Texas will kick off the day in the Big 12 Championship. 

The Southeastern Conference title will be on the line between No. 1 Georgia and No. 8 Alabama. 

No. 2 Michigan will look to make it three-straight Big Ten Championship victories and play No. 16 Iowa on Saturday night. 

No. 4 Florida State is back in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship game for the first time since 2014, and the Seminoles will compete against No. 14 Louisville. 

Teams such as Texas and Alabama are hoping for extra movement at the top of the CFP rankings to help their chances of getting in the Playoff. 

Others, such as Washington and Oregon, are playing for their Playoff lives. Winner goes on, loser goes home. 

How does Ohio State’s third-straight loss to Michigan affect the program? 

The Buckeyes have been on the losing side of “The Game” against Michigan for three years in a row. 

READ: Washington rises to No. 3, Buckeyes fall to No. 6 in 5th CFP rankings

That’s not the standard that Ohio State or head coach Ryan Day wants. Day has clearly stated the three goals he wants to achieve each season: beat Michigan, win the Big Ten Championship and win the national championship. 

Ohio State hasn’t checked any of those three boxes in several seasons. A third-straight loss to the Wolverines will serve as a greater awakening point for the program, though the first two also served as such. 

Day will have some adjustments he will need to make. He also must make sure his seat is safe as there will certainly be speculation whether he will remain Ohio State’s head coach entering the offseason. 

Whether Day is the Buckeyes’ head coach next season will be something that remains to be seen. Ohio State brought in Jim Knowles to serve as defensive coordinator after the first Michigan loss, and the Buckeyes named Brian Hartline offensive coordinator prior to this season. 

Ohio State must address the areas it needs in order to top Michigan once again, and Day will be at the forefront of discussions. 

Transfer portal season is heating up 

The first day that the transfer portal will open is Monday, and an influx of players are expected to enter this cycle as is the case every year. 

READ: Quotables: Week 13

The portal will already have entrants in the form of two Power 5 quarterbacks. 

Kansas State quarterback Will Howard announced Monday that he will enter the portal. Howard has spent the past four seasons with the Wildcats, and this year he has 2,190 passing yards and 21 touchdowns which are both career highs. 

Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke also announced Monday his intentions to enter the transfer portal. Van Dyke has 2,703 passing yards this season along with 19 touchdowns, which are both fifth-best in the ACC. 

The portal will open Monday and stay open until Jan. 2, 2024. It also coincides with the early signing period and National Signing Day which will take place on Dec. 20. 

Get ready for lots of roster movement. 

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That answer could remain in either No. 1 Georgia or No. 2 Michigan, while the latter is currently the subject of an alleged sign stealing investigation by the NCAA. 

PODCAST: Do we have any more clarity after some major week eight decisions?

Or, it could be any of the remaining six unbeaten teams, such as No. 3 Ohio State or No. 4 Florida State. 

Penn State and North Carolina suffered their first losses of the season in Week 8 and face an uphill climb back into title contention. 

Here are several players and notes to keep a tab on in this week’s Big Board. 

Midseason All-American lists are released 

A number of outlets released their midseason All-American lists in recent weeks, including Sporting News, The Associated Press and ESPN. 

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was unanimously named to all three midseason All-American lists. He is joined by Notre Dame running back Audric Estime, LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers as offensive skill players named to all three lists. 

Among the others who were named unanimous midseason All-Americans includes: offensive guards Cooper Beebe of Kansas State and Zak Zinter of Michigan; linebacker Dallas Turner of Alabama; edge rusher Laiatu Latu of UCLA; defensive lineman Howard Cross III of Notre Dame; linebacker Edgerrin Cooper of Texas A&M; safeties Malaki Starks of Georgia and Jaylin Simpson of Auburn; and punter Tory Taylor of Iowa. 

How will Ewers’ injury impact Texas? 

According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers “is expected to miss some time” with a grade 2 AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder. 

The Longhorns nearly suffered a setback at the hands of Houston on Saturday. They escaped with a 31-24 win but now face questions surrounding their quarterback position. 

Ewers ranked No. 10 in completion percentage and No. 15 in passing efficiency among quarterbacks this season. He’s a key part of the Longhorns offense in year two with Ewers under center. 

So where does Texas turn from here? The answer may already have been in front of the Longhorns with quarterback Maalik Murphy. 

Murphy entered the game after Ewers departed, and he filled the role while Texas held off the Cougars. Murphy completed one pass for seven yards among two attempts. 

Murphy is a former four-star recruit according to 247 Sports, and he has the tools necessary to keep Texas afloat this season, standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 238 pounds. Texas also has five-star freshman Arch Manning in the same quarterbacks room. 

Texas has five games left before conference championship season heats up, and the Longhorns are prime in the Big 12 race. Their loss to Oklahoma could loom large, as does a potential rematch, but Ewers’ absence will loom even larger until his return. 

How will Ohio State’s defense hold up the rest of the season? 

Ryan Day said the Buckeyes played “championship level” defense against Penn State on Saturday. 

Ohio State isn’t typically known for its defense. High-powered, explosive offense is usually the name of the game for the Buckeyes. 

READ: Quotables: Week 8

But in 2023, teams are having trouble moving the ball and scoring against the Buckeyes. They rank No. 4 in the country in total defense allowing an average of 260.1 yards per game and No. 3 in scoring defense allowing 10 points per game. 

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has transformed the Ohio State defense in two years under his tutelage. He attributed the dramatic change thus far to “knowing the scheme” and having it honed against opponents. 

Ohio State will face three teams among its final five games that rank within the bottom half of the Big Ten Conference in total offense: Rutgers, Michigan State and Minnesota. 

The other two remaining games are against Wisconsin, which ranks fifth in the conference, and at Michigan, which is third. It’ll be a test and fun challenge to see how the Buckeyes continue to hold up and do so among the best nationally. 

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The Buckeyes defense had just forced their second-straight and fourth three-and-out of the day, and the Nittany Lions lined up to punt at their own 11-yard line. 

PODCAST: The Shane Beamer Story Isn’t That Serious

Penn State punter Riley Thompson punted 40 yards down the field, but the football kicked off Ohio State’s Lorenzo Styles Jr. and into the arms of the Nittany Lions, setting up their new possession at their 48-yard line in a 10-6 game. 

Ohio State’s defense went out and stopped the Nittany Lions on a three-and-out again. 

“Probably where I’m most proud of them is we got to stop in their end and then we turned it over on the punt return and we came right back out and stopped them again,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “I think that shows a lot of confidence and a lot of want to, ‘Hey, OK, that’s fine.’ You don’t flinch in that situation because that’s easy to hang your head, and they went out there and got to stop so I think that sequence right there kind of shows where we’re at right now.” 

Ohio State’s defense stole the show during Saturday’s top-10 bout with Penn State, snapping the Nittany Lions’ 13-game streak of at least 30 points and holding them to a season-low 240 total yards. 

Penn State had trouble converting and sustaining drives, going 1-for-16 on third down and 1-for-3 on fourth down. 

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said he felt the Buckeyes fed off of one another on defense, and he said Ohio Stadium was “as loud as I’ve heard in a long time.” 

“I just felt the toughness, the physicality on defense,” Day said. “We started off with really stopping the run and then forcing to throw the ball, and there’s a lot of people who did a lot of great things on defense, but I got to give Jim Knowles a lot of credit and his staff for the adjustments they’ve made. That was two top-10 wins now in the first seven games where our defense played really well, and now I’m happy for our guys.” 

This season has brought a significant change to the Buckeyes defense, which has faced challenges allowing explosive plays and teams the ability to beat them with big yardage plays. 

Penn State nearly had Ohio State’s number in 2022 when they had the Buckeyes within 30-24 with less than six minutes remaining before scoring two touchdowns. This year, Ohio State dominated on defense. 

“They now have confidence that they can win the game on defense,” Knowles said. “I don’t look at stats, but I guess Penn State had a pretty good defense, so we talked to them before the game about, ‘Hey, you’re not just playing Penn State’s offense — you’re playing Penn State’s defense.’ If they make one play, we got to make two. If they make two, we got to make three so it’s a sense of maturity, leadership, yeah, maybe a little chip on your shoulder, and we’ve done a lot of work to have everyone have faith in us for sure.” 

READ: Report: Michigan being investigated into alleged sign stealing 

Through seven games Ohio State has a defense that ranks inside the top 10 in the country in total defense and third in the Big Ten Conference in scoring defense. 

It’s a change that Knowles attributes to knowing the scheme and applying it the best they can. 

“They know the scheme, and when I make adjustments during the week and the things you talked about that we had to get the stops, we had to get them off schedule and we make little adjustments in the scheme. They pick up on it, and that’s a big deal because winning those downs in a game like that is huge and that only comes with preparation and with guys who are knowledgeable about the scheme.” 

Day highlighted the play of freshman cornerback Jermaine Matthews Jr. for stepping up in his performance especially in the absence of junior Denzel Burke who missed the game with injury. 

Ohio State linebackers Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers topped the tackles totaled for the Buckeyes on Saturday collecting a combined 14 tackles. The linebacker corps was an area that stood out to Knowles. 

“That intermediate passing game combined with really strong running attack; we knew that they were going to be a real focus in terms of making plays,” Knowles said. “I’ve always had faith in them and they’re doing the right things. And then it’s that competitive excellence. It’s showing up when we need them the most and those guys are veterans and they showed that we can count on them.” 

Saturday served as sort of a high point of this season for Ohio State’s defense, which now has two top-10 wins under its belt and allowed 14 points or fewer in each game. 

“I thought that was the most confident and energetic group that I’ve been around probably since ’19 out there on the field today,” Day said. “The whole group was just, they had that look in their eye and they were getting the crowd involved.” 

READ: No. 3 Ohio State pulls away from No. 7 Penn State 20-12 

Day reiterated that the expectation at Ohio State “is to be the best in the country,” and he thinks the Buckeyes defense “has a chance to do that.” 

Another top-10 win with a clunky offense that got going when it needed to paired with a defense that made the stops is something that makes the Buckeyes and Day proud, and he said Knowles is “taking the next step with our personnel and the guys are playing with confidence.” 

“I’ll forget some guys because there was just a lot of great play on defense but if we can play like this, then that’s championship level defense,” Day said. “And if we can keep growing as a team, then we’ll be tough to beat here down the road.” 

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Ohio State opened its first of 25 preseason Thursday and figures to monitor several position battles, notably at starting quarterback among junior Kyle McCord and sophomore Devin Brown. 

Head coach Ryan Day is no stranger to quarterback competition. This season marks the second in three years and third in Day’s five-year tenure that the Buckeyes will compete to determine the Week 1 starter. 

“Those guys have to believe in the quarterback,” Day said. “That’s a huge part of it. It starts in the weight room — you guys have heard me talk about that before with Mick (Marotti). The guys see the work that’s put in. They see the leadership, the ability to stand up in front of a group of guys and project and talk to them and lead them. Those all matter.” 

The Buckeyes also hope to see three players step into starting roles along the offensive line. Former starting offensive tackles Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones as well as center Luke Wypler began their NFL careers, leaving Ohio State with three positions to fill. 

Defensively, Ohio State expects to fine tune and address areas that plagued it during games that mattered most under second-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. 

Knowles and the Buckeyes may flash the hybrid linebacker “Jack” position more in 2023. It’s a position Day said will require time and patience when it comes to its complexity. 

“If we think that the Jack will give us something — we have like three or four guys that we think will be really good at the Jack position — we’ll do that,” Day said. “It’s certainly a package that brings a lot of confusion to the defense and it’s a little bit different in terms of the fits so it gives us something but at the same time we want to make sure it’s the right mix.” 

Knowles, who returns for a second season as Ohio State defensive coordinator, will be tasked with mixing and matching a largely familiar returning group on defense. 

Ohio State saw three defensive backs transfer into the program when Ja’Had Carter, Davison Igbinosun and Lorenzo Styles Jr. opted to become Buckeyes. Former Ole Miss defensive tackle Tywone Malone also transferred, and he will add another lineman up front behind his 6-foot-4, 315-pound frame. 

At this point in fall camp, it is still early. Day said McCord and Brown will continue to split reps and the Buckeyes will chart virtually everything in camp as they work toward the start of the college football season. 

“I think you just try to mix it up,” Knowles said. “Really at this stage you’re just trying to place guys so that they can maximize the reps, and you’re not really experimenting as much as you’re seeing how players react when things start moving quickly.” 

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