Ohio State-Penn State Postgame

This weekend's game was a big stepping stone for the Buckeyes and Terelle Pryor in particular. With the commanding win over the Nittany Lions and Iowa's loss to Northwestern earlier in the day, all that separates Ohio State from a trip to the Rose Bowl is a win this week against the Hawkeyes. That's right, though it once seemed like the best the Bucks could hope for was the Outback Bowl after losing at Purdue, they don't even need to show up against Michigan if Iowa is defeated. 

The three things that stood out in this game were Ray Small, Terelle Pryor, and the Buckeye defense. Small had a great game returning kicks, as evidenced by his Big Ten Player of the Week nod. Two of his returns were a broken tackle away from being touchdowns, one of which set up the Buck's first score. When he holds on to the ball, Small is a dangerous weapon who has really helped out the struggling offense this year with good field position. 

Though Pryor's stats may not have been very impressive, he did what he had to do to win. His first quarter touchdown run was a good example of what he can do with that 6-6 frame. His decision-making continues to improve week by week, and that's the first step to becoming a good quarterback.

The Silver Bullets are firing on all cylinders. If Penn State had not scored their only touchdown, the Bucks would have had their 5th shutout of the season. Darrell Clark was contained well and threw 2 interceptions. A win like this is a great confidence boost for what will essentially be the Big Ten Championship game this week in Columbus, when the Hawkeyes come to town. OSU is peaking at the right time.

Buckeye out.