Post-Penn State Musings...

The de facto Big Ten championship ended with Penn State celebrating at the 'Shoe for the first time since they joined the conference. It was Ohio State second prime time game on ABC this year, and unfortunately their second loss in as many tries.

The Buckeye defense came to play, essentially shutting down Penn State's "Spread HD" that terrorized opponents for over 40 ppg. But the Penn State defense was just as stout, stymieing Beanie Wells and the Buckeyes all night. Coach Tressel's conservative approach appeared to have the game in hand at a mind-numbing 6-3 score in the fourth. But true freshman Terrelle Pryor fumbled on a third and one, and Penn State capitalized with the short field to a take a lead they would not relinquish.

Pryor took some positive steps in the passing game, but made some poor decisions, including his game ending interception as the Buckeyes were trying to rally with a minute left. Lamaar Thomas was strong on returns. Guard turned tackle Bryant Browning was abused all night by Penn State pass rush. It brings into question the whole philosophy of trying use linemen at multiple positions. Flexibility is great, but not if players don't find a home, focus on one position, and excel at it. Wells was so frustrated at one point that Brent Musburger reported he was screaming at the offensive line. That makes two out of three games where the Buckeyes couldn't punch it into the endzone.

So what now? I previously said this looked a lot like 2005, and now the analogy is complete. High-profile nonconference loss at night. A quarterback change. A few solid Big Ten wins to get some momentum. A gut wrenching loss at night to Penn State, highlighted by an ineffective offense and questions playcalling. It's all there, but can the Buckeyes finished the script? In 2005, OSU let Troy Smith open things up. They ran the table and were playing a very highly-regarding Notre Dame team in a BCS game. And a strong win in that game propelled them to an almost perfect 2006.

I think all OSU fans at this point are looking ahead to the Michigan game. A win would give the seniors a perfect record against the Wolverines, which hasn't happen in quite some time. And a shot at a BCS at-large isn't out of the question. In fact, a rematch with USC in the Rose Bowl is very possible. Ohio State might also find themselves in Florida locking horns with Georgia or LSU in a New Year's Day bowl. But the Buckeyes must refocus during their bye, preparing for back-to-back road games in Illinois.

We'll take a look at the recruiting landscape later this week.