Coming into this weekend’s slate of games, the Ohio State Buckeyes were prime targets for the media as a team that could get caught looking ahead. With a date against No. 3 Penn State coming up next week, it would have been easy for OSU to get caught with their pants down and allow an upcoming Michigan State program to come away with an upset, right?
Wrong.
The Buckeyes absolutely crushed the Spartans 45-7 in East Lansing on Saturday, proving their focus is unwavering right now. Freshman sensation Terrelle Pryor needed to attempt just 11 passes to beat MSU, while Heisman Trophy candidate Beanie Wells finally shook off the lingering affects of a foot injury to rush for 140 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.
This win does a couple things for Ohio State. One, it shows that Jim Tressel’s team isn’t overlooking anyone and is competing on a week to week basis. Two, it sets the Buckeyes up to make a leap back into the top 10, which is something they’ve been attempting to do since they were steamrolled by USC in mid-September. And finally, it sets up the game of the year in the Big 10 next week, as Penn State cruised over Michigan 46-17 after some first half struggles and remain undefeated on the season.
Next week’s game should be a thriller. Penn State’s offense has been nearly unstoppable this year, but OSU’s defense is playing about as well as any team in the nation right now.
