What did we learn about Penn State football vs Ohio State? Takeaways from the loss

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Penn State football gave Ohio State a game in the first half, but the Buckeyes were able to pull away from the Nittany Lions to win 38-14 on Saturday, Nov. 1, in Columbus, Ohio.

The loss drops the Nittany Lions’ record to 3-5 and 0-5 against Big Ten opponents. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer showed some positives, completing 68% of his passes for 145 yards and an interception, and Kaytron Allen continues to be effective receiving the bulk of the rushing workload.

Here are the takeaways from Penn State’s loss to Ohio State

Penn State’s secondary couldn’t stop the deep ball

Ohio State didn’t aim for the deep ball a lot, but when it did, Penn State’s defensive backs were caught flat-footed on all three instances.

The first, a 45-yard pass from Julian Sayin to Carnell Tate, was the Buckeyes’ second touchdown of the game. The other two, a 57-yard pass to Tate and a 57-yard pass to Jeremiah Smith, put Ohio State deep into the red zone, after which both drives ended with points.

It wasn’t the only area the Nittany Lions defense struggled, but it was one of the glaring issues about a secondary that’s had problems all season.

Why did Penn State go away from Nick Singleton?

Singleton has been one of the biggest disappointments for Penn State, but it looked like he, and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, would turn a corner after a strong first half that saw the senior record 42 total yards and a touchdown.

After halftime, Singleton only got two rushing attempts and no receiving targets. The former is understandable given that Kaytron Allen has taken over the bulk of the rushing workload. But why not continue using Singleton in the passing game where he has had success and could’ve helped the struggling Grunkemeyer?

His performance against Ohio State showed Singleton still has something positive to offer, but his effectiveness to end the season will largely be dependent on how the staff uses him.

The wide receiver talent hasn’t lived up to the hype

The wide receiver group came into the season with the most optimism of any group after the batch of transfer portal additions. But the trio of Kyron Hudson, Devonte Ross and Trebor Pena combined for only 55 yards receiving.

Penn State’s pass catchers have struggled to create separation for Ethan Grunkemeyer, who had his own struggles as well. And give credit to the Ohio State secondary, but the Nittany Lions need to figure out the root of the issues in the receiving game, from the personnel, to the coaches and support staff.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State football takeaeways from Ohio State loss

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