This is PSU off a bye week basically. We see this all the time coming off a bye week.
Early game blues too. Just never prepared for the noon slot. This game got away when the offense lost all confidence to complete a pass. OSU could then snuff out the running game.
So disappointed with the game plan, if there even was a game plan. At times it looked like they had given up and decided on street ball. I feel like I wasted an afternoon.
We have seen what this kind of stuff does to a potentially good quarterback. They regress, start throwing off the back foot, start aiming the ball, rush, become gun-shy, etc. In the end a good QB gets to the point of being unable to hit the broad side of a barn. In reality it is a game plan that sets up the process of failure.
With all of the practice time available with byes and weak opponents I really thought there would be something special prepared on offense. But no. Same lack of preparation we have seen in the past when we knew the coaches were out recruiting instead of preparing for a critical upcoming game.
On the other hand, I would congratulate Coach Diaz and the defensive side of the ball. They tackled and covered better than I had expected. Heat on the OSU QB and his errant throws kept it from being a blow out. The defense showed up at the start of the game. There were times when I wanted to see some underneath coverage but that is nitpicking.
That said, I don't think this OSU offense is nearly as good as some in the past. Offensive line looks lacking. Without their starters in the backfield the OSU running game looked as slow as our running game.
This OSU team is unlikely to go the distance in my opinion. QB and OL are not what they've had in the past.
What to take from this game? Don't let your expectations and enthusiasm outpace reality. Despite the portal, PSU is still a 2nd tier team. Nothing has changed. Whether our HC is worth that massive contract remains debatable. To me it is not yet earned.
