Ohio State a challenge for Penn State's defense

Defensive coordinator Bob Shoop spent a good portion of Penn State's bye week watching film of the Ohio State offense, and that had to mean he endured some sleepless nights figuring out how to stop one of the hottest units in the country.

The 13th-ranked Buckeyes (5-1), who will be at Beaver Stadium Saturday night to meet the Nittany Lions, defeated Rutgers, 56-17, Saturday at Ohio Stadium for their fourth consecutive win. During that streak, they have scored 50 or more points in each game (a school record) and have racked up more than 500 yards each time (tying a school record).

To make matters worse for opponents, redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett has played superbly in relief of two-time Big Ten player of the year Braxton Miller, who is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Since Ohio State suffered a 35-21 upset loss to Virginia Tech at home on Sept. 6, the 6-foot-1, 225-pound Barrett has thrown 17 touchdown passes - three on Saturday - and one interception in four games. The latest FBS season statistics find him third in pass efficiency, sixth in touchdown passes, and 10th in total offense.

In a conference call with reporters last week, Shoop was clearly impressed with the Buckeyes' tempo on offense led by Barrett.

"I think Barrett, once he got past the Virginia Tech game, has played exceptionally well; I mean really well," Shoop said. "He's operated their offense full-steam ahead. He looks like he's just getting a lot of confidence. He's done a really good job with that."

Barrett has become a rushing threat as well. He gained a career-high 107 yards in only seven carries against Rutgers and scored twice.

"Our focus is always to start fast and get things going," Barrett said after the game. "I think we executed better than in past weeks, but we can still eliminate some mistakes. I put some of that on myself."

Ohio State, which has won its last 18 Big Ten games, rolled up 585 total yards against the Scarlet Knights and is averaging 614 yards of offense since the Virginia Tech loss.

"They're playing with a lot of confidence," Shoop said. "They play with tempo. They ran 101 plays against Cincinnati. They can speed it up. They can slow it down. They recognize mismatches and they have a great idea who they are and what their identity is on offense.

"They've tailored their offense to fit their skill set and things like that, and I think they have a really good idea of what they're doing. I think it's going to be a tremendous challenge for us."

Penn State should present a stout test for the Buckeyes. The Nittany Lions are No. 1 in the nation against the rush while ranking sixth in both total defense and scoring defense.

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