Offensively and defensively, the Ohio State Buckeyes put on one of their best performances of the season on the road yesterday in State College:
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -Most of the fans inside Beaver Stadium headed for the exits quickly at game’s end except for a sliver of red-clad diehards in the corner of the end zone.
With gleeful Ohio State players leading the way, the crowd threw up their arms to spell out each letter in ”Ohio.”
Happy Valley belonged to the top-ranked Buckeyes, who cruised to a 37-17 victory over No. 24 Penn State on Saturday night.
Todd Boeckman threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns and Chris Wells ran for 133 yards to lead Ohio State to another easy win in its toughest test of the season so far.
Maybe now the Buckeyes (9-0, 5-0 Big Ten) will get the respect they’re looking for.
”It doesn’t matter,” Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. ”We have to prove whatever we are at the end of 2007, so we’re nine games out 12 we’re through. We’ve got a lot to prove beginning with game 10.”
The Buckeyes’ vaunted defense didn’t need to be at its best with Boeckman on a roll and Ohio State’s massive offensive line dominating.
And a good part of the reason for last night’s success was a Troy Smith-worthy performance from first year Quarterback Todd Bockeman, with several assists from Chris Wells:
Boeckman, a first-year starter, silenced the Nittany Lions ‘ rowdy white-clad student section early with two long first-half touchdown drives. He finished 19-of-26 passing with one interception.
Tressel attributed much of Boeckman’s success to his offensive line. Penn State, which entered the night leading the nation with 35 sacks, got to Boeckman just once on Saturday.
Boeckman ”threw with a lot of confidence, and that starts with not having a whole lot of people in his face,” Tressel said.
Wells softened the defense by getting Ohio State into short-yardage situations on second or third downs, and Penn State’s experienced secondary was burned for long completions.
Next up Wisconsin and Illinois. Then, Michigan.
