Ohio State doesn’t look at their best, coming down to the 9th week of the overwhelming college football season. You might have imagined the Buckeyes to run high on their championship hope when the season kicked off, but after a few reality checks, the dynamic undeniably shifted. Ryan Day and Co have eaten up a nasty home loss against the Oregon Ducks and barely covered it up with a close victory against the Cornhuskers last week. The analytical conclusion is clear. The ‘Michigan-dominating’ Ohio State is over. The class, the grit, and the control aren’t reflected in their current setup. But as they say, there is always room for growth, the Buckeyes will look to revive their best. As per the Yahoo football sports host Jason Fitz, the revival isn’t an option anymore, but a mandate.

The next face-off against Penn State is going to be the Do or Let the Playoff Hope die for the Buckeyes. The team will travel to Happy Valley to put their prowess to a tough test against the undefeated Nittany Lions. But neither Ryan Day can afford to repeat his sloppy decisions and lack of direction nor can Will Howard get away with his past brutal error on the final play against the Ducks. if they want to see themselves through the playoff. Reflecting the seriousness that the game calls for, Fitz noted, ‘‘You’re backed up against the wall. You have to win this game. You go to two losses. Now, all of a sudden, you no longer control any. You go to two losses. You are not going to be in the Big 10 championship game. I think there’s a ton of pressure in this match up ”

Nebraska wasn’t even supposed to impose a serious threat on the No-4 Ohio State, especially after the way they have been blown away by Indiana. But they did. From the middle of the game, the Cornhuskers started to flex their defensive genius no one ever knew they had. They, at the worst, doomed the Buckeye’s running game.

But what is more concerning is that Judkins and Henderson held the room for them to launch the terror. They have been completely unproductive on the offensive front, with Judkins just drawing 1o carries for 29 yards.

The left tackle void in the team, since Josh Simmons broke off due to injury, was another wound in the offense that Day and Chip Kelly must fix as a priority before another fatal loss kicks them out of contention.

Chip Kelly stays optimistic amidst heavy pressure 

Despite all the brickbats swirling over before a crucial week 1o slate, Defensive coordinator Chip Kelly has been unbelievably calm and composed. His level-headed attitude sums up in, ‘‘I’m very confident. We lost one, in a very good one in Josh, but there’s a lot of really good football players there.”

When asked about the costly absence of Josh Simmons’ and the growing left tackle issue, Kelly agreed that it would be a setback point for the team as Simmons is more than just a one-dimensional player that the team solely relies on. However, he had a deeply evaluative take on the poor running game and said they need to escalate their rushing game to win the game and there is no otherwise.

When asked about the strategy to handle Penn State, Kelly said they will just treat it as a must-win game, not focusing on who should they win against and the boys are intrinsically motivated.

‘‘We’re not trying to develop anything right now. We’re trying to win football games.”: the Ohio State faithful dropped his mantra, leading to a staggering comeback or a tragic ending to the season. Who knows!

What’s your take on Ohio State and Ryan Day’s risk factor ahead of a must-win Penn State game? let us know in the comments.