COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State didn't look sharp Saturday night against Penn State, delivering a product not unlike the one it had 50 days earlier against Oregon.
After a month of scoring at will, the fifth-ranked Buckeyes finished the first quarter with three points and punted three times in the first half, twice in Penn State territory. They drew a season-high 10 penalties and struggled to finish drives. From the opening possession, which ended in a Jeremy Ruckert fumble, Ohio State looked to be in for a slog.
But this time the slog ended with smiles. Ohio State churned out a 33-24 win to remain afloat for the College Football Playoff and stay undefeated in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes won their sixth straight after falling to Oregon on the same field and showcased some of the key improvements, especially on defense, since the defeat.
"Across the board, we were gritty," coach Ryan Day said. "We didn't panic, we kept swinging. And that's what these games are going to take. Now, in the second half of the season, the goal is just to win."
Few wrote off Ohio State after the Oregon loss. After consecutive playoff appearances and no regular-season losses under Day, Ohio State is in a select group of programs -- Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma -- that should never be eliminated until after a second loss. But there were significant concerns early on about the Buckeyes' inexperienced and leaky defense, about new starting quarterback C.J. Stroud and other areas.
Ohio State has made necessary changes, especially with the defensive scheme and operation, to reroute its season.
"We heard all the noise," Stroud said. "Especially after the Tulsa game [an unimpressive 41-20 win], we heard everything. But we just kept together."
Ohio State isn't the only team looking different following a shaky start. Auburn began the season looking like a team under a first-year coach (Bryan Harsin) and still dealing with a roller-coaster quarterback (Bo Nix), but the Tigers have since made themselves a surprise contender in the SEC West Division.
Washington State started 1-3 and had the ongoing distraction of coach Nick Rolovich's vaccination situation. But the Cougars started to surge before Rolovich's firing and have continued to play well since, putting themselves in the Pac-12 North Division mix. Wisconsin also was 1-3, unfamiliar territory for the Badgers. But Paul Chryst's team has bounced back with a familiar formula of running the ball with a big back and playing ferocious defense.
Here's a closer look at how Ohio State and three other teams have turned things around after shaky starts.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Started: 1-1
Since: 6-0
After the Penn State win, Day summarized the positive changes for Ohio State since the Oregon loss in four words: "Defense won this game."
Ohio State couldn't count on its defense for much of anything early this season, especially not making the deciding plays against a talented Big Ten opponent. The Buckeyes couldn't stop the run against Minnesota (205 yards) and Oregon (269 yards), or the pass against Tulsa (428 yards). They weren't generating much pressure and couldn't find the back-end personnel combinations despite rotating a lot of players.
"A real gut check for our whole defensive staff," secondary coach Matt Barnes told ESPN. "We all had a stake in the things we didn't do well."
Although Barnes took over the playcalling duties from coordinator Kerry Coombs after the Oregon loss, he described the reshaping of Ohio State's defense as a collective effort. The coaches didn't think they had a personnel deficiency, although experience is lacking at linebacker and in the secondary, where only one returning player, Sevyn Banks, started the national title game against Alabama.
The scheme needed wrinkles, though. Ohio State's base single high safety scheme had become too plain and easy to attack. Barnes and the other defensive assistants, including Coombs, had to identify alignments and plays that their younger players could absorb and that would confuse opponents.
"More and more in college football, the ability to disguise and not let the decision-makers on the offense -- the playcaller and the quarterback -- know what you're doing, it's critically important," Barnes said. "If what you're showing them is exactly what they're expecting and exactly what they game plan against and exactly what the quarterback practiced all week, offensive coaches are so smart these days. There's RPOs, so many different [elements] to try and be sound against.
"It's so hard when they know what they're getting."
Barnes believes in what he calls "the economics of football," maximizing what plays are called and practiced. If a new play or schematic element is difficult to absorb and unlikely to yield major results, it's not worth implementing.
"The best calls are efficient," Barnes said. "They don't take a whole lot of work to get good at and they're effective."
Ohio State is using more split safety coverage, which Barnes said creates leverage advantages that allow the unit to match numbers against the run. Since the Oregon game, Ohio State has held five of its six opponents to 76 rush yards or less and surrendered only one run longer than 24 yards. Penn State, which has struggled to run all season, finished with only 33 net rush yards against Ohio State with the longest carry of 11 yards.
The Buckeyes are leaning on their line, by far the defense's most experienced group, and getting results. After recording four sacks and 11 tackles for loss in the first three games, Ohio State has 25 sacks and 38 tackles for loss in the past five. Against Penn State, the Buckeyes had five defenders involved in sacks and eight involved in tackles for loss, including tackle Jerron Cage, who had a 58-yard fumble return for a touchdown late in the first half.
When I asked Day why the Buckeyes are making more plays on defense, he pointed to the scheme tweaks.
"We've done a good job of ... changing up the look for the [opposing] quarterback," he said. "We have to keep doing that. We've got to stay a step ahead of everybody we play."
The Buckeyes' defense is far from a finished product, especially in the back seven, where Barnes has maintained a healthy rotation. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford passed for 361 yards Saturday, as wide receivers Jahan Dotson and Parker Washington both eclipsed 100 yards. Ohio State stopped PSU on only seven of 18 third-down opportunities, falling to 100th nationally in third-down defense (43.3%).
But there has been progress in the secondary. Safety Ronnie Hickman leads the team and ties for sixth in the Big Ten with 67 tackles and has two interceptions. Cornerbacks Cameron Brown and Denzel Burke have been active with 11 passes defended combined. Barnes credits Coombs, whose background is in the secondary, for spending more time with the defensive backs since the playcalling change.
"If our defense can play like they did tonight," Day said after the Penn State win, "we've got a chance to be really good."
Ohio State's changes on offense since Oregon haven't been quite as dramatic, but a backfield of first-year starters in Stroud and TreVeyon Henderson has emerged. Stroud has 1,307 pass yards with 15 touchdowns and no interceptions in his past four games, while Henderson has 776 rush yards and 11 touchdowns on 93 carries since Week 3.
Both overcame some errors in the Penn State game. Stroud missed Chris Olave on a fourth-and-3 pass early in the fourth quarter, while Henderson false-started on fourth-and-goal from the PSU 1-yard line. But Stroud avoided a turnover and Henderson rushed for 146 of his 152 yards in the second half.
"I feel like we're the best offense in the country, no matter what's going on," Stroud said. "You're not going to run the ball very well every game, I'm not going to throw the ball well every game. It's just about fighting. That's what we do."
Auburn Tigers
Started: 2-1
Since: 4-1
Like any new coaching staff, Auburn needed time to evaluate players during in-season practices, make changes and craft an identity, especially on offense. The Tigers lost Sept. 18 at Penn State and trailed Georgia State into the final minute the following week before scoring twice.
Harsin made some bold decisions, such as benching Nix against Georgia State and firing wide receivers coach Cornelius Williams the following day. Auburn then fell behind 13-0 at LSU before rallying to win behind Nix in what has become the team's signature quarter. Auburn suddenly finds itself ranked No. 12 and tied with Alabama in the loss column for first place in the SEC West Division.
"In the games, we feel better prepared and executing better because we did the little things in practice, caught the ball here, did a little extra there, whatever it is," Harsin told ESPN on Monday. "Our good players have consistently, this season, played well, and some of the other guys that we needed to play better have gotten better. We're a little bit more complete as a team than we were earlier in the season."
Since the LSU game, Auburn is getting more from wide receivers Demetris Robertson and Shedrick Jackson. Tight ends John Samuel Shenker, Tyler Fromm and Luke Deal all have made contributions. Jarquez Hunter's production has dropped off a bit, but the freshman running back continues to complement lead back Tank Bigsby, sealing Saturday's win over Ole Miss with an 11-yard run inside two minutes.
Nix, meanwhile, is becoming less confounding and more consistent, eclipsing 200 pass yards in each of the past four games and showing great accuracy in wins over Arkansas and Ole Miss (43-of-56 passing). He's also averaging 10.1 yards per attempt the past two weeks.
"He's still, in my eyes, a young player playing the most difficult position," Harsin said. "You've got to have guys around you also play well. You can't do it by yourself. So the line [is] blocking a little better, giving him a chance. Trying to make sure our run game is solid, making sure our tight ends, our receivers, they're lined up right, they're where they need to be, running the right routes, doing what they're supposed to do. We did more of that in the LSU game, so Bo, he made some spectacular plays, but he was actually able to play quarterback and focus on his job.
"It's hard to do that when everybody else around you is not doing their part."
Harsin played quarterback and has coached QBs most of his career. He's "as critical as anybody" on the finer points of the position. But he knows that Nix needed more around him to turn a corner.
"We got better at doing our jobs around our QB," Harsin said. "So if I want to talk about his balance or footwork, he's not having to worry about, 'Well, the guy ran a five-yard route who's supposed to run a 15-yard route?' Because that would just [tick] you off. That's where we've gotten better, just being able to talk about his position of what the hell he needs to do, rather than what everybody else is not doing."
Auburn's defense didn't need dramatic upgrades but has improved its pressure numbers, especially since the Penn State loss, when Nittany Lions quarterback Clifford "stood back there for like 10 seconds," Harsin noted. After no sacks against PSU, Auburn has 13 in its past five games. Harsin likes what he's getting from the defensive line and linebackers Zakoby McClain, Chandler Wooten and Owen Pappoe, who returned from injury against Ole Miss and can reach the offensive backfield.
The defense shut out LSU, Arkansas and Ole Miss in the fourth quarter of recent wins.
"It's important to our guys," Harsin said. "So up, down, it doesn't matter. We want to win the fourth quarter. We do emphasize it at practice, and when we get to the games, it's shown up. We're going to get what we emphasize, not just from the coaching staff but the players."
Washington State Cougars
Started: 1-3
Since: 4-1
No turnaround team featured here seems like a bigger surprise than Washington State. The Cougars dropped their opener to Utah State, were blown out by a USC team that had just fired its coach and mustered only 13 points the following week at Utah. Meanwhile, the Rolovich vaccination status lingered over the program.
But the seeds for a strong defense had been planted, and when quarterback Jayden de Laura returned from injury Oct. 2 at Cal, the Cougars began to surge. Most importantly, the team's leadership was better equipped than most to handle the Rolovich drama.
"Our seniors have had two teammates pass away [Tyler Hilinski, Bryce Beekman], another one gets shot [Brandon Gray], we had COVID, these kids have been through a lot of adversity," acting head coach Jake Dickert, who had served as WSU's defensive coordinator before Rolovich was fired Oct. 18, told ESPN on Sunday night. "So when this happens, I don't think it shocks them, because they've been through so much. We've got good people in our locker room.
"They've seen a lot, they've been through a lot and they just kept going forward every day."
Dickert said the staff had prioritized improving the locker room environment and encouraging open dialogue, especially during tough moments.
"They're willing to put themselves out there," Dickert said. "In football, sometimes with your alpha males, talking about feelings isn't exactly cool, right? To be open, to be honest, to care enough about each other, all those things really are at the forefront."
WSU's on-field improvement is tied to de Laura and the defense. The quarterback had helped the Cougars to a 14-0 lead over USC before sustaining a knee injury. USC outscored WSU 45-0 the rest of the way, and de Laura missed the Utah game.
Since returning, de Laura has 1,392 passing yards with 11 touchdowns. The sophomore from Honolulu, who didn't open the season as WSU's starter, leads the Pac-12 with 17 passing touchdowns this season.
"Jayden de Laura is the biggest change of why this streak is happening," Dickert said. "He's stabilized this team, and he's grown up a lot on the field, he controls his emotions.
"And we're letting him play within the scheme."
Washington State not only fired Rolovich but four assistants, including co-offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann, who, along with Rolovich, worked with the quarterbacks. Offensive line coach Mark Weber also was out. But the offense has pushed forward without them, pushing BYU in a 2-point loss and putting up 406 yards in Saturday's win at Arizona State.
Lead coordinator Brian Smith is overseeing the unit.
"There's no secret this was a very offensive-centric place in history and with [Rolovich] and how we're built," Dickert said. "There's one voice now, and that's nothing against what was going on before, but I think it's stabilized our thought processes, our mindset. I told Brian from Day 1, 'I trust you. Let's go do this thing together.'"
Other than the USC loss, Dickert's defense has been steady throughout the season, especially with takeaways. Washington State forced two fumbles and an interception on Arizona State's first three possessions Saturday, had four first-half takeaways and five for the game. The Cougars built a 28-0 lead and never were challenged in Tempe.
Junior defensive end Ron Stone Jr. has sparked the unit with five sacks and 10 tackles for loss, and Derrick Langford, Justus Rogers, Armani Marsh and Daniel Isom have combined for nine forced fumbles and four interceptions. Washington State is tied for second nationally with 20 takeaways.
Washington State is a half-game behind Oregon for the Pac-12 North Division lead. It gets an extra week to prepare before visiting the seventh-ranked Ducks.
"When you get a big win on the road headed into a bye week, it just triples the value," Dickert said. "We get a chance to get rested, recharge, get a little extra prep on Oregon. I try to remind the guys, 'Everyone's going to tell us what's all out there, but just worry about today.'
"Good teams put themselves in these positions."
Wisconsin Badgers
Started: 1-3
Since: 4-0
Wisconsin had not been 1-3 since 1990, before everyone on its roster was born. Program architect Barry Alvarez was in his first season as coach.
Despite the sluggish start, the Badgers had the ingredients for a turnaround, namely a dominant defense and a unified locker room.
"We have guys that care, good leaders and believe in each other," coach Paul Chryst told ESPN on Monday. "I felt like we had certainly enough talent to give ourselves a chance. Each week, we've had good focus, good work and preparation and guys put it out there.
"There's not a lot of magic to it."
Wisconsin simply had to stop committing turnovers, collect more of its own and run the football with greater efficiency. After an Oct. 2 loss to Michigan, Wisconsin fell to minus-9 in turnover margin (12 lost, three gained). The Badgers were averaging 2.6 yards per carry against Power 5 opponents. Their defense had limited yards and points, but lacked many game-altering plays.
But beginning Oct. 9 at Illinois, Wisconsin has reestablished its path to success. Propelled by the emergence of freshman Braelon Allen, Wisconsin is averaging 261.3 rush yards per game with 11 total rushing touchdowns. The offense hasn't been entirely clean but finally recorded its first turnover-free performance Saturday against rival Iowa. The defense, meanwhile, elevated its play, allowing just 8.5 points and 180.3 yards during the four-game win streak. Both marks lead the FBS since Oct. 9, and Wisconsin has allowed nearly 100 yards less than the next-best Power 5 defense (Oklahoma State, 278 yards per game).
While top back Chez Mellusi remains fairly productive, Allen has given Wisconsin's run game a jolt, eclipsing 100 rushing yards in each of the past four games, while averaging 7.3 yards per carry. Wisconsin dismissed Jalen Berger (60 carries in 2020) last month and began to feature Allen, an ESPN 300 recruit in the 2021 class.
"I don't know that you knew, 'OK, this is the timeline,' but you felt confident that he was going to get there," Chryst said. "He's still learning to play at this level. He's got the ability to be physical and he's got more than enough athletic ability to have some shiftiness to him as well. And young, still. Certainly a guy who's made a big impact. We're going to need him to continue to make a big impact for us."
Most criticism for Wisconsin's 1-3 start fell on quarterback Graham Mertz, the heralded recruit with the dazzling first career start in 2020, who has since struggled. Mertz had six interceptions and one touchdown in Wisconsin's first three games, including two pick-sixes in the closing minutes of a 41-13 loss to Notre Dame at Chicago's Soldier Field.
The junior isn't playing award-caliber quarterback during the win streak, completing 53.1% of his attempts for 368 yards. But he has only one interception over the span.
"He cares deeply about this team," Chryst said. "He'll do anything to try to help. He'll also take ownership of when he can be better. It feels like he's starting to play the game a little bit more, not freely, but letting the game come to him as opposed to, at times, maybe forcing it. He's gaining from his experiences."
Chryst never saw Mertz's confidence drop, despite the poor start.
"I think at times he was so confident in himself and in [his teammates] that it could make for some risky situations," Chryst said. "But I don't think that he ever doubted himself."
Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard told me last month that his group had to do two things: not react negatively to the offensive struggles and start making more plays. The Badgers have forced eight turnovers the past two weeks against Purdue and Iowa and collected 13 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. Linebackers Leo Chenal, Jack Sanborn and Nick Herbig -- 13.5 sacks, 28.5 tackles for loss -- might rival Georgia for the nation's best group.
They've helped Wisconsin position itself to challenge for the Big Ten West Division title.
"It truly is an unselfish group," Chryst said of the defense. "Whoever gets the stat or the production point or whatever that may be, they know the reason they're getting it is because of the work of everyone. What you appreciate a ton is they have been playing really well, but they knew there's still more we can do. One of those things was, 'We've got to create more takeaways.'"