Pace was recognized in the first half of the game against Penn State for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame this year. And while the former offensive tackle didn’t pancake any defenders for the Buckeyes, he did give the program $250,000 to refurbish the recruiting room.
“Recruiting is such a big competition, and I wanted to do my part and give back. … Once those recruits walk in that room, they’ll see Ohio State is the place to be,” he said.
The former NFL No. 1 pick was impressed with the OSU offensive line, which helped quarterback Braxton Miller and his mates gain 686 total yards.
“They do a great job of protecting Braxton, and they run the ball well,” he said. “They don’t get talked about a lot, but those five guys up front play really well as a unit.”
He added about left tackle Jack Mewhort: “You’re definitely going to see him playing on Sundays.”
Pace is considered by some to be the greatest Buckeye of all time. He was a two-time Lombardi award-winner and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting one year, a rare feat for an offensive lineman.
He made seven Pro Bowl appearances while playing 12 years with the St. Louis Rams and one with the Chicago Bears.
“I wanted to be the best. I didn’t just want to block a guy, I wanted to destroy him,” he said “I just wanted to be the best at my position so people could talk about it for years to come.
They do.
“Everybody asks me, ‘Who’s the best athlete you ever coached?’ I don’t know. I can’t answer that,” former OSU coach John Cooper said. “But the best football player John Cooper ever coached was Orlando Pace, no question.
“He’s one of those guys who could play better than you could coach.”
Guiton sighting: Fan favorite Kenny Guiton took the field with about four minutes left in the third quarter and scored on a short TD run. Braxton Miller lined up at wide receiver with Guiton in shotgun formation.
The fifth-year senior also scored in the fourth quarter on an 11-yard run, making it 63-7.
No let up: With the Buckeyes leading 56-7 late in the third quarter, OSU coach Urban Meyer challenged a first-down call, arguing the refs spotted the ball too far forward on a fourth-down reception by Allen Robinson.
After a review, the call was reversed, and the Buckeyes took over.
Meyer was just looking for a confidence-builder for his defense, but that move probably wasn’t appreciated on the Penn State side.
Buckeye bits: The 63 points were the most Penn State has given up since surrendering 64 to Duquesne in 1899. And the blowout may be belated payback. In 1994, the Nittany Lions famously beat the Buckeyes, 63-14, in Happy Valley.
• Miller’s touchdown passes went to Chris Fields (three yards), Corey Brown (25) and Dontre Wilson (26). Devin Smith had a team-high five catches for 90 yards.
• Meyer has been begging for a big strike on special teams, and Dontre Wilson came through with a 49-yard kickoff return in the second quarter.
• The crowd of 105,889 was the fourth-largest in Ohio Stadium history.
• OSU junior linebacker Curtis Grant had a fumble recovery when running back Zach Zwinak coughed it up.
• Defensive end Noah Spence had three tackles for loss and two of the Buckeyes’ four sacks.
• Linebacker Ryan Shazier led the way with 10 tackles.
• OSU still hasn’t allowed an opponent to rush for 100 yards. Penn State’s Bill Belton finished with 98 on 22 carries.
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