The Spread Offensive: Defense Optional

I'll admit. Prior to Saturday night, I did not think the matchup between Ohio State and Penn State should have been prime-time theatre. Talk about two programs that had been trending in opposite directions over the last few years. Flattened by the death of Joe Paterno and the Jerry Sandusky allegations, the Nittany Lions had been a shell of their former selves. Much like the Miami Hurricanes, a program steeped in rich history and tradition, but not much to write home about in recent memory.

Meanwhile, coach Urban Meyer once again had the Buckeyes rolling like a well-oiled machine. Undefeated. Looking like they would cruise into that late season rivalry game with Michigan to see who would represent the Big Ten in the College Football Playoff.

Then there was the track of record of Meyer versus the Nittany Lions. Meyer took over at Ohio State before the 2012 campaign. Here are the outcomes of the four previous games between Meyer's Buckeyes and the Nittany Lions.

2012: Ohio State 35, Penn State 23
2013: Ohio State 63, Penn State 14
2014: Ohio State 31, Penn State 24
2015: Ohio State 38, Penn State 10

Only the Double OT game in Happy Valley in 2014 seemed to give Nittany Lion fans hope. A faint glimmer of hope. After all, Penn State hadn't beaten a team ranked in the top-5 since 1999. Coach James Franklin had never even beaten a ranked team during his tenure at Penn State.

Then Grant Haley returned a blocked field goal 60 yards for a touchdown, and all hell broke loose.

Penn State took the win, sacking OSU quarterback J.T. Barrett six times, and stunning the Buckeyes, 24-21, for arguably the biggest win this century for the Nittany Lions.

All of a sudden, Penn State has an outside shot at mucking up the race in the Big Ten East. Now, that likely won't happen. Big picture, though, this win could have a much greater impact. This is the type of win that can change a program, turn around a coach's fortunes, and bring attention to gain the type of recruits to put a school back on the map. Will this victory lead to Penn State's return to college football prominence? Only time will tell. But the Nittany Lions finally have that signature win that has evaded them for much too long.

I'll admit it. I never saw it coming.

This Week's Heisman Hopefuls

1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville - The Cardinals' QB is a bad, bad man. I mean that as a compliment, naturally. Jackson destroyed any notion of an upset by NC State with yet another dynamic performance. He finished with 355 yards passing and three touchdowns, while rushing for 76 yards and an additional score. That brings Jackson's season touchdown total to 34 in seven games, and he doesn't play in a conference like the Big 12 where defense is optional, for schools like Texas Tech or Oklahoma (more on them later). Only seven RUNNING BACKS have more rushing yards than Jackson, who, by the way, has also thrown for 2,161 yards. Now more than two months into the season, it's still Lamar Jackson's world, and we're all just living in it.

2. Jake Browning, QB, Washington – This guy simply is not getting the credit he deserves. Maybe it's because he plays on the West Coast. Maybe it's because Washington is not a perennial title contender. Maybe it's because his name isn't sexy. All Browning has done is deliver the Huskies to a perfect 7-0 record. He has 26 passing touchdowns and just two interceptions. Although not much of a running threat, he still has four rushing scores this season. Browning is also completing an impressive 68.6-percent of his throws, which puts him in the top 10 in the nation in that category. Give this guy some love; he's about to show the country how the West was won.

3. Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU – Could a player win the Heisman even if he misses three games? Fournette would certainly put that answer to the test if he continues to churn up yardage like he did Saturday against Ole Miss. In his return from an ankle issue, all Fournette did was rush for an LSU single-game record 284 yards against the Rebels. He found the end zone three times in the 38-21 win. He has rushed for over 100 yards in all four of the games he's appeared. It might take a few more Herculean efforts to legitimize Fournette's candidacy, but if there is any player in the country that could get there, it's this beastly running back.

Defense Optional

In a game that felt more like a Texas high school contest than a college football tilt with possible playoff implications, Oklahoma beat Texas Tech by a score of 66-59. The game did not go to overtime. Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield threw seven touchdowns against his former school, while "only" passing for 545 yards. That yardage total seems like child's play when compared to Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who passed for an insane 734 yards. He threw 88 passes. In one game. That is not a typo. Mahomes also scored seven total touchdowns.

More stats, you say? Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon had 377 yards from scrimmage along with five combined touchdowns. Again, this really happened, I assure you. This game was not a simulation on PlayStation. Three receivers had over 150 yards receiving. A total of 19 players caught passes in the game.

If you watch an Alabama or LSU game, or perhaps a Michigan game, and then flip on a Big 12 contest like this, it may feel like you are watching different sports. Now, the high-octane offense, whether spread, hurry-up, or both, has invaded all avenues of college football. Alabama has a dual-threat quarterback, and Lane Kiffin, for all the hatred, is among the most creative play callers in the land. Still, a Nick Saban-led team would never throw 88 passes in a game in a million years.

Offense gets the fame, but defense wins the game. West Virginia and Baylor remain undefeated will look to combine both elements as they attempt to win the Big 12 crown and steal a possible Playoff berth. However, until a Big 12 team proves there will be a commitment to defense, the conference may continue to be viewed as good for video game numbers, but not for admission into the College Football Playoff.