COLUMBUS, Ohio – Of the endless compilation of issues that have plagued the Penn State football team this year – resulting in the firing of James Franklin and what is now a five-game losing streak – the Nittany Lions’ defense must take its rightful place at the top of the list.

Saturday afternoon underscored that.

The No. 1 ranked Buckeyes (8-0) ripped apart Penn State (3-5) in the passing game en route to an 38-14 victory before 105,517 at Ohio Stadium.

OSU quarterback Julian Sayin completed 20-of-23 for 316 yards and four touchdowns and had over-the-top gainers of 57, 57 and 45 and 29 yards.

“It was a combination of all things – lack of a pass rush and lack of DBs covering,” PSU interim head coach Terry Smith said. “It was a point of emphasis – you cannot let them beyond you.”

Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate ignored that memo. The two almost certain first-round draft picks combined for 11 catches for 247 yards and three TDs.

“Credit to them,” Smith said. “They are the two best (WRs) in the country. I don’t mean this disrespectfully to the past Ohio State receivers, (but) these two are better than all of them. And those guys are all good.”

The Lions defended the run decently, at least until Bo Jackson busted a 51-yarder in the fourth quarter.

Penn State’s offense did almost nothing. Down 17-7 late in the second quarter, it did cash in on the one play the defense made all day – turning a fumble that the Lions recovered at the Ohio State 13 into a touchdown to pull within 17-14.

Then it was over.

The Buckeyes answered after intermission and went right back up top to Tate for 57 yards to set up a two-score lead that OSU would only expand.

“We got a critical takeaway and then came out in the second half, and Ohio State set the tone,” Smith said. “We have to be mature enough to capitalize on that.”

Certainly you can point to Penn State’s offense as being ineffective, but consider the Lions are using a backup quarterback, Ethan Grunkemeyer, who is making just his second start.

And how many Penn State quarterbacks, ever, began their careers with road games at Iowa and Ohio State?

When Grunk did have time, the Lions receivers couldn’t get or weren’t open as the position, save Devonte Ross, has been ineffective for several years.

Smith said coming in that the Lions would have to run the ball well or it would be a long day. They didn’t, and it was.

No, the only chance Penn State had was to keep the score down, and its defense couldn’t do it.

During the last offseason, Franklin convinced Pat Kraft he needed Ohio State’s Jim Knowles to be the Lions’ defensive coordinator and made him the highest-paid assistant coach in the country at $9.3 million — $3.1 for three seasons.

It was an ego-driven move – poaching the DC from your supposed big rival – and it’s been nothing short of a disaster.

The defense wasn’t overly impressive in the early-season scrimmages that Franklin wrongly thought would prepare the team, and then it failed to preserve second-half or overtime leads against Oregon, Northwestern and Iowa. Not to mention its no-show at UCLA.

And now this.

Ohio State racked up 480 yards, converted seven-of-10 on third or fourth down and looked at times like it was playing in a 7-on-7 drill.

Late in the game, when somebody in the Ohio State video department got the bright idea to show Knowles on the scoreboard, he was roundly booed. And then in the bad-taste spirit of piling on, the video guy flashed Knowles another half-dozen times, much to the delight of the Horseshoe crowd.

Then again, Penn State fans on hand may have been booing, too.

Lately the narrative is that Knowles’ system needs a couple of years to take hold. If so, Franklin should have considered that since this year’s team was upperclassmen-laden and supposedly ready to win at the highest level now.

The defensive players were at a loss for answers Saturday.

“We have to compete for the ball (better),” safety Zakee Wheatley said. “That goes for everybody, myself included. When you play corner, that’s what you sign up for – one-on-one matchups.”

To be fair, it wasn’t totally on the back end as Sayin had all day to throw, and the Lions – even with hyped defensive linemen Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zane Durant – registered zero sacks.

Smith was encouraged in that he felt “we didn’t quit,” but he also doesn’t see much hope.

“We’re in the middle of the storm,” he said, “and we just can’t figure how to get out of it.”

One way might be to get more defensive.

Neil Rudel covers Penn State football and can be reached at nrudel@altoonamirror.com.