By Ralph D. Russo, Audrey Snyder and Scott Dochterman
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — No. 4 Ohio State escaped No. 3 Penn State with a 20-13 win Saturday after a crucial goal-line stand in the fourth quarter helped send the Nittany Lions to their first loss.
Trailing by seven, Penn State drove to the goal line thanks to a pair of big plays by tight end Tyler Warren. But Kaytron Allen was stuffed on three consecutive runs up the middle, and Ohio State denied a pass intended for tight end Khalil Dinkins on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. The Buckeyes grinded out the rest of the clock thanks to steady running by Quinshon Judkins and two key third-down conversion runs by quarterback Will Howard, a Kansas State transfer and Pennsylvania native who grew up a Penn State fan but spoke before the game about not being recruited by the Nittany Lions.
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar started after exiting last week’s game at Wisconsin with an injury, but the Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) didn’t score an offensive touchdown against the Buckeyes (7-1, 4-1). Their only touchdown came on a 31-yard pick six by cornerback Zion Tracy off of Howard on the Buckeyes’ first possession, which gave Penn State an early 10-0 lead. Howard responded by leading Ohio State to a pair of touchdowns on its next two possessions, and the Buckeyes never trailed the rest of the way in front of a Beaver Stadium record crowd of 111,030.
Ohio State continues to use Penn State as a pressure-release valve
The Buckeyes ran their winning streak to eight in a row against the Nittany Lions, in similar fashion to so many recent meetings. Penn State makes the Buckeyes work for their wins, but it just doesn’t have enough playmakers to beat Ohio State.
Things get anxious quickly in Columbus these days. Three consecutive years of coach Ryan Day’s team losing to Michigan and not winning the Big Ten made this season a referendum for the Buckeyes $20 million team, with so many players bypassing the NFL to return for another run at Michigan and a national title.
A loss to Oregon and sluggish victory against Nebraska quickly nudged Buckeye nation into nervous mode, and one more regular-season loss could put Ohio State in danger of missing the College Football Playoff altogether.
The Buckeyes were not without their faults. They fell into a 10-0 hole in the first quarter. But now they have a top-five win on their resume with a home game still to come against unbeaten Indiana. Just like that, a return to the Big Ten championship game is looking pretty good for the Buckeyes. Next up for Ohio State is Purdue and at Northwestern. The angst level in Columbus should come down substantially, with a nice opportunity to step out of the spotlight and get used to playing with their makeshift offensive line before their regular season ends with home games against the Hoosiers and Michigan. — Russo
Another big game, another day of heartbreak for Penn State
Penn State’s path to the Playoff remains, but it’s going to take a at least a few days for the what-ifs of this game to wear off.
The Nittany Lions remain winless against Ohio State since the upset in 2016. James Franklin’s chance to show this roster could topple Ohio State instead ended up with another game in which Penn State turned in more of the same on a big stage. In the series history that has featured more agony than triumph for Penn State, this is another lesson in squandered opportunities and Penn State’s shortcomings. Ohio State won’t be back in Beaver Stadium until 2028, and I think those on both sidelines are OK with it.
The Penn State offense faltered on the big stage once again, as it failed to score a touchdown — even with a change to tie it at the goal line in the fourth quarter — and finished with just 270 yards. The Penn State defense, even with a superb effort from edge rusher Abdul Carter (two sacks), Tracy (a pick six) and Zakee Wheatley (a goal-line punch out) couldn’t do quite enough to make up the difference.
Yet again, Penn State can point to the fact that it again hung with Ohio State, but ultimately it’s another frustrating loss. The Nittany Lions need to quickly wipe this game from their memory and focus on a favorable remaining schedule that includes games against Washington, at Purdue, at Minnesota and against Maryland. The path to 11-1 is still there. There were so many moments for both teams Saturday that reiterate just how close the margin was. Still, the Penn State offense will need to respond much better on the big stage in the future. — Snyder
Penn State’s glaring need at WR shows up again
Allar was healthy enough that he wasn’t even listed on the pregame availability report. He played the first half with a brace on his left knee but ditched the brace at the start of the second half. He didn’t appear to have ill-effects playing through last week’s injury.
The injury wasn’t an issue, but Penn State’s receiving corps was unable to help Allar, as has too often been the case in big games in recent years.
The leading receiver was running back Nicholas Singleton, who had six receptions for 54 yards. It continues a troubling trend: In Allar’s last four starts against AP Top-25 opponents, he’s had just 91 passing yards to wide receivers in first halves. Though tight end Tyler Warren has helped make up for those issues in the receiving corps this season, Ohio State was able to drastically limit Warren’s effectiveness until the fourth quarter. Allar tried finding wide receiver Harrison Wallace III, who made one remarkable catch but had another ripped away in the tightest of windows that turned into an interception in the end zone late in the second quarter.
For all the creativity and wrinkles Penn State has on offense under Andy Kotelnicki — it again used both Allar and Beau Pribula at quarterback, had Warren taking a direct snap and used a lot of pre-snap motion while mixing up formations — this is where the lack of a big-time receiver shows up. Penn State has needed someone for the last few years who can draw some attention from a defense, and there was no complement to Warren. — Snyder
This story will be updated.
(Top photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
