Some things will never change: Observations after No. 3 Penn State falls to No. 4 Ohio State

Indeed, some things will never change. James Franklin’s drought against Ohio State has been prolonged. Penn State’s perfect season was spoiled with a 20-13 victory for the Buckeyes. 

The Nittany Lions under James Franklin are now 1-10 against Ohio State, with 8 straight losses to the Buckeyes. Penn State failed to score a touchdown in the second half after trailing Ohio State 14-10 at halftime. 

Ultimately, the opportunities were there, but the execution was not. Despite numerous takeaways, Penn State had an opportunity to cash in a touchdown towards the end of the fourth quarter. After a 35-yard rushing play from tight end Tyler Warren, Penn State couldn’t get into the end zone from the 3-yard line. 

A blown fourth down conversion put the game away as Ohio State’s rushing attack was enough to burn the 5 minutes and 34 seconds that remained. 

Here are some takeaways from Penn State's heartbreaking but almost predictable loss to Ohio State.

Crucial Takeaways and Ohio State Defensive Stands

When two top-5 teams face off, one of the most important statistics lies within the turnover margin. At the sight of Beaver Stadium in Penn State, that headline seems always to flash brighter.

Everyone knows the energy that surrounds Beaver Stadium in big-time games. For some, the task of facing Penn State in Happy Valley is daunting. 8 straight wins doesn’t exactly prove any “fear.” Although, the big question is how we got here. 

Ohio State is a team that is largely built upon the defense. How Ohio State would attack Penn State defensively was the major question that had to be answered. It was noted of the Buckeyes’ recent struggles against Nebraska and Oregon. Having to face Penn State on the road did not make Ohio State’s job much easier.

I guess you could say Jim Knowles and his defense made that look a lot easier than it actually sounds. But let’s face it. From what we’ve seen, the two-quarterback system with Drew Allar and Beau Pribula is extremely effective. When you add players like Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Tyler Warren, and Harrison Wallace there is a lot a defense has to account for. 

Ohio State responded when it mattered most. After holding Penn State to an early field goal, Will Howard threw a pick-six to give Penn State a very early 10-0 lead. Ohio State then responded with two Will Howard passing touchdowns to go ahead 14-10 in the second quarter. However, following this Ohio State sought to score again. Will Howard fumbled into the end zone, giving Penn State a touchback. 

Again, the Ohio State defense came up big forcing a punt. By no means were either of the two offenses perfect. Although Ohio State’s defense was definitely not put into the best situations from the offense. Still, Penn State could not capitalize. Possibly the biggest play of the game was Davison Igbinosun’s interception which came right at the end of the first half, holding Penn State on what should’ve been a scoring drive. 

Penn State almost forced a takeaway in the fourth quarter after Quinshon Judkins fumbled, but that call was overturned to an incomplete pass. Ultimately, Andy Kotelnicki fell short. Penn State had the opportunities, but they were stopped in their tracks. The trickery was not fooling the premier Buckeye defense and neither was the goal line play calling. 

Give credit where credit is due. This Ohio State defense bounced back very strong following some tough weeks against Oregon and Nebraska. 

Buckeyes run game bounce-back

Coming off an absolutely brutal showing against Nebraska last weekend, the strength presented in Ohio State’s run game was evident against Penn State. Simply, the difference from last week to this week was night and day. 

This is largely credited to manpower up front with Ohio State controlling the line of scrimmage. However, if Ohio State wanted any chance at coming back to Columbus with a victory, it had to come down to the battle in the trenches. 

Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt both said it best at the end of the game, there are a lot of ‘game balls’ to go around that Ohio State locker room. And for good reason. The battle upfront wasn’t just won by Ohio State, it was dominated by Ohio State. When it mattered most, Penn State was denied. 

It was presumed that whichever defense could get off the field would win this game, Margin for error was not vast. However, Ryan Day certainly complimented his defense. While the Buckeyes could have controlled the turnovers better, the team certainly utilized its strength which comes from running the ball. 

After last week, many people considered Ohio State to be on the bubble for making the Playoffs. If you can’t play to your strengths, then how can you possibly win a football game? 

Ohio State was undermanned, especially at the offensive line position. Nothing looked too promising for the Buckeyes to run the ball more efficiently today. But the call was answered, and it was answered convincingly. 

Just ahead of the game, it was determined that Ohio State would be moving Donovan Jackson to left tackle as the Buckeyes were greatly diminished at this position. That move turned out to be extremely beneficial as Jackson held his own against Penn State’s Abdul Carter. Along with Jackson, Seth McLaughlin and Carter Hinzman played a major part in the effective running game. 

Both TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins established the run game early on, which allowed Will Howard to settle in following his early pick-six. Judkins finished the day with 14 carries for 95 yards and Henderson tallied 10 carries for 54 yards.

Look into Drew Allar, Beau Pribula, and Will Howard 

The quarterback play was something to keep an eye on from the jump. Drew Allar suffered a left knee injury in the game against Wisconsin last Saturday and therefore was questionable to play today. Prior to the game, Allar was expected to start at quarterback. The big question was if his knee could hold up. 

He started the game in a knee brace and within no time, began running around. He avoided pressure took off down field frequently, and proved to be pretty comfortable. As the game progressed, the knee brace was eventually taken off. 

While this was all going on, Penn State put Pribula in the game for multiple rushing and trickery plays. Pribula did not exactly have a spark in this game like he had the past weeks. The second half was a completely different story, as Allar took complete command of the offense. Allar finished 12/20 with 146 passing yards, 33 rushing yards, and 1 interception. 

On the other hand, Will Howard had a solid performance. It was very well documented of Howard’s feelings coming into this game. Being a Pennsylvania native and told he “wasn’t good enough” to play at Penn State, he certainly carried a chip on his shoulder. 

It seemed Howard had a few nerves to shake out from the beginning, but once he settled in, he played a major component in the Buckeyes’ victory. Howard 16/24 with 182 passing yards, 2 touchdown passes, 24 rushing yards, and 1 interception.

What’s next: 

Penn State - As tough as it is, and disappointing for James Franklin, the Nittany Lions will need to swallow this loss. The Buckeyes are a very respectable opponent and this shouldn’t hurt Penn State too much in the long run. Penn State now falls to 7-1 and unless Ohio State loses they will not play in the Big-Ten Championship game. With the new CFP expansion, it’s probable that even with one loss, Penn State will reach the Playoffs. The road in front of Penn State is pretty clear as the team will face Washington next Saturday in the home “white-out” game.

Ohio State - Take a big sigh of relief for all Buckeye fans because the path to the Big-Ten Championship and College Football Playoff has become much more clear. Ohio State needed this crucial win following a tough past few weeks, and the Buckeyes got it. Ohio State will likely be favored in their final four games. Two notable opponents stick out, which are #13 Indiana at home, and of course Michigan at home, these are OSU’s final two games. The Buckeyes will face Purdue at home next Saturday.