Sunday Rewind: Ohio State 20, Penn State 12
If not for Penn State perfectly timing a blocked field goal against Ohio State seven years ago, the series between the Big Ten East powerhouses might be seen in a different light.
After all, for all the instant classics produced, the results have largely gone unchanged. The balance tilts toward Columbus.
That continued Saturday as the Buckeyes held off the Nittany Lions in a 20-12 victory at Ohio Stadium.
This year’s matchup seemed to hold the elements for a possible shift. The Buckeyes were more vulnerable with questions lingering about whether quarterback Kyle McCord can measure up to his immediate passing predecessors or if their offensive line is steady enough to support a dynamic attack.
Ohio State is on pace to average below 40 points per game for the first time since Ryan Day was hired as quarterbacks coach in 2017. The offense ebbs and flows.
Not to mention that Penn State upgraded its roster with a five-star quarterback from Ohio who was to better balance both sides of the ball.
Yet the Buckeyes are still ahead in the pecking order in the East Division. Day is 5-0 against the Nittany Lions, and James Franklin, who arrived in Happy Valley a decade ago, is 1-9 in the still one-sided series.
Ohio State might have been more beatable, but 2016 remains the exception.
Here are more stats and observations from the win:
Star of the game
J.T. Tuimoloau continues to torment Penn State. Though he did not stuff the box score in the same fashion as last October, he was plenty disruptive, especially in the fourth quarter when he sacked quarterback Drew Allar and later batted down a pass on fourth down that ended a potentially game-tying drive from the Nittany Lions.
Other standouts
With a leaner supporting cast around Kyle McCord due to injuries, it was Marvin Harrison Jr. who shouldered a heavy load. He and tight end Cade Stover combined for 232 receiving yards, accounting for 64% of the Buckeyes’ offensive output. Cornerback Jordan Hancock also had a pivotal role in the secondary, moving between slot coverage and outside cornerback to help replace Denzel Burke who was out.
Turning point
A bad break on special teams could have cost Ohio State late in the third quarter after Riley Thompson's punt bounced off Lorenzo Styles Jr. and put the Nittany Lions at their 48-yard line with a chance to mount a go-ahead touchdown drive. Instead, the Buckeyes forced a three-and-out, regained possession and added a field goal to move ahead by a score of 13-6. It was a stop that made defensive coordinator Jim Knowles as proud as any. "That shows a lot of confidence," Knowles said. "You don't flinch in that situation, because that's easy to hang your head."
Repercussions
The Buckeyes are through the first of their two clashes against Big Ten juggernauts and have put themselves in a good position in the division and College Football Playoff race to begin the second half of the regular season.
Playoff forecast
Add another signature win to the resume. Ohio State has its second top-10 victory following last month’s comeback at Notre Dame. Washington's triumph over Oregon last weekend might be the most impressive win to date across the landscape, but no team figures to have a better pair than the Buckeyes by the time the debut playoff rankings are to be released on Halloween.
Confidence calculator
8/10: The flaws for an up-and-down offense were magnified in a bigger setting, and while the win puts the Buckeyes in better control of their postseason fate, it left questions unresolved. No confidence bump.
Numbers to know
1: The number of third downs converted by Penn State, which came up empty until its last drive.
3.5: The average yards per play by the Nittany Lions’ offense, the lowest figure against Ohio State since its season-opening win at Indiana.
4: The sacks by the Buckeyes’ defense, setting a season-high total.
32: The combined points by Ohio State and Penn State, the lowest in the series since the Buckeyes’ 24-7 win in 2009.
44: The percentage of Ohio State’s offensive output generated by Harrison, its superstar wide receiver.
Depth chart development
With TreVeyon Henderson sidelined for a third consecutive week, Chip Trayanum again started in his place. But it was Miyan Williams, the other backup running back, who had the bigger role, seeing more than double the number of carries (24) as Trayanum (nine). Williams gave a lift on a touchdown drive in the second quarter when he ran eight times for 26 yards, including the final 2-yard burst across the goal line. Dallan Hayden, who filled in at Purdue last week, did not make an appearance.
Knee-jerk message board threads
“McCord = Krenzel” -- bucknuts.com
“Anyone else starting to wonder if Henderson is JSN 2.0?" -- theozone.net
Who’s next
A manageable four-game slate awaits Ohio State before its high-stakes finale at Michigan on Nov. 25. The stretch begins Saturday at Wisconsin, followed by a trip to Rutgers and games against Michigan State and Minnesota. A prime-time kickoff in Camp Randall Stadium, followed by the possibility of an emotional letdown, likely makes the matchup with the Badgers the trickiest of the bunch.
Final thought
Short-yardage situations remain a particular challenge for the Buckeyes, an issue that was apparent just shy of the goal line late in the third quarter when Williams was stuffed on third-and-1. Rather than attempt a field goal to extend Ohio State’s lead to seven points, Day opted to go for it, but McCord’s pass to freshman receiver Carnell Tate in the flats went nowhere. As Day later explained, “When you’re at the 2-yard line like that, I just feel we have to punch it in.” But that’s been easier said than done this season — with one notable exception, granted.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on Facebook and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He can also be contacted at jkaufman@dispatch.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football analysis from Buckeyes' win over Penn State
