Stopping Penn State at the goal line might have saved Ohio State's season

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Zero points were scored in the final eight minutes of Ohio State's game against Penn State on Saturday.

It could prove to be the most important eight minutes of the Buckeyes' season.

The game clock was at 7:59 when Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke fended off a Penn State blocker and threw tight end Tyler Warren out of bounds at the Buckeyes' 3-yard line.

At that moment, No. 4 Ohio State's season was on the line. A championship-or-bust year looked more like the latter than the former. If No. 3 Penn State could score a touchdown and use that momentum to win, the Buckeyes' season would be in jeopardy.

A spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff that was considered assured before the season would be in jeopardy. The Big Ten title hopes would be gone. You can imagine all the seniors returning for one final season wondering, “We rejected the NFL for this?”

The Buckeyes don’t have to think about that right now. Ohio State stopped the Nittany Lions with a goal-line stand and ran out the clock on their possession to secure a 20-13 victory.

Afterwards the relief and joy was palpable. Coach Ryan Day hugged offensive coordinator Chip Kelly on the field. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles danced in the locker room in celebration.

Ryan Day recognizes the importance of Ohio State vs. Penn State football

Day acknowledged the pressure the Buckeyes felt after losing to Oregon last week and needing to rally to beat Nebraska. It may not be an exaggeration to say that this was the most important victory of Day's 63 wins as Buckeyes coach. His record against top-five teams in the Associated Press poll was 2-6. He needed this.

“I think it’s fair to say we were at a crossroads,” Day said. “That was a big game for us. We didn’t want to say that publicly, but we said it behind closed doors.”

It wasn't just that the Buckeyes won. That's how they won it. Had quarterback Will Howard not thrown an early pick-six on a run that was originally considered a touchdown or fumbled the ball out of the end zone for a touchback, this might have been a comfortable OSU win.

The Buckeyes also had touchdown chances on deep passes to open receivers. Howard missed his target on a throw to Carnell Tate. Jeremiah Smith, on the other hand, briefly slowed down for some inexplicable reason.

But perhaps Ohio State was better off digging deep to test its mettle. After the score at the goal line, the Buckeyes took over at their 1st.

Ohio State's proven offensive line features left tackle Donovan Jackson

Ohio State University's offensive line has been under intense scrutiny for good reason. Things were going well until Left dealt with Josh Simmons' season-ending knee injury against Oregon. Substitute Zen Michalski played poorly against Nebraska before getting injured late in the game.

Against Penn State, All-Big Ten left guard Donovan Jackson was moved to left tackle, a position the senior hadn't played since high school. Carson Hinzman, a nearly forgotten player after losing the center job he had in 2023 to Alabama transfer Seth McLaughlin, took over the left guard position.

Behind this reshuffled line, the Buckeyes let the Nittany Lions finish them off. The 235-pound Howard rushed 4 yards on the first play to set the tone. Boom, boom, boom, the Buckeyes pushed forward. Quinshon Judkins threw 9 for a first down, then 6 and then 15. TreVeyon Henderson added 6. Howard finished the game with two third-down conversions. He probably could have scored in the final game before deciding to slide off and then cheer against the home-state school that didn't offer him a scholarship.

“It’s a big game for us for a lot of reasons,” Day said. “To get a top-five win like that on the road in a difficult environment. Donnie moves to left tackle.

“We knew it would be a difficult environment. We knew we had to win the rushing yards (battle). The turnover battle was going to be big and the (explosive) plays, that’s what we really had to focus on.”

Ohio State's defense keeps Penn State's Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton out of action

Ohio State's defense held Penn State running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen to 42 yards on 18 carries, with Allen's three-score line stuff obviously being the most important at the end. Ohio State ran for 176 yards, almost three times as much as it ran against Nebraska.

Of course, Penn State supported the Buckeyes' cause. Nittany Lions coach James Franklin continued to be pointless in big games, especially against OSU. PSU fans are right to criticize the unimaginative play instructions on the goal line.

But that's Penn State's problem. For Ohio State, Saturday was a day where disaster began and it didn't blink an eye.

“We set out to win this game,” Howard said.

And it might have saved the season.

Ryan Day recognizes the importance of Ohio State vs. Penn State football

Ohio State's proven offensive line features left tackle Donovan Jackson

Ohio State's defense keeps Penn State's Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton out of action

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