Penn State and Ohio State renewed their rivalry on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. The visiting Buckeyes left Happy Valley happy, while the Nittany Lions move to 7-1 on the season. Penn State falls to Ohio State 20-13, in a game that will have a significant impact on both the Big Ten and College Football Playoffs standings. And the storyline will be PSU head coach James Franklin’s record against Michigan and Ohio State. A Beaver Stadium record crowd of over 111,000 was on hand to see this as-expected hard-fought matchup.
Ryan Day had Ohio State well-prepared for this matchup against #3 Penn State, and he remained undefeated against Penn State. Similar to last week’s game against Nebraska, the Buckeyes held on late for a close but very important win. For Penn State, it was a missed opportunity to put an emphatic stamp on the 2024 season. The upcoming schedule for the Nittany Lions eases, as it consists of Washington at home, followed by away games at Purdue and Minnesota, before ending the regular season at home against Maryland.
Key Takeaways: Penn State Falls to Ohio State 20-13
A loss to the #4 team is certainly not the end of the world. However, this particular defeat for Penn State was at the hands of rival Ohio State, again. Head coach James Franklin fails to win another key matchup against the big rivals. Of similar concern, quarterback Drew Allar has shown good progression so far this season. However, he was pedestrian in this game, similar to his performances against the top competitors like Ohio State, Michigan, and Ole Miss last season. Ironically, Penn State stopped recruiting Will Howard, the Ohio State quarterback from Pennsylvania that ended Penn State’s undefeated season.
Allar Kneeded to Step Up, But Didn’t
Quarterback Drew Allar is a leader, and his talents are undeniable. He has a cannon for an arm and has stepped up as a leader. He also dedicated himself to improving his ability to run the ball in the offseason. Heading into 2024, the biggest question mark for Allar was his ability to win the big game and rise to the level of the toughest competition. After this game, those questions persisted as the offense failed to score a touchdown.
In last week’s game at Wisconsin, Allar exited early with a knee injury. In his press availability earlier this week, Franklin would not say if Allar would play. Allar and Beau Pribula both practiced, and some reps even went to Ethan Grunkemeyer. However, when Penn State took the field, it was Allar under center. Whether he was impacted by last week’s injury may never be known, but Allar could not get the offense into the end zone.
For only the second time this season, Allar failed to throw a touchdown. He threw for 120 yards and an interception. He also had 10 carries, which is the most rushes he has had in any game this season. With a running back tandem as talented as Penn State’s, the pieces were there for a creative game plan by offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. However, that did not come to pass. Tight end Tyler Warren was the team’s leading rusher with 47 yards. Of additional concern, Allar only completed three passes to wide receivers, for 49 yards.
Franklin Misses a Golden Opportunity
This Penn State team is arguably the most talented collection of players that Franklin has had in his coaching career. If they had defeated Ohio State in this game, the path was clear to finish the regular season undefeated. Instead, Franklin faces more questions about if he will ever be able to get Penn State over the hump against quality opponents.
Franklin’s record against Top 10 teams is now 3-18. His record against Ohio State is now 1-10. Those records are simply not good enough for a team that peaked this season at #3, which was their ranking entering this matchup against Ohio State.
In-Game Management
Franklin’s in-game management did not quash any concerns in this game. Earlier this season, Penn State got off to very slow starts and had to come back in the second half of games. Against Ohio State, Penn State actually jumped out to a 10-0 lead before trailing 14-10 at halftime. As a coach, one should look to capitalize on any potential competitive advantages. The wild card out of the gates was who would start at quarterback, the rocket-armed Allar, or more fleet of foot Pribula. Penn State failed to adequately capitalize on this.
Franklin and Allar were not the only members of the team to seemingly shrink under the pressure. Kotelnicki drew up some creative motions pre-snap, but again the offense failed to capitalize on that. The epitome of this was seen in the fourth quarter when Penn State failed to score on four straight plays inside the five-yard line. With players like Allar, running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, and tight end Warren, there should been a touchdown scored.
Recruiting
On the recruiting front, Ohio State’s quarterback Howard came in holding a grudge for not being recruited to Penn State. Ironically, Allar is an Ohio native. After the game, Howard said, “It was an emotional game for me. I did not play my best game, but I have the best team in the country around me.” Again, one should use any competitive advantages that are possible. Day and Howard were able to use this extra motivation to help Howard grit his way to victory.
By the Numbers: Penn State Falls to Ohio State 20-13
Offense
Passing: Penn State threw for 150 yards, compared to 182 for Ohio State. Allar completed 12 of 20 for 146 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. Pribula completed his only pass attempt, for four yards. For Ohio State, Howard completed 16 of 24 for 182 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception.
Rushing: Penn State had 120 yards, compared to 176 yards for Ohio State. Warren led Penn State with 47 yards on three carries. Allar had 31 yards on 10 carries. Allen gained 27 yards on 12 carries, while Singleton carried six times for 15 yards. Quinshon Judkins led all players with 95 yards on 14 carries for Ohio State. TreVeyon Henderson ran 10 times for 54 yards.
Receiving: Singleton led Penn State with 54 yards on six catches. Warren caught four passes for 47 yards. For Ohio State, Jeremiah Smith led the team with four receptions for 55 yards. Ohio State receiving touchdowns were scored by Brandon Inniss and Emeka Egbuka.
Defense/Special Teams
Defense: Zakee Wheatley led Penn State defenders with nine tackles. Kobe King had seven tackles and a sack, while Abdul Carter had four tackles and two sacks. Zion Tracy had an interception. Cody Simon led Ohio State with 10 tackles and a sack, while Davison Igbinosun had the Ohio State interception.
Special Teams: For Penn State, Ryan Barker converted on both of his field goal tries, and his only extra point attempt. Riley Thompson had four punts, averaging 42.8 yards per punt. For Ohio State, Jayden Fielding both of his field goal attempts, and both extra points tries. Joe McGuire punted twice, averaging 47.0 yards per punt.
