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    • Stopping Penn State at the goal line may have saved Ohio State’s season
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    Stopping Penn State at the goal line may have saved Ohio State’s season

    Vaseline Posted on

    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 read 7:59 when Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke fought a Penn State blocker and knocked Tyler Warren out of bounds at the Buckeyes’ 3-yard line.

    At that point, No. 4 Ohio State’s season was on the line. A championship-or-bust year seemed more like the latter than the former. If No. 3 Penn State could score a touchdown and build on that momentum for a win, the Buckeyes’ season would be on the brink.

    A spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, which was considered a given before the season, would be in jeopardy. Hopes for the Big Ten title would be gone. You can imagine all the seniors returning for one final season wondering to themselves, “Did we turn down the NFL for this?”

    The Buckeyes don’t have to think about that anymore. Ohio State stopped the Nittany Lions with a goal-line stand and ran out the clock on possession for a 20-13 win.

    Afterwards the relief and joy was palpable. Coach Ryan Day gave offensive coordinator Chip Kelly a bear hug on the field. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles danced with cheers in the locker room.

    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 having to rally to beat Nebraska. It may not be an exaggeration to say this was the most important win of Day’s 63 wins as Buckeyes coach. His record against the top-5 teams in the Associated Press poll was 2-6. He needed this.

    More: Instant Opinions on Ohio State Football: Chip Kelly makes his millions with the win over Penn State

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

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

    More: Ohio State football’s Ryan Day is getting a monkey off his back — at least for now — at Penn State

    The Buckeyes also had chances for touchdowns on deep passes to open receivers. Howard was off target on a throw to Carnell Tate. Jeremiah Smith inexplicably slowed down for a moment on the other side.

    But perhaps it was better for Ohio State to have to dig deep to test its mettle. After the goal line score, the Buckeyes took over on their 1.

    Ohio State’s under-the-radar offensive line shines with Donovan Jackson at left tackle

    Ohio State’s offensive line is being closely watched for good reason. It was playing well until left tackled Josh Simmons’ season-ending knee injury against Oregon. Replacement Zen Michalski played poorly against Nebraska before getting injured late in that game.

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

    Behind that realigned line, the Buckeyes ran it down the throat of the Nittany Lions. The 235-pound Howard pushed for 4 yards on the first play to set the tone. Boom, boom, boom, the Buckeyes advanced. Quinshon Judkins shot ahead for 9 for a first down, then 6, then 15. TreVeyon Henderson added 6. Howard finished it off with two third-down conversions. He probably could have scored on the last one before deciding to slide and then celebrate 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 achieve such a top-5 victory on the road in a difficult environment. Move Donnie to the 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 defense shuts down Kaytron Allen, Penn State’s Nick Singleton

    Ohio State’s defense held Penn State to Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen to 42 yards on 18 carries, with Allen’s three-goal line at the end clearly the most crucial. Ohio State ran for 176 yards, nearly triple what it did against Nebraska.

    Certainly, Penn State has supported the Buckeyes’ cause. Nittany Lions coach James Franklin continued his uselessness in big games, especially against OSU. PSU fans rightly criticize the unimaginative play on the goal line.

    But that’s Penn State’s problem. For Ohio State, Saturday was a day where it started disaster in its face and didn’t blink an eye.

    “We pushed ourselves to win that game,” Howard said.

    And with that he might have saved the season.

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