Photos: Mike Nance
By: Grady Nance
COLUMBUS, OHIO – In Columbus, Ohio, there is only one cure for a dreary fall morning: a rivalry game at The Shoe. The sleepy college town got the full treatment on Saturday, as thousands of red-and-white clad Ohio State University fans crowded the streets in the morning’s early hours to prepare for their highly-anticipated matchup with visiting rival No. 6 Penn State University. By the time noon rolled around, over 105,000 rowdy fans had piled into Ohio Stadium, eager for the meeting of two of college football’s best teams.
For Penn State, this premier matchup offered the team’s first true test of the season. Boasting the nation’s top defense, anchored by twins Kalen and Kobe King, linebacker Curtis Jacobs, and La Salle College High School grad linebacker Abdul Carter, the Nittany Lions sought to shut down an Ohio State offense that, while not flashy, had found its groove as of late.
Ohio State vs. Penn State - PSD Gallery by Mike Nance
OSU quarterback and St. Joseph’s Prep grad Kyle McCord entered the day on the heels of two strong passing performances, throwing for nearly 600 yards and five touchdowns without a turnover. Meanwhile, his best weapon, fellow St. Joe’s Prep grad and presumptive top-5 NFL Draft pick Marvin Harrison Jr., looked to repeat his performance from last year’s matchup, when he burned the Nittany Lions for nearly 200 yards receiving.
OSU quarterback and St. Joseph’s Prep grad Kyle McCord #6 - PSD Photo by Mike Nance
Whether due to nerves or just the morning chill, both offenses struggled to produce in the first quarter, mustering just a pair of field goals. McCord and Penn State quarterback Drew Allar looked stymied by the opposing coverage, leading to several missed targets and a few head-scratching throws.
“I felt like I just needed to ease into the pocket a little more,” McCord said of his early play. “Obviously they’re a really good D-line…so I need to do a better job early on of, not relaxing, but playing calm.”
By the time Brutus had finished scorching an OSU fan in the 100-yard dash during a media timeout (around halfway through the second quarter), it became clear that both defenses came to dominate, and a few key conversions on offense for either team could swing the game.
The first of those moments came just following the aforementioned scorching. After the Buckeyes forced a three-and-out on defense and strung together a few strong runs on the ensuing possession to knife into Penn State territory, McCord dropped back to pass and was immediately met with pressure from Curtis Jacobs. Jacobs sacked McCord, ripped the ball loose, and returned it all the way to the house, but the play was nullified by a defensive holding call.
A few plays (and one questionable unnecessary roughness call) later, OSU running back Miyah Williams punched it into the end zone, the lone touchdown of the half for either team.
“Obviously [the defensive holding] is a huge momentum swing, and they followed it up with another interference call, so that was obviously significant,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said in his postgame press conference.
His team responded after the touchdown by putting together perhaps their best meaningful drive of the game, finding a few running lanes for Governor Mifflin grad Nicholas Singleton, leading to a field goal to cut the deficit to four.
Penn State sophomore running back and Governor Mifflin grad Nicholas Singleton #10 - PSD Photo by Mike Nance
As the second half commenced, it seemed both teams shared the same plan on defense: force the opposing quarterback to beat them. Running lanes for both offenses shrunk, forcing much of the offense into the hands of Allar and McCord. But while Allar continued to look completely overwhelmed by the Ohio State secondary, McCord adjusted and made just enough plays to put the Buckeyes in a position to win.
It was not pretty, but having “Maserati Marv” on the outside certainly does help: Harrison Jr. caught a personal-best 11 passes for 162 yards; nine of those catches gave Ohio State a first down, further emphasizing the wide receiver’s indispensable role in the OSU offense.
It was fitting, then, that Harrison Jr. delivered the dagger in the fourth quarter, a catch-and-run of 18 yards to the house to give the Buckeyes a 20-6 lead, an insurmountable deficit for the anemic PSU offense to overcome.
After the game, Allar did not mince nor waste words when asked about his performance: “Sucked.”
PSU head coach James Franklin provided a bit more detail.
“I think all year long we have called the game and managed the game to put him in the best situation to be successful, and we weren’t able to do that today…
Marvin Harrison Jr. scores to give Ohio State a 20-6 lead in the 4th quarter vs. Penn State - PSD Photo by Mike Nance
Marvin Harrison Jr. all smiles after scoring late TD vs. PSU - PSD Photo by Mike Nance
"Drew needs some guys to make plays for him on a more consistent basis, there’s no doubt about it,” said Franklin.
Penn State’s offense went 1-16 on third down on Saturday, a testament not only to the stout Ohio State defense in short yardage but the inability of the Nittany Lions, from a play calling and execution standpoint, to make necessary in-game adjustments.
While both teams came into Saturday with the same goal of inching closer to a spot in the College Football Playoff, they leave the weekend with vastly different paths to achieve it. With the win, Ohio State notches its second win against a top-10 opponent and firmly places itself in the conversation for the college football playoff.
“If we can play like this, then that’s championship-level defense,” OSU head coach Ryan Day said. “And if we keep growing as a team, then we’ll be tough to beat down the road.”
For Penn State, questions abound. Their dreams of launching defiantly into the playoff conversation with an upset on Saturday were extinguished; they’ll have to win out the rest of their schedule, including a pivotal home matchup with No. 2 Michigan, to have an outside shot at a playoff berth. Franklin’s teams are now 1-9 against Ohio State and 3-16 against top-10 opponents in his tenure, and as this trend continues to haunt Penn State, it reflects primarily on Franklin’s leadership of the Nittany Lions.
Franklin declined to speak on the larger picture after the game, saying that he wished to remain focused on the game and his players.
“What I’ll talk about is today. We lost to a really good football team, on the road, we had our chances and we weren’t able to capitalize,” said Franklin.
Abdul Carter, who came into Saturday’s game with the second-most tackles on the Nittany Lions defense (trailing only Curtis Jacobs), racked up another nine on the afternoon, tied with Jacobs for most on the defense.
PSU sophomore LB and La Salle College High School alum Abdul Carter #11 - PSD Photo by Mike Nance
Penn State will look to recapture their swagger Saturday against Indiana, but in the meantime, the loss will sting. Ohio State, meanwhile, will take this momentum into a battle with the Badgers in Wisconsin.