Photos by Kathy Reed
By Dom Reed

UNIVERSITY PARK – The undefeated

7-0 Penn State Nittany Lions welcomed in the 6-1 Ohio State Buckeyes for a Big Ten Rival Showdown at Beaver Stadium with a record setting 111,030 sold out crowd. They were rallying behind them in hopes to remain unbeaten coming into this game while Oregon and Indiana are the only Big Ten conference teams to remain unbeaten.

Ohio State won the coin toss electing to defer to the second half giving the Nittany Lions the ball first.

Penn State ate up lots of clock running 14 plays for 61 yards only to put three points on the board. It was a drive where the Nittany LIons saw their drive stall out on a pass from Drew Allar to Liam Clifford with 6:57remaining in the opening quarter.

The three points would come off the foot of Ryan Barker as he would connect on a 29-yard field goal.

Ohio State ran two plays both ran by Quinshon Judkins.

Will Howard would try to find Jermiah Smith before it would end up in the hands of Penn State defender Zion Tracy for a pick six to extend the Nittany Lions lead 10-0 with 5:37 to go in the first quarter.

Ohio State  answered back with a score of their own. Howard found Emeka Egbuka on a 25-yard score. It would take just 7 plays of 74 yards to cut the deficit down to three 10-7 with 1:59remaining in the first quarter.

Penn State went three-and-out. Allar’s pass to Clifford fell incomplete leaving 44 seconds on the clock. The Buckeyes ran two plays before the quarter would come to an end.

The Nittany Lions lead the Buckeyes 10-7 after one quarter.

When play resumed Penn State had a costly offsides penalty from Adbul Carter giving the Buckeyes more than enough penalty yardage to give them a free first down up to the Buckeyes 32 yard line.

Things got worse for the Nittany Lions. Elliot Washington got called for unsportsmanlike penalty the drive would continue. Howard eventually found receiver Brandon Inniss for a score on a 10-play 81-yard drive on a 21-yard score with just a few minutes into the second quarter.

Ohio State extended the lead to 14-10 in the second quarter.

Penn State showed decent defense forcing turnovers a couple times in the first half. The second turnover came when Howard was trying to score Zakee Wheatley would punch the ball out resulting in a touchback the play. The play would then be reviewed and the call on the field would stand as a touchback.

The Nittany Lions took possession with 6:28 to go in the half. Penn State would try to mount a drive only to have Allar’s pass end up in the hands of Igbinosun Davison hands off the weird deflection.

The play would be reviewed if the call on the field was an incomplete pass; the call would be overturned to an interception and a touchback. Ohio State got the ball back, Howard would take a knee, a series of boo’s would come from the Nittany Lions fans as both teams would hit the reset button and head into the locker rooms for halftime Ohio State would lead Penn State 14-10.

Ohio State opened the second half putting points up on the board Jayden Fielding would knock through a 46-yard field goal to give the Buckeyes a little padding being up 17-10.

The Buckeyes put together an 8-play 47-yard drive to end with a field goal.

Penn State responded with at least a field goal on a 9-play 49-yard drive cutting the deficit down to four with 5:03 left in the third quarter.

With the game entering the fourth quarter, Ohio State would lead 17-13 looking to pull off the slight upset of third ranked Nittany Lions.

Ohio State really made a statement in the fourth quarter.

The Buckeyes got seven first downs in the fourth quarter.

Penn State would only manage to move the sticks twice as Penn State would be shut down by the Buckeyes to a tune of nine plays for just 74 total yards for a Penn State team that has done well on offense under Offensive Coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.

Penn State had one more opportunity at the Buckeyes on the one yardline the offense would stay on the field Allar would step back instead of running the ball the Nittany Lions would opt to throw it. The ball fell incomplete resulting in a turnover on downs.

The Buckeyes would control the ball and the clock not giving the Nittany Lions another chance with the ball the Nittany Lions defense could not stop the run game in the most crucial times Ohio State would stun the Nittany Lions at home in front of a sold out crowd to take down third ranked Penn State 20-13.