Ohio State notched a program-changing win over No. 3 Penn State in Happy Valley 20-13 in a tough, gritty performance by the Buckeyes.

Dear Fellow Buckeyes,

First, to Will Howard: you’re good enough. What an incredible, program-changing win for Ryan Day and Ohio State on the road against No. 3 Penn State in front of a record crowd of 111,030 in Beaver Stadium. 

Chip Kelly and Ryan Day’s offensive game plan was masterful. Tons of misdirection and exploration of man coverage helped the Ohio State passing game, which did just enough to win the game. Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Brandon Inniss were the Buckeyes’ leading receivers. 

However, the story of the game was the offensive line and running game. The Buckeyes ran it 38 times for 179 yards (4.7 ypc), including 11 straight plays to seal the win. Following a goal line stand, Ohio State mounted a 58-yard championship drive to burn the final 5:13. 

The offensive line, patched together with Donovan Jackson moving outside to LT and Carson Hinzman inserting at LG, mauled the Penn State front in the ground game all afternoon. But especially on the final drive, where all 11 plays earned positive yardage. 

Ohio State’s closing statement was one the program desperately needed. There were points left on the field for both teams and sure, the Buckeyes could’ve won by double digits. Let me highlight that it’s better for Ohio State to have won the way it did, than to leave Happy Valley with a comfortable victory. 

All the talk about fourth quarters for Ohio State was the defense not getting stops and the offense not being able to sustain a drive to close a game. Both of those things happened on Saturday in the best way possible. 

A second goal line stand for Ohio State — four straight plays from inside the 3-yard line and Penn State came up empty. The offense followed with a punishing 11 plays, running 58 yards and draining the remaining 5:13 off the clock. 

Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson, and Will Howard all carried the ball multiple times on the drive. But Judkins and Henderson didn’t just contribute with their legs. Both backs laid key blocks to open run lanes for Howard and were involved in the passing game earlier in the contest. The RBs and OL receive “A” grades for their performance. 

Speaking of championship-caliber performances, Jim Knowles and the Silver Bullets had a day. Paychecks earned. Ohio State only surrendered two field goals to the Penn State offense all afternoon. The Nittany Lions’ touchdown came on a pick-six on Will Howard’s first pass attempt. 

The defensive line tallied two sacks and stood tall when it mattered most in the red zone. Cody Simon and Sonny Styles played sound games at LB as the Buckeyes’ top two tacklers. 

Caleb Downs played phenomenally, accepting the responsibility of TE Tyler Warren, who was a non-factor in the first half and only found two explosive plays in the second half when he wasn’t Downs’ primary responsibility. 

The defensive play of the game was by Davison Igbinosun at the end of the first half. To set the stage, Iggy gave up a chunk pass play to set up first-and-goal for Penn State inside the 5-yard line. According to Beaver Stadium, the ensuing play was a touchdown, but no, Igbinosun intercepted the pass along the boundary and kept his foot in bounds. 

Igbinosun’s interception shifted all the momentum back to Ohio State, which erased an early 10-0 deficit to take a 14-10 lead into the break. Along with the fourth-quarter goal line stop, the Buckeyes got off the field with a stop in the game’s biggest moments. And that’s why it’s better for Ohio State to win the game 20-13 in this fashion than to win by a wider margin. 

Sometimes, you just have to do it, and Ohio State did. This team proved its toughness and resilience, as did the coaching staff. The Buckeyes were backed into a corner and doubted all week. It wasn’t always pretty, but the program answered the bell, as all three goals remained attainable and in front. A win like this can change a program and be a turning point. Time will tell, but I believe that’s exactly what happened on Saturday in State College.