Penn State’s red zone debacle lessened the Nittany Lions’ chances of taking down the Buckeyes, but didn’t end them. With five minutes left, they needed the defense to stop Ohio State’s offense to get the ball back.
The defense couldn’t keep up their end of the bargain, though, as Howard, a Pennsylvania native, rushed for seven yards on third down with less than a minute left to secure Ohio State’s 20-13 win over Penn State. He finished with 182 yards on 16 of 24 passes with two touchdowns and an interception, while the running back room rushed for 146 yards.
WILL HOWARD FIRST DOWN 😤 THAT’LL DO IT ‼️@OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/RGN19JW9si
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 2, 2024
It was the first time the Buckeyes beat a top-5 team on the road since 2006 and the 12th win against Penn State in the last 13 meetings.
The Nittany Lions struggled to find much momentum on offense all game, scoring just three points after the first quarter. A lot of that had to do with Ohio State’s defensive success in the red zone, intercepting Allar and forcing a turnover on downs in crunch time.
Although Penn State suffered its first loss of the season, the College Football Playoffs are still in reach, especially with zero AP Top 25 teams currently left on its schedule.
The Buckeyes improve to 7-1, bouncing back from their loss to Oregon on Oct. 12 and a 10-point deficit against PSU. The win helps OSU’s resume for the CFP and keeps them in Big Ten Championship Game contention. The Buckeyes face No. 13 Indiana in a few weeks — the strongest challenger left on their regular season schedule.
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