Entering Ohio State's top-four showdown with Penn State on Saturday, two questions circled the team: How its offensive line would step up and how its defense would perform in the Buckeyes’ second big game of the season.
Both those units made statements against the No. 3 Nittany Lions. The biggest impressions came on each team's final drive, with a clutch goal-line stand from the defense followed by an 11-play series from the offense that featured exclusively run plays and killed off the remaining 5:13 of the clock to seal a 20-13 win.
The defense's four plays at the goal line allowed 2 yards to stop Penn State at the 1-yard line, the second time in the game that it kept the Nittany Lions off the scoreboard from Ohio State's 3-yard line. Cornerback Davison Igbinosun made a spectacular interception in the end zone near the end of the first half after allowing a big catch the play before to get PSU to that same spot.
His play served as something of a microcosm for Ohio State's performance on Saturday. Through turnovers and other wounds both self-inflicted and otherwise, the Buckeyes had to fight through adversity after going down 10-0 in the first quarter, but Ohio State fought back to control the game the rest of the way en route to its eighth straight victory over Penn State.
Eleven Warriors' Andy Anders and Dan Hope break down the statement win for the offensive line, defense and Ryan Day's entire program in the latest episode of After Carmen, which you can view at the top of the page.
- #4 Ohio State 20, #3 Penn State 13
- • Buckeyes Earn 8th Straight Win Over PSU
- • Season-Defining Performance for the O-line
- • Defense Shows It's Still Elite
- • Penn State Fans Aren't Happy With Franklin
- • Ohio State Postgame • Penn State Postgame • Photos • After Carmen
- • Five Things • Notebook • Social Reax • Three Key Stats
