Two drives down to Ohio State's 3-yard line resulted in zero points for Penn State last Saturday.
That stat almost seems anomalistic. Ohio State's own offense has driven inside the opposing 20-yard line 28 times this season and failed to score only once, when quarterback Will Howard fumbled a football through the end zone for a touchback in University Park over the weekend.
But it's been a trend for the Buckeyes' defense, especially over the last three games. Ohio State held Oregon to a field goal in a goal-to-go situation on its final drive. A goal-to-go stop against Nebraska was part of a 21-17 victory largely carried by OSU's defense.
DENIED ON 4TH & GOAL
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 26, 2024
The @OhioStateFB defense comes up with a MASSIVE stop pic.twitter.com/CgGlPqp2fN
"It shows you that there's a grit, there's a toughness, there's a, 'Never give up, give me an inch, I'm going to defend it' type of mentality," Day said after the Penn State game of his defense's goal-line stands. "You've got to give Jim (Knowles) and the entire staff credit on defense for the preparation going into this game."
Mentality and stout play along the defensive line is fueling a chamber of Silver Bullets that now ranks No. 4 nationally in opposing red zone scoring percentage (64.7%) and No. 3 in opposing red zone touchdown percentage (35.3%).
"It starts with the guys up front," Day said on Tuesday. "It starts with K-Mac (Kayden McDonald) and Hero (Kanu) and Ty (Hamilton) and JT (Tuimoloau), Jack (Sawyer). Those five guys holding the line right there. then it's this next level of guys. It's Cody (Simon), it's Sonny (Styles), those guys. And then as the pile is there, you've got to push that pile back. You've got to drive it back."
Indeed, it starts up front, which is probably clear to anyone who's watched goal-line scenarios. Defensive linemen have to get a great push to stuff the run, an obvious way to plunge the ball one, two or three yards forward when that's all that's needed for six points.
With Penn State trying to tie the game on what proved its final possession on Saturday and down to the 3-yard line, it turned to the run three consecutive times on 1st, 2nd and 3rd-and-goal only to gain two combined yards on those three plays. The Nittany Lions were thwarted because of efforts like those of defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. Watch on 3rd-and-goal as he drives Penn State center Nick Dawkins a yard behind the line of scrimmage, collecting motioning guard Olaivavega Ioane in the muck and creating a pile of bodies that stuffs PSU running back Kaytron Allen for a minimal gain.
"He's a guy that, particularly when you put him in those situations where he's just like head up the center and his job is to just knock that guy back, I think he's showing to have the ability to really change the game and change the line of scrimmage," Knowles said. "Definitely a guy who's earning himself more playing time."
Of course, teams are still allowed to throw the football too. Penn State tried to do that on 4th-and-goal, but that's where the experience of Ohio State's secondary comes into play. What the Nittany Lions attempted on 4th-and-goal is a bread-and-butter goal-line concept of teams across the country, the pick play. Watch the eyes of Penn State quarterback Drew Allar first, then watch the play again and focus on Lathan Ransom (No. 8 for Ohio State, top of your screen).
In the days since Ohio State's victory, analysts like Joel Klatt have questioned why Penn State didn't target star tight end Tyler Warren on the goal-line series. The answer is that the Nittany Lions tried to, but Ransom had none of it. Wide receiver Harrison Wallace III attempted to rub Davison Igbinosun and clear out space for Warren in the flat, but Ransom recognized it and blew the concept up.
Under pressure, Allar tried to work backside to another tight end in Khalil Dinkins, but Caleb Downs had him blanketed from the snap of the football. Simon and Styles also converged in coverage.
"That's 100 percent, what you practice shows up in the game," Knowles said. "I think that's the benefit of (having) two veteran safeties, and knowing the situation and the call and what's going to happen. Their reaction was spot on. I mean, they just jumped the right guys and took it away. And it's tough playing that situation because you're in there defending the run and then you got to be able to cover those kinds of routes. And they both did."
Ohio State's offense got the ball back and rattled off 10 straight runs to run the final 5:13 off the clock and seal the 20-13 win.
Of course, it also helps to simply create a turnover in a goal-to-go situation, which is how Ohio State got its first stop from the 3-yard line on a miraculous interception by Davison Igbinosun. But the final four plays of Penn State's final drive showed how the Buckeyes' defense has succeeded in goal-to-go situations this year, and how they've answered so many of their criticisms after a maligned performance at Oregon.
"You're happy for the players, all the work they put in," Knowles said. "We've been preaching that that has to be our standard. It just has to be the expectation. So it builds confidence, and I think not just in the players, but the whole team, or the whole staff, or fans. When you have a defense that you can count on, I think it just mentally gives everybody a sense of calm."
