State College, Pa. — Will Howard rose to his feet, victory secured, completing the homecoming he had yearned for.
The Ohio native, who once felt overlooked by Penn State, proudly signaled a first down with his hand. Once, twice, three times. He could have gone on to eight — the number of straight victories that fourth-ranked Ohio State now holds over the third-ranked Penn State following a 20-13 win, capped by a late goal-line stand and a grinding, clock-consuming drive.
“We willed ourselves to win that game,” said Howard, who grew up near Philadelphia waiting for a Penn State scholarship offer that never came.
The win was satisfying but not flawless. Howard threw a pick-six on his first pass, putting Ohio State in an early 10-point deficit, and later fumbled near the goal line, costing the Buckeyes (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten) another potential score.
But Howard, a transfer from Kansas State, redeemed himself by throwing for 182 yards and connecting on touchdowns with Emeka Egbuka and Brandon Inniss. He added 24 rushing yards, with his final seven on a game-sealing option play. That led the crowd of 111,030 — the largest ever in Beaver Stadium — to boo Penn State coach James Franklin as he left the field after a heated exchange with a fan.
“I own it all,” Franklin said, dropping to 1-10 against an Ohio State program that has dominated Penn State in recent years.
The loss dealt a serious blow to Penn State’s Big Ten Championship hopes. While they still have a chance at a College Football Playoff spot, Penn State missed a critical opportunity to enhance its CFP resume.
“We did some things that were good enough to win, other things we did not,” Franklin said. “You can’t have the ball inside the 5-yard line twice and come out with no points.”
Penn State had a promising drive late in the first half, but Buckeyes’ defensive back Davison Igbinosun wrestled a pass away from receiver Harrison Wallace III, halting their progress. Later, tight end Tyler Warren helped lead a fourth-quarter push down to Ohio State’s 3-yard line. However, three attempts by Kaytron Allen only advanced the ball 2 yards, and Drew Allar’s fourth-down throw fell incomplete.
Ohio State then ran the ball 11 straight times, with their offensive line overpowering the Penn State defense after a subpar showing the previous week against Nebraska.
“That was fun,” Ohio State tackle Donovan Jackson said. “As an offensive lineman, those are the drives you dream of, just running the ball and just winning the game for your team.”
The ending mirrored so many other battles between these Big Ten giants. Players and coordinators may change, but the stakes remain high — and so do Ohio State’s successes.
Allar threw for 146 yards and ran for 31 more, but Penn State’s revamped offense under first-year coordinator Andy Kotelnicki struggled in Ohio State territory. Warren, who contributed 94 total yards, was kept from touching the ball in Penn State’s final four goal-line plays. Allar had hoped to go to Warren on fourth down, but Ohio State took him out of the play, reflecting how one team often manages to stay a step ahead of the other.
While Penn State remains optimistic about its CFP chances, another opportunity to redefine Franklin’s tenure faded in the November sun.
Howard, feeling it was his roughest game of the season, and the Buckeyes aren’t celebrating too soon. But three weeks after a close one-point loss at Oregon, where Howard’s late slide prevented a last-second field goal attempt, the mood walking off the field this time felt vastly different.
Up Next:
Ohio State: Plays Purdue at home next Saturday.
Penn State: hosts Washington next Saturday.
