Penn State football vs Ohio State report card 2024

STATE COLLEGE − It was a chance for Penn State football to finally get over the Ohio State hump, but after poor performances on both sides of the ball by Penn State, the Buckeyes continue their winning streak over the Nittany Lions.

Here’s your Penn State report card from the game.

Penn State football offense: D

It was one of the uglier games for Penn State’s offense. After driving 61 yards for a field goal on the opening drive, the Nittany Lions only accumulated 38 yards on the following three drives. Drew Allar’s interception, while not completely his fault, came at a terrible time as Penn State was first-and-goal at the end of the first half.

If it’s any consolation, Allar’s knee held up fine as he was the team’s second-leading rusher. But the offense didn’t make plays when it mattered most. The offense failed to get over 300 yards, which isn’t enough to beat elite teams.

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Defense: C-

The defense gave itself chances by making big plays. Zion Tracy recorded a pick-six on Ohio State’s opening drive, Zakee Wheatly saved a touchdown by punching the ball out of Will Howard’s hands to force a touchback and Abdul Carter got to the quarterback for two sacks.

But the Nittany Lions routinely gave up pass completions in the flats, and Howard found the soft spots more often than not. Additionally, Ohio State converted 40% of its third-down attempts, not to mention two penalties – offside on Carter and a taunting penalty on Dominic DeLuca – in the second quarter that extended a drive.

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Special teams: A-

The special teams were relatively consistent for the Nittany Lions. Ryan Barker made both of his field goal attempts and extra-point tries, and Nick Singleton averaged 22 yards per return on kickoffs. Aside from one less-than-stellar punt, the special teams unit held its own against the Buckeyes.

Coaching: D

The play-calling to get Penn State into scoring position in the fourth quarter was excellent, but running the exact same play three times is inexcusable. In a game where the offense was struggling, trying something different on third down or going for a field goal would’ve been better. Instead, Ohio State was able to make the stop and run out the clock.

Overall: D+

Penn State made the plays to give itself a chance to win a pivotal game, but it failed to capitalize on multiple fronts while hurting itself with mistakes and poor execution.