AP Photo/Jay LaPrete

No. 5 Ohio State football defeated No. 20 Penn State 33-24 on Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.

OSU running back TreVeyon Henderson paced the Buckeyes offense with 28 carries for 152 rushing yards and a touchdown that gave the Buckeyes a 26-17 third-quarter lead.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud found seven different receivers en route to completing 22-of-34 passes for 305 yards and one touchdown. Chris Olave caught that score for 38 yards.

Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson starred for the Nittany Lions, with 11 catches, 127 yards and a two-yard touchdown run that helped tie the game at 17 in the third quarter.

OSU (7-1, 5-0 Big Ten) has now won six straight games. Penn State (5-3, 2-3 Big Ten) has dropped three straight, including a nine-overtime 20-18 loss to Illinois.


Notable Performances

Penn State QB Sean Clifford: 35-of-52, 361 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Penn State WR Jahan Dotson: 11 catches, 127 receiving yards; 2-yard TD run

Penn State WR Parker Washington: 9 catches, 108 receiving yards

Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud: 22-of-34, 305 passing yards, 1 TD

Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson: 28 carries, 152 rushing yards, 1 TD 

Ohio State WR Chris Olave: 3 catches, 44 yards, 1 TD


High-Powered, Talented OSU Offense Shines Again

Ohio State has averaged 47.25 points per game, and its lowest scoring output was 28 points in a Sept. 11 loss to Oregon.

Since then, the Buckeyes have crushed their opponents to the tune of a 217-point differential.

OSU met some resistance on Saturday against a tough PSU defense, but the Buckeyes were simply too strong for the Nittany Lions in front of their raucous home crowd.

Stroud and Olave put OSU into the lead after they connected on a 38-yard downfield shot for six and a 9-7 edge:

Big Ten Network @BigTenNetwork

CO2️⃣@chrisolave_ hauls in his 31st career @OhioStateFB TD, and fourth vs. Penn State. pic.twitter.com/MowAHJQAro

An efficient passing game (9.0 yards per attempt for Stroud) worked in sync with the running game, which featured an explosive 68-yard run from Henderson to set up his own one-yard score for a 26-17 edge in the third quarter:

Big Ten Network @BigTenNetwork

He’s just a freshman. 😨

TreVeyon Henderson breaks free to set up his 13th rushing TD of the season.@TreVeyonH4 // @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/z3cZJhAvuO

Stroud entered this game as one of Pro Football Focus’ top-graded quarterbacks, and he’ll likely stay that way after adding another win to his resume:

PFF College @PFF_College

Highest-graded QBs heading into Week 9

1. Caleb Williams, OU – 93.6
2. Kenny Pickett, Pitt – 92.7
3. Malik Willis, Liberty – 92.4
4. Brennan Armstrong, UVA – 91.9
5. C.J. Stroud, OSU – 91.8 pic.twitter.com/KdHdESGuXa

The redshirt freshman is firmly planted in the Heisman conversation as he tries to guide the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title and a College Football Playoff appearance.

Meanwhile, as Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors tweeted, Henderson has 15 touchdowns, including at least one in each game he’s played.

It was a remarkable effort for the running back, who started the game with 20 yards on 14 carries. He finished strong, though, and even gave credit to PSU for their effort:

Griffin Strom @GriffinStrom3

TreVeyon Henderson says “that defense, that’s a great defense. One of the best defenses we’ve played all year. But I needed that to prove to myself that I’m tough.”

Ultimately, PSU’s defense hung tough for much of the game, but OSU’s talented attack prevailed.

Penn State Fights Hard; Missed Opportunities at End

It’s never easy for any team to go into Colombus and beat the Buckeyes, but PSU found itself down just 27-24 with 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter following a Keyvone Lee one-yard scoring rush.

That score capped off Penn State’s third touchdown drive of 75 yards or more.

Clifford found Brenton Strange for a five-yard pass to cap a 13-play, 89-yard drive for a 6-0 lead:

ESPN @espn

Penn State strikes first and Sean Clifford silences the crowd 🤫 pic.twitter.com/JjXuIifs8p

Dotson ended a 12-play, 75-yard effort in the third quarter with a Wildcat TD to help PSU tie this one up at 17:

ESPN College Football @ESPNCFB

JAHAN DOTSON WILDCAT TD 👀 pic.twitter.com/ZIOR3PApyO

Lee’s score ended another 75-yard drive, and PSU was down just a field goal entering the fourth.

It was a remarkable effort from the offense, especially since OSU defensive lineman Jerron Cage scored on a 57-yard scoop-and-score in the second quarter:

Ohio State Football @OhioStateFB

🏈 @CageJerron scoops.
💪 Jerron Cage scores.#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Ruzi2NqJZB

However, PSU couldn’t take advantage of multiple opportunities down the stretch.

Cameron Brown intercepted a Clifford pass with PSU driving down 27-24 with 11:15 left. The Nittany Lions held OSU to a field goal, but the PSU offense then went three-and-out on a drive that saw a 70-yard John Lovett touchdown called back for illegal touching.

OSU then moved the ball in chunks down the field before a Noah Ruggles 26-yard field goal. A PSU drive in response ended with a missed field goal, all but ending the game.

It’s undoubtedly been a disappointing stretch for PSU, especially after a 20-18 nine-OT loss to a previously 2-5 Illinois team at home one week ago. However, the Nittany Lions played hard on Saturday evening in a tough environment before OSU pulled away down the stretch.

What’s Next?

Both teams will hit the road for Big Ten matchups Saturday.

Penn State will visit Maryland in College Park’s Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. Ohio State will take on Nebraska in Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium.

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