STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – James Franklin is urging his players not to linger on a loss that may not have dire implications for the rest of the season, unlike past years. This guidance comes after the Penn State Nittany Lions suffered their eighth consecutive defeat to their rivals, Ohio State, falling 20-13 in what was a historic turnout at Beaver Stadium.
Franklin acknowledged the difficulties faced by his team, stating, “The reality of college football is everything is still ahead of us. We need to focus on making necessary corrections and eliminating the unforced errors from today’s game. We must also find a way to secure a victory in our upcoming home game.” Despite having a tough track record against the No. 4 Buckeyes (1-10), Franklin seemed to recognize the importance of keeping their spirits up after such a hard-fought match.
As Franklin moved through the stadium tunnel to the Nittany Lions’ locker room, he was met with boos from the crowd. Players appeared to be in low spirits, with many looking down at their shoes, while others offered consolation to teammates following yet another close defeat in a rivalry that has been quite one-sided for years. Nonetheless, the landscape of college football could provide a silver lining; with the expansion of the College Football Playoff from four to twelve teams, Penn State’s postseason hopes are not entirely dashed by this setback.
With a 7-1 record overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten, the Nittany Lions are set to host Washington next Saturday, followed by games against Purdue and Minnesota, culminating with their season finale at home against Maryland on November 30.
Quarterback Drew Allar emphasized the need to quickly move on from this defeat, saying, “We can’t let one loss snowball into two or three. We need to correct our mistakes from today. Offensively, there’s no finger-pointing; it wasn’t just one individual who lost this game for us.” Despite their efforts, Penn State has struggled to overcome Ohio State’s dominance—since their last victory against the Buckeyes in 2016, the opponents have consistently won by an average of 7.8 points.
This latest battle, witnessed by an audience of 111,030, followed a familiar pattern, as the Buckeyes held a 14-10 lead at halftime and capitalized on two Nittany Lions turnovers while converting Penn State’s five penalties into productive plays. In stark contrast to their typically high-energy offense, the Nittany Lions faltered under pressure, converting only three out of eleven third downs and failing to score a touchdown for the first time in the season.
Their final offensive possession was particularly disappointing, marked by three straight inside running plays before Allar’s pass to tight end Khalil Dinkins fell incomplete with just over five minutes remaining. That marked the end of their attempts to regain control of the game.
Reflecting on their struggles, Allar remarked, “It really comes down to the minor mistakes that accumulated today. We cannot afford to play behind the sticks against a talented team and an excellent defensive coordinator.” In the past two seasons, the Nittany Lions have only converted four out of 27 third downs against Ohio State, managing just one offensive touchdown throughout those encounters.
Running back Nick Singleton, who has seen three losses to Ohio State, was visibly upset following his lackluster performance, rushing for only 15 yards. In the media room, he appeared contemplative, pulling his shirt over his mouth as he reflected on the game, saying, “Everyone is disappointed. We felt like we didn’t finish the job. We just have to learn to finish these games.”