Takeaways: Penn State comes so close, yet so still far vs. Ohio State

Penn State football saw its perfect record snapped last Saturday, falling to Ohio State 20-13 inside Beaver Stadium. For the eighth consecutive season, the Nittany Lions have been unable to take down the Buckeyes. In some ways, this game was the closest matchup yet. However, in others, it shows how far James Franklin and his program still have to go.

What are we taking away from Penn State’s first loss of 2024?

Tyler Warren not being used on last possession was malpractice

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The Nittany Lions’ final offensive possession has been discussed ad nauseam among Penn State fans and the media all week. After finishing off a long run to get the Penn State offense down to the three-yard line, not a single touch was registered for star tight end Tyler Warren.

We have seen Warren be used in multiple positions this year. But the most successful has come out of the shotgun, where he consistently picks up 5+ yards on his designed runs. There really isn’t a reason to believe that Warren wouldn’t have been able to score from the three-yard line with multiple opportunities. Add in that a direct snap is a faster-developing play than a read option. Warren has proven able to dive over the line and score from over three yards out this season.

Penn State was also three yards out with one timeout at the end of the first half before Ohio State picked off Drew Allar in the end zone after the ball went off Harrison Wallace’s hands. That was another opportunity for the Nittany Lions to try one of their most successful plays with Warren.

Both were shocking instances of play-calling malpractice to not get the ball in your best player’s hands with the game on the line, something that most have not expected from new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. If Penn State football makes the College Football Playoff and a similar situation arises, it’ll be interesting to see if the decision-making will differ.

Penn State offense once again came up small in a big game

Penn State fans thought they were getting a flashy and explosive new offense with Andy Kotelnicki this season. For the early non-conference slate, that appeared to be the case.

However, as the competition has gotten more difficult, the offense appears to be regressing to the grind-it-out long-drive style we saw in 2023. The explosive plays have all but disappeared.

More importantly, Saturday’s result against Ohio State was reminiscent of the results against the Buckeyes and Michigan in 2023. The Penn State offense could only muster six points on four possessions in the red zone, two of which reached the three-yard line but put nothing on the board. As the field got shorter, the Nittany Lions couldn’t spread out the Buckeyes as much, and the offense went quiet.

This was the first game this season in which Penn State football didn’t have the talent advantage. The Nittany Lions will now have to wait until the College Football Playoff to play a team of similar caliber. That’s not comforting for a fanbase that is torn on whether they think James Franklin can finally get over the hump.

Record-breaking crowd, but not record-breaking noise

© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A record-breaking 111,030 fans gathered in Beaver Stadium to witness the first top-five matchup in Happy Valley since 1999. The largest crowd in stadium history capped off what had been a jam-packed weekend with College GameDay, Big Noon Kickoff, and a number of other notable media shows making their way to town.

Despite being the largest crowd ever, the noise wasn’t as deafening as in years past. Most would probably attribute that to the game being a noon kickoff, and those people are probably right. Since the COVID pandemic, some of the loudest games have been against Auburn (2021) and Iowa (2023) during night game White Outs. There is just something that doesn’t quite get the fanbase as excited for these noon kicks.

Credit goes to the students for showing up early and packing in by kickoff and the rest of the stadium for following the helmet stripe theme. But the crowd at noon matchups, even top-five matchups, tends to be less disruptive than at night games. Since 2021, this crowd probably ranks behind Auburn, Iowa, and the Minnesota White Out in 2022.

FOX owns the Big Ten media rights for a long time, so this will have to be a reality that fans will have to deal with moving forward.

Nittany Lions’ season isn’t over

While the negativity was certainly flowing inside the stadium and online after the loss, the season is far from over.

Abdul Carter, Kobe King, and other Nittany Lion starters made it clear that they want to meet Ohio State again this year.

We will see them again I promise… WE WILL BE BETTER, STAY TOGETHER!!
it’s a long Season!😉 #WE are

— Abdul Carter (@1NCRDB1) November 2, 2024

Penn State football still has everything in front of it. An 11-1 record is more likely than not, as the Nittany Lions should be favored in all four of their final regular season games. The two biggest tests will be this week at home against Washington and at Minnesota.

After coming in at No. 6 in the first CFP rankings, the committee clearly favors Penn State despite its lack of a top-25 win or much of a resumé. That should bode well for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions to host a playoff game should they run the table.

Penn State football needs to avoid letdown week against Washington

© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Often, after emotional losses or wins, teams are primed for a letdown spot. Penn State football has certainly had these issues under James Franklin in the past.

The Nittany Lions have lost their second game of the season immediately after their first four times under Franklin: 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021. In all of those seasons, Penn State was ranked inside the top 10 before picking up a loss.

That is why this week is critical for Penn State to stay on track for the CFP. Washington has struggled at times this year but has been a solid football team at 5-4. Saturday being the “official” White Out game and kicking off at night should help the Nittany Lions. But no matter the opponent, the atmosphere after a defeat always has a little bit of extra edge to it.

Penn State is probably lucky to be No. 6 in the first CFP rankings without a top-25 win. So, at this point, it’s all about holding steady and making sure to get a top-eight seed to host a playoff game.

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