Penn State entered Columbus on Saturday seeking a signature win. Instead, one of the weekend’s most popular upset picks fell flat on its face. The offense in particular struggled, taking a lot of the blame for the weak showing.
The Nittany Lions finished 1-16 on third down, with the lone conversion coming in the game’s final minute. Per ESPN, a team ranked in the AP poll hadn’t performed that poorly on third downs in over a decade. For the seventh straight season, Penn State was on the losing end of this Big Ten matchup.
During this seven-game slide against Ohio State, this was the lowest-scoring performance yet. The only time that the Nittany Lions scored fewer points against the Buckeyes under James Franklin’s command was the 2015 season. That was Franklin’s second year in State College when the program was still recovering from the Sandusky scandal.
Penn State went 1-16 (6.3%) on 3rd down in the loss vs Ohio State.
With a minimum of 15 third down attempts, that's the worst 3rd down conversion pct by any AP-ranked team in a game over the last 10 seasons. pic.twitter.com/v08lvUkv5d— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 21, 2023
Penn State QB Drew Allar Had a Brutal Afternoon
Operating as Penn State’s starting quarterback all season, sophomore Drew Allar finished 18-42 (42.9%) for 191 yards and a touchdown. He was also sacked four times, which doubled his season total. The young man is from Ohio, so having the worst collegiate game of his career in Columbus must sting.
Entering Saturday’s game, Allar was completing 65.2% of his passes and had 1,254 yards through the air. He also hasn’t thrown an interception this season, while Saturday saw him sling his 13th passing touchdown. The Nittany Lions will need him to bounce back quickly so that they can finish the season strong.
What’s Next for the Nittany Lions?
There’s no time for Penn State to throw a pity party, as they’re scheduled to host Indiana on Saturday, October 28. Their final four games, all in consecutive weeks, are at Maryland, home against #2 Michigan, in Beaver Stadium again against Rutgers, and then on the road versus Michigan State. The Nittany Lions can still win the Big Ten East (and this the Big Ten), but those games need to end with wins.
At the very least, this year’s team has already earned a bowl game. It may be a long shot, but the playoffs aren’t out of the question quite yet. Regrouping rapidly to pummel Indiana is Penn State’s next step after reaching a low point this Saturday.