It’s no secret that Penn State hasn’t done well against Ohio State over the years, and one PSU offensive lineman has a theory.
Since James Franklin took over as coach in 2014, PSU is 1-9 against OSU.
Will James Franklin and Penn State flip the script Saturday?
Graphic via @Media_Carnival pic.twitter.com/q5JKUzhFgh
— Nittany Sports Now (@NittanySN) October 30, 2024
Of those 10 games, five have been decided by one possession, six by single digits and three by a field goal or fewer.
So it isn’t as if PSU has been getting its doors blown off.
THE ANALOGY
Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Drew Shelton (66) November 12, 2022 David Hague/NSN
Penn State’s starting left tackle, Drew Shelton, offered a compelling analogy to PSU’s struggles against Ohio State.
“In past years, it’s been close,” Shelton told reporters Wednesday morning. “Obviously it’s a play here, a play there. It’s 10 guys doing it right, one guy doing it wrong. That’s how planes crash – small things.”
Perhaps the two biggest examples of Shelton’s point took place years before he got to PSU in 2022.
In 2017, Penn State had a 15-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
Then, Ohio State blocked a punt and everything changed. The Buckeyes ended up winning, 39-38.
Teams who block a punt win 90% of the time pic.twitter.com/xY4kHPTcxb
— Official Ohio State DG (@DylanEveryday) October 29, 2024
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.The next season was no less heart-wrenching for PSU fans. With a little more than a minute to go, Ohio State led Penn State 27-26 but Penn State was driving in Ohio State territory. What happened next can be explained by any Penn State fan if someone says “4th and 5.”
Here's what Penn State went with on 4th and 5 with the game on the line. pic.twitter.com/onhYZGP2RH
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) September 30, 2018
MORE RECENTLY
Kalen King tackles Ohio State’s Julian Fleming (Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now
Since Shelton has been at Penn State, the team is 0-2 against Ohio State. In 2022, Penn State lost 44-31 in a game where it led with less than 10 minutes left. QB Sean Clifford turned the ball over four times, each one leading to points for Ohio State.
The best example of Shelton’s analogy happened in Columbus last season.
Although the main reason PSU lost was because the offense— which didn’t score a touchdown until there were 29 seconds left— wasn’t good enough, a play on the other side of the ball proved crucial, too.
Midway through the second quarter, Curtis Jacobs picked up a fumble near the Ohio State red zone and ran it in for a defensive touchdown.
But the play was wiped out by a holding penalty, and Ohio State ended up scoring a touchdown and eventually winning 20-12.
In these games, there’s little, if any, room for error.
We’ll find out if PSU can flip the script soon enough. Kickoff is scheduled for noon on Fox Saturday.
