Penn State football’s season of misery continued Saturday with a 38–14 loss to No. 1 Ohio State, marking its fifth straight defeat.
Once a competitive, back-and-forth rivalry, the Penn State–Ohio State matchup has become a one-sided affair, with the Buckeyes now having won nine consecutive meetings.
Once again, one critical difference defined the game — dynamic game breakers who can change momentum in an instant.
Ohio State receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith combined for 11 receptions, 247 yards, and three touchdowns, powering the top-ranked Buckeyes past a beleaguered Penn State squad.
“They’re the two best guys in the country, just watching them live,” interim Penn State coach Terry Smith said after the game. “And I don’t mean this disrespectfully to the past Ohio State receivers — these two are better than all of them. And those guys were great. They put it on film today, and we could not cover them.”
Smith and Tate were responsible for five of Ohio State’s seven explosive plays in the passing game. (An explosive play is defined as a completion of 15 yards or more.) Those five plays accounted for 140 yards and a touchdown, while two others helped set up additional scores.
Ohio State led by only three points at halftime, but head coach Ryan Day said it didn’t feel that close.
“We were up by three points at halftime, but it felt like we were down by 21,” Day said. “We were a much more focused team in the second half, and I liked how we came out and scored on our first possession. That’s what good teams do when they’re challenged.”
The Buckeyes exploited a struggling Penn State defense that has allowed nearly 70% of opposing passes to be completed and more 200 rushing yards per game in Big Ten play — both worst in the conference.
Any hint of Ohio State uncertainty quickly vanished thanks to its elite receiving corps. Quarterback Julian Sayin was razor-sharp, finishing with more touchdown passes (4) than incompletions (3). According to Pro Football Focus, his performance would have earned a perfect NFL passer rating of 158.3.
That level of explosive balance once defined Penn State’s offense. A season ago, tight end Tyler Warren commanded defensive attention, opening up space for running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.
It’s no surprise that when Penn State had dangerous athletes on the perimeter, Singleton and Allen produced their best seasons. In 2022, PSU struck gold in the transfer portal with Mitchell Tinsley, who led the team in receptions. Parker Washington nearly carried Penn State to an upset of Ohio State with 11 receptions, 179 yards, and a touchdown, and KeAndre Lambert-Smith thrived as a third option with tight end Brenton Strange.
But in 2023, Singleton and Allen’s production dipped as defenses stacked the box, unconcerned by Penn State’s perimeter threats.
This season, Allen has been a bright spot, but Singleton has struggled — though he flashed potential again Saturday when given opportunities in space.
The fourth quarter reignited questions about the lack of involvement from underclassmen Koby Howard and Tyseer Denmark. Howard’s lone 26-yard reception outgained every other Penn State wideout. Howard and transfer Kyron Hudson accounted for Penn State’s only two explosive pass plays of the game.
Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s reluctance to push the ball vertically with Howard and Denmark — despite Smith’s emphasis on doing so — continues to frustrate the fan base.
That hesitation doesn’t exist in Columbus.
From Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Marvin Harrison Jr., to now Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State’s game-changing receivers have repeatedly tormented Penn State.
Until the Nittany Lions find dynamic perimeter athletes capable of flipping a game, they will remain on the wrong side of this increasingly lopsided rivalry.
