Penn State-Ohio State ended in favor of the Buckeyes for the eighth consecutive year and the tenth time in James Franklin’s Penn State tenure last Saturday.
Boos and garbage rained down from the stands of Beaver Stadium as Franklin got into a verbal exchange with a student and a “fire Franklin” chant broke out in the tunnel as the team headed to the locker room.
“At the end of the day, we lost to a top-five team and one of the top programs in the country,” said Franklin, who has a 1-10 record against Ohio State. “We had opportunities to win the game, and we have had opportunities to win those games in the past. We’ve got to find a way to get it done. That starts with me.”
The missed opportunities were the story of the game. Cornerback Zion Tracy intercepted Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard’s first pass attempt in the first quarter and returned it for a touchdown to go up 10-0. The momentum was on Penn State’s side early, but in the end, Tracy’s pick-6 was Penn State’s only touchdown of the game—despite having two possessions inside Ohio State’s 5-yard line.
The first came with 14 seconds remaining in the first half and a timeout still available. Quarterback Drew Allar looked for his receiver Harrison Wallace III, who had hauled in a 24-yard reception the play before. But Wallace bobbled the catch, and Ohio State’s cornerback Davison Igbinosun made a circus interception in the corner of the end zone.
The next came in the fourth quarter with five minutes remaining. Tight end Tyler Warren took a direct snap 33 yards down the sideline to the Buckeyes’ 3-yard line. Penn State then ran the ball with Kaytron Allen three straight times and called a play-action pass on fourth down that fell incomplete.
Saturday’s loss was reminiscent of Penn State’s 24-15 defeat to No. 3 Michigan last November. There was no production or separation from the wide receivers, and the Nittany Lions couldn’t establish the ground game. The home fans had the same reaction after the game, showering Happy Valley with boos.
The only difference is that last year’s loss ended the Nittany Lions’ College Football Playoff hopes.
With a record of 7-1 and 4-1 in the Big Ten, Penn State still has a chance to make the newly expanded 12-team playoff, clinch a home playoff game and even appear in the Big Ten championship.
But before any postseason conversations begin, the Nittany Lions still have four games remaining on the schedule, including the annual White Out game against Washington on Saturday.
“We’ve got to make sure one loss doesn’t turn into two, and that’s controlling the things we can in our building and flushing it,” Franklin said. “Whether it’s on campus, in the community or on social media, that makes it more challenging specifically for our players to do that. We’ve got to make sure we move on.”
It has been a challenging season for the Huskies. Last year’s national champion runner-up looks completely different since former head coach Kalen DeBoer took the Alabama head coaching job in January.
Former Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch replaced DeBoer, and the Huskies brought in 59 new players to help replace the 41 lettermen who departed. Washington has just two returning starters from last season: linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala and corner Elijah Jackson.
In a year of transition, the Huskies sit at 5-4 with a 3-3 conference record as Big Ten newcomers, with wins over USC, No. 10 Michigan and Northwestern. They have relied on Mississippi State transfer quarterback Will Rogers, Arizona transfer running back Jonah Coleman and returning receiver Denzel Boston—who leads the Big Ten in receiving touchdowns.
Like Ohio State, Washington’s receiving room boasts a 600-yard receiver, a 500-yard receiver and a 300-yard receiver.
“We look forward to sticking to our technique, just trying to compete versus those guys,” Penn State cornerback A.J. Harris said. “This is a great group of wide receivers, but we just have to give it our all and try to take care of business.”
The Huskies have a top-25 passing offense this season with Rogers at the helm. The senior quarterback has 2,284 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions and has completed 71 percent of his passes.
“He gets the ball out fast,” Harris said. “He knows where he’s going with the ball. He’s a pro-style quarterback that knows what he’s doing.”
But Rogers hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass since losing to Iowa 40-16 on Oct. 12, and he has thrown all four interceptions in three of his last four games.
As for Coleman, he has already exceeded last year’s rushing total with 889 yards—fourth-best in the Big Ten. The junior back also sits fourth in the conference in rush yards per game (98.8) and third in yards per carry (6.3).
However, the Huskies’ offensive talent and production have yet to translate into points. The offense is tied for 100th in scoring offense with 23.6 points per game; it is 91st in third-down efficiency and 43rd in red zone efficiency.
The other side of the ball is a different story. Washington is ranked No. 21 in scoring defense, No. 10 in total defense and No. 2 in passing defense, and it has a top-20 interception leader in linebacker Carson Bruener.
“Statistically, their numbers are really good. Specifically, when you talk pass defense,” Franklin said. “We’ve been impressed with their linebacker Bruener, defensive end and linebacker [Tuputala] and their safety [Kamren Fabiculanan]. Really good players that have been productive this year.”
After a game against Ohio State where Penn State’s wide receivers had just three catches for 49 yards, improving in that area will be a challenge against the Huskies. Poor receiver play plagued Penn State’s offense a year ago, and it is something Franklin is looking to mitigate before Saturday.
“I think there have been significant strides made there, but there is still more work to do. That last game is an example of that,” Franklin said. “We have got to be able to threaten people. Got to be able to stretch people. Got to be able to make plays and create separation and make tough catches. That needs to happen.”
Step 1 is getting back on track in front of a White Out crowd. More than 107,000 of Penn State’s faithful will dress in white for a must-win game to keep hopes of a home playoff game alive. For now, however, Franklin is focused on taking things one day at a time.
“I think the most important thing for us is how we practice on Tuesday and how we practice on Wednesday,” he said. “Most importantly, we have to get better this week and find a way to beat Washington. If we do those things over the next couple of weeks, then all the things that we want to [do] are still in front of us.”
How to watch Washington vs. Penn State:
- When: Saturday, November 9
- Where: Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Watch: Exclusively on Peacock
About the Author
Mitch Corcoran is a senior at Penn State University and has been on the staff of Onward State, the student blog, since his junior year. With Onward State, Mitch is an associate editor and has covered several varsity sports, including being on the football and men’s volleyball beats since the spring of 2024.
