No. 4 Ohio State defeated No. 3 Penn State on the road, 20-13

Penn State's red zone debacle diminished, but did not end, the Nittany Lions' chances of defeating the Buckeyes. With five minutes left, they needed the defense to stop Ohio State's offense and get the ball back.

The defense couldn't keep its end of the bargain, however, as Howard, a Pennsylvania native, rushed for seven yards with less than a minute left on third down, giving Ohio State a 20-13 victory over Penn State. He passed for 182 yards on 16 of 24 passes with two touchdowns and one interception, while the running back room managed 146 yards.

WILL HOWARD FIRST DOWN 😤 THAT WILL WORK!!@OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/RGN19JW9si

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 2, 2024

It was the first time the Buckeyes beat a top-five team on the road since 2006 and the 12th win against Penn State in the last 13 meetings.

The Nittany Lions struggled to find much momentum on offense throughout the game, scoring just three points after the first quarter. A lot of that had to do with Ohio State's defensive success in the red zone, intercepting Allar and forcing a turnover on downs in crunch time.

Although Penn State suffered its first loss of the season, the College Football Playoff is still within reach, especially with no AP Top 25 teams currently on the schedule.

The Buckeyes improve to 7-1, rebounding from a loss to Oregon on Oct. 12 and a 10-point deficit to PSU. The win helps OSU get back into contention for the CFP and keeps them in contention for the Big Ten Championship Game. The Buckeyes face No. 13 Indiana in a few weeks — the strongest challenger still standing in the regular season.