Penn State’s red zone disaster put a dent in the Nittany Lions’ chances of beating the Buckeyes, but it didn’t end them. With five minutes left, they needed the defense to stop the Ohio State offense to get the ball back.

The defense couldn’t keep up, though, as Howard, a Pennsylvania native, rushed for seven yards on third down with less than a minute left to seal Ohio State’s 20-13 victory over Penn State. He finished with 182 yards on 16-of-24 passing with two touchdowns and an interception, while the running back rushed for 146 yards.

WILL HOWARD FIRST DOWN THAT WILL DO @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/RGN19JW9si

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

It was the first time the Buckeyes beat a top-5 team on the road since 2006 and their 12th win against Penn State in their 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 zero AP Top 25 teams left on its schedule.

The Buckeyes improve to 7-1, bouncing back from a loss to Oregon on Oct. 12 and a 10-point deficit against PSU. The win helps OSU’s CFP resume and keeps them in Big Ten Championship Game contention. The Buckeyes face No. 13 Indiana in a few weeks — the strongest challenger left on the regular season schedule.