Senior linebackers Steele Chambers (22) and Tommy Eichenberg (35) team up to stop a Penn State ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage. No. 3 Ohio State defeated the No. 7-ranked Nittany Lions 20-12 at Ohio Stadium Saturday. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor

“Tressel-ball.” 

That’s how folks on X, formerly known as Twitter, referred to Ohio State’s 20-12 stout victory against No. 7 Penn State at Ohio Stadium Saturday.

Former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel was well known for his conservative coaching style, emphasizing a dominant defense and efficient offense.

Although “Tressel Ball” wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing style of play, it led to Ohio State’s seventh national championship in 2002.

After holding the fifth-ranked scoring offense to only 12 points, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day described this season’s defense as “championship caliber.”

“If we can play like this, then this is that championship-level defense,” Day said. “If we keep growing as a team, we’ll be tough to beat here down the road.”

Third down and none

One-of-16. 

That’s how many third downs the Nittany Lions completed. 

Six of those opportunities were third and shorts, as Penn State consistently found itself inches away from a fresh set of downs. 

However, it was unable to convert even when given the opportunity to do so a second time around. 

The Nittany Lions were given a chance to put points on the board late into the third quarter after a muffed punt bounced off the leg of senior wide receiver Julian Fleming. 

With Penn State taking over at its own 48-yard line, the momentum swung in its favor. However, it could not capitalize after a sack from J.T. Tuimoloau, pushing the offense back 8 yards. 

After a tackle from freshman cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr., what had now become a third-and-15 pushed the Nittany Lions out of field goal range. 

Sophomore quarterback Drew Allar had a defensive lineman in his face for most of the game. 

Allar Struggles against pressure 

Allar returned to his home state for the second time as a Nittany Lion, this time in a starting role.

The sophomore quarterback finished with 191 passing yards, going 18-of-42 as he struggled to move the ball up the field, largely due to the Buckeyes’ relentless pressure. 

Although Penn State ranked as the No. 1 team in the Big Ten in sacks, the Buckeyes flipped the tables on Saturday, registering four sacks for a loss of 36 yards. 

After shooting through a gap for a 3-yard loss, sophomore safety Sonny Styles was the first Buckeyes to drive Allar in the dirt. 

From that point forward, a litany of incomplete and off-target passes ensued as Allar connected on 35 percent of his passes at the half. 

The Buckeyes continued forcing pressure until the bitter end, as the sophomore was sacked for the fourth and final time with 3:58 to go in the fourth. 

No Burke, no problem 

The Buckeyes had a number of players step up, including junior cornerback Jordan Hancock, Tuimoloau and Mathews. 

Hancock, who started in place of the injured Burke, quickly made his presence felt by moving from safety to corner.

On Penn State’s first drive of the game, Allen would only gain a mere 6 yards before the Buckeyes forced them off the field three plays later, thanks to a pass breakup from Hancock. 

Hancock made another big play by sneaking into the backfield and tripping Allen on third-and-5 in the second quarter.

The stop led to a late field goal in the second quarter, resulting in a 10-6 lead for the Buckeyes.

Mathews, a freshman from Cincinnati, shared snaps with Hancock in the absence of Burke. 

The first-year cornerback played well, making three solo tackles. He also made a crucial pass breakup on third-and-8 in the third quarter.

Lastly, Tuimoloau. The name rings a bell for Penn State as the junior defensive end terrorized the offensive line in its previous matchup, recording four turnovers, including two interceptions. 

This time around, Tuimoloau was a disruptive force for most of the game against Penn State’s offense. However, it wasn’t until the opening minutes of the fourth quarter that Tuimoloau made the game’s biggest play, sacking Allar.

Once again, he made his presence felt, but this time in a rocking Ohio Stadium. 

“I thought our players fed off of it, you can tangibly see it on the field, they just fed off the crowd,” Day said.  “That sack on J.T. on fourth down was as loud as I’ve heard in a long time.”

Run into the ground

The Nittany Lions have one of the deadliest combo running backs in the country.   

The one-two punch of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton combined for 737 yards entering Saturday’s game. 

However, their sighting was nearly nonexistent, as they totaled 76 yards. With the passing offense struggling to get going, Penn State turned to Allen and Singleton. 

The plan seemed to be a perfect recipe on paper, with Ohio State ranking ninth overall in stopping the rush. Once again, the Buckeyes reversed roles by limiting Penn State’s 203-yard average offense to just 49 yards.

Despite being ranked lower defensively than Penn State, Ohio State showed up when it mattered most.