Buckeyes Cruise to 38-14 Win Over Penn State

Saturday, November 1

Columbus, Ohio

12 p.m.

Ohio State

8-0 , 5-0

Penn State

3-5 , 0-5

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Penn State

Ohio State

Buckeyes Cruise to 38-14 Win Over Penn State

11/1/2025 3:20:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 1 Ohio State (8-0, 5-0) routed Penn State (3-5, 0-5) primarily via the pass game in a 38-14 win Saturday at Ohio Stadium. Julian Sayin threw for 316 yards on 20-of-23 passing and four touchdowns. Both Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith racked up more than 100 receiving yards with Tate leading the way. He had five catches for 124 yards and a score. Smith added 123 yards on six grabs and two touchdown catches. Bo Jackson led the Ohio State ground game with 105 yards on 13 carries. Ohio State’s defense recorded seven tackles for loss and sacked Penn State’s Ethan Grunkemeyer four times for losses of 39 yards. Arvell Reece led the defense with 12 tackles. Ohio State returns to the road to face Purdue next Saturday in West Lafayette, Indiana. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. with the Big Ten Network providing the national telecast.

First Quarter

No. 1 Ohio State 7, Penn State 0

Ohio State won the pregame coin toss and deferred to the second half. Penn State opened the game at its 25 following a touchback. The Nittany Lions started with a 26-yard rush to the OSU49 by Kaytron Allen. Ethan Grunkemeyer started at quarterback and connected with Devonte Ross for a gain of 6 on the first pass attempt of the game. The Buckeyes then stopped the drive at the OSU 45 forcing a punt, a 31-yard Gabe Nwosu kick to the OSU11. Ohio State’s Julian Sayin started under center and went right to receiver Carnell Tate for a gain of 20 to the OSU31. Bo Jackson then rushed twice for gains of 4 and 9 to the OSU 36. Jeremiah Smith then caught a Sayin toss down the left sideline for 18 yards to the PSU46. Smith added another catch for 10 yards before a Jackson rush for 8 yards to the PSU25. Ohio State drove to the Penn State 14 before Smith scored on a quick slate over the middle to give the Buckeyes a 7-0 lead with 6:15 left in the quarter. Sayin was 6-for-6 passing on the drive that covered 89 yards on 11 plays while using 6:10. From their 25 after a touchback, the Nittany Lions moved to the PSU32 before another Nwosu punt, this time a 43-yard effort to the OSU25. After a short ground gain, Penn State was called for roughing the passer penalty to give Ohio State a first down to the OSU41. Sayin then went deep on the next play to Brandon Inniss over the middle for 29 yards to the PSU30. Isaiah West then carried for 11 yards to the Penn State 19 before another Inniss catch for 7 to PSU11. CJ Donaldson Jr. carried for 5 to move the Buckeyes to the Penn State 6. The quarter ended after a Donaldson carry for a loss of 1 back to the PSU7.

Second Quarter

No. 1 Ohio State 17, Penn State 14

Jayden Fielding hit a 22-yard field goal after the Buckeyes stalled at the Penn State 4. Ohio State’s drive for the 10-0 lead covered 71 yards on 12 plays over 5:33. Penn State, operating from its 25 after a touchback, moved to the PSU35 after a 9-yard catch for a first down by Ross. Grunkemeyer threw for another first down, this time on a 16-yard grab by Nicholas Singleton to the OSU49. The Nittany Lions moved to the OSU37 and on third-and-10 got the first down on a 13-yard pass play to Liam Clifford to the Ohio State 24. Grunkemeyer hit Singleton for 13 yards and a first down to the OSU9. Ohio State called timeout and force a third down from their 3 before Singleton rushed left for the score to make it 10-7 Buckeyes with 6:18 left in the half. The drive covered 75 yards on 15 plays over 7:50. Sayin and the Buckeyes opened from their 25 following a touchback. Ohio State earned a first down on a 5-yard rush by Jackson and a scramble by Sayin for 9 yards to the OSU39. Smith caught a one on a crossing pattern over the middle for 13 yards and a first down to the PSU48. After a short gain by Jackson, Sayin went deep and connected with Tate for a 45-yard score down the middle to make it 17-7 Buckeyes. The quick drive (2:37), covered 75 yards on six plays. Penn State went hurry up but stalled at their 37. Nwosu came in and delivered a 63-yard punt that resulted in a touchback at the two-minute timeout. The Buckeyes fumbled at their 22 on the first play after the break. The ball was recovered by Penn State and returned by Chaz Coleman 9 yards to the OSU14. Ohio State’s defense stopped the Nittany Lions at the OSU9 before calling timeout with Penn State facing third-and-5. Penn State came out of the stoppage and completed a shovel pass for 8 yards up the middle to the OSU1. The Nittany Lions called timeout with 29 seconds left in the half and returned from the break to score on a 1-yard Allen rush to make it 17-14 at the half.

Jermaine Mathews, Ohio State vs. Penn State 11/01/2025

Carnell Tate, Ohio State vs. Penn State 11/01/2025

Third Quarter

No. 1 Ohio State 31, Penn State 14

Ohio State opened the second half with the ball and Saying quickly drove the Buckeyes down field for a touchdown. Completions to tight end Will Kacmarek for 14 yards and downfield to Tate for 57 down to the PSU4 led to a Donaldson 1-yard rush for a touchdown with less than three minutes gone in the third quarter. The drive covered 75 yards on five plays for the 24-14 lead. From the PSU13 to start the next possession after a shot kickoff return, the Nittany Lions ground out a couple first downs before Grunkemeyer was sacked by Ohio State’s Kenyatta Jackson Jr. for a loss of 8 back to the PSU29. Ohio State took over at its 16 after a 55-yard Nwosu punt. Sayin moved Ohio State to the PSU21 on completions to Inniss for 6 and then deep down the middle to Smith for 57 yards. The next two completions each lost a yard before Penn State was called for pass interference giving the Buckeyes a first down at the PSU8. Jackson carried for 2 before a 5-yard Donaldson rush gave the Buckeyes the ball at the PSU1. Sayin then connected with Bennett Christian for a 1-yard touchdown in the back right corner of the endzone. Sayin’s third TD strike of the game gave Ohio State a 31-14 lead with 3:21 left in the quarter. The drive covered 84 yards on eight plays while using 4:31. Penn State opened from at its 18 after Quinton Marting brought the kickoff out from the endzone for an 18-yard return. Grunkemeyer was sacked again, this time by Ohio State’s Arvell Reece on third-and-long, for a loss of 11 back to the PSU20. Ohio State took over at its 30 after a 59-yard Nwosu punt and a 10-yard Inniss return. The play ended the quarter.

Arvell Reese, Ohio State vs. Penn State 11/01/2025

Fourth Quarter

No. 1 Ohio State 38, Penn State 14

Ohio State used the ground game to start the final quarter but stalled at the OSU47. Joe McGuire punted it away for the Buckeyes from the OSU47 to the PSU10, a 43-yard kick. Ohio State was called for a fair-catch interference penalty to give Penn State possession at their 25. The Buckeyes sacked Grunkemeyer for a loss of 14 on third and 7 to force a punt from the PSU14. Ohio State took over after a 48-yard punt to the OSU38. On the first play after the possession change, Jackson rushed over left tackle for 51 yards to the PSU11. Smith and Sayin then connected over the middle for 11 yards on a tipped pass that Smith grabbed one-handed at the 1 and walked in for the score. Ohio State increased the lead to 38-14 on the quick two-play drive. Penn State drove to the Ohio State 19 after a couple long pass plays and an unnecessary roughness call on the Buckeyes. The Nittany Lions faced first-and-goal from the OSU9 but the Ohio State defense held after Caleb Downs intercepted Grunkemeyer in the endzone to give the Buckeyes the ball at their 20 with 4:29 left. Jackson carried twice for gains of 5 and 9 yards out to the OSU34. Ohio State stayed on the ground with Jackson carrying for gains of 11 and 3 yards out to the OSU 48 at the two-minute timeout. The Buckeyes finished off the win by running out the clock with the ground game.