Ryan Day emphasizes importance of Penn State game: 'A chance to go to Indianapolis is on the line'

Ohio State didn’t lose a game until Thanksgiving weekend each of the last two seasons, and each of the last two seasons, the Buckeyes had to watch the team they lost to, arch rival Michigan, play in and win the Big Ten Championship.

It’s not even November, and Ohio State already has one loss this year. But that doesn’t mean the Buckeyes are out of the 2024 Big Ten title race.

There won’t be a winner-take-all East division showdown with Michigan. For one, Big Ten divisions are a thing of the past now, and also the Wolverines have taken a step back after their national championship run in 2023. That said, the conference championship stakes of this week’s top-four matchup between No. 3 Penn State (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) and No. 4 Ohio State (6-1, 3-1) feel familiar.

For the second time in the last three games, the Buckeyes are going on the road to play a top-three opponent, and a loss would muddy their path to the Big Ten Championship, especially considering both No. 1 Oregon and No. 13 Indiana are currently undefeated. A win, on the other hand, would keep Ohio State on a path to Lucas Oil Stadium, potentially to face the Ducks in a rematch.

“What an unbelievable opportunity right here,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Tuesday, when discussing his team’s upcoming bout with the Nittany Lions.

“I mean, a chance to go to Indianapolis is on the line. And our guys are excited about playing in this game. I think the defense got a lot of confidence coming off of last week, the way that they played in creating TFLs and winning the game in the fourth quarter. I thought they were flying around. And so, if we get the offense playing the way it has in the past, combined with the way we played on defense this past week, that’s what we’re looking for in this game.”

The Buckeyes survived a scare from Nebraska last weekend, 21-17. Two weeks removed from allowing 496 yards and 34 points to the Ducks, Ohio State gave up only 273 yards and 17 points to the Cornhuskers. What’s more, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ unit conceded just one pass play of 30-plus yards and forced Nebraska to settle for field goals on three drives that spanned at least eight plays.

Ohio State struggled on the offensive side of the ball, however, particularly on the offensive line, where the Buckeyes are already down one left tackle — Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending knee injury at Oregon — and could be down another after Zen Michalski had to be helped off the field late in the fourth quarter of the four-point win over the Huskers.

Ohio State’s offensive line is in the spotlight heading into Happy Valley. Penn State has one of the more talented defensive fronts in the Big Ten, after all.

“Just like the Oregon game was, this game’s been circled on our schedule,” Day said. “We know what’s at stake here. So we’re gonna have a great week of practice, great energy in practice, and we’re gonna go into that environment and go finish the way that we didn’t do two weeks ago.”

Despite playing a mostly impressive game at Oregon, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard infamously slid one second too late while trying to get the Buckeyes in field goal range. He didn’t get down in time, and they couldn’t use their final timeout to set up a potential game-winning kick.

Howard is a Downingtown, Pennsylvania, native who grew up a Penn State fan. Saturday’s game is personal for him.

It’s also critical in terms of Ohio State’s pursuit of its first Big Ten title since 2020.

“We know it’s gonna take four quarters in this game,” Day said. “You know it always does when you go play in this environment. It’s a very difficult environment to play in. But we’ve been in this situation before. Our guys have been in this situation before.

“Now it’s time to go win this game and get a top-five victory, and that’s what the guys are focused on right now. The coaching staff, everybody in the building, is focused on winning this game right here.”