Ohio State took advantage of its second chance, when Howard found Brandon Inniss for a 21-yard touchdown.

On their next drive, the Buckeyes nearly took a two-score lead when Will Howard ran into the end zone. Officials initially said he scored a 13-yard touchdown run, but replay showed safety Zakee Wheatley forced a fumble. The ball floated over the pylon, meaning a touchback and the Penn State ball.

Penn State made a valiant effort to take the lead on its final drive before the half, reaching the Ohio State three-yard line with 13 seconds left. But Davison Igbinosun made the play of the game, attacking quarterback Drew Allar’s pass to Harrison Wallace III for an interception.

Both teams exchanged field goals and then punts to start the second half. Ohio State’s Jayden Fielding then scored another field goal to put OSU up 20-13, although not before a boundary call that was ruled an incomplete pass rather than a fumble recovery by Penn State.

PSU then drove down the field, catapulted by a 33-yard run by Tyler Warren. That led to goal-line positioning and Ohio State’s successful efforts to run out the clock starting from the shadow of its end zone.

From a single-game perspective, this was brutal for Penn State, which had the win on the line.

The sanction for unsportsmanlike conduct, justified or not, extended a series that ended with seven points. Igbinosun’s interception ended a drive that could have led to seven points. The fumble that didn’t turn into an OSU field goal instead of Penn State potentially going down the field for more points. Ohio State’s goal-line position prevented seven more points. And for those scoring at home, Penn State had first and goal from the three-yard line twice and scored zero points.

From a broader perspective, it’s more of the same under Franklin.

It’s hard to overcome the mistakes, poor decisions and poor execution that are often committed against the nation’s No. 4 team. But Franklin’s teams, despite having the talent to win, continue to fall short in the program’s most important moments. It’s been the difference between competing for a spot in the College Football Playoffs and landing in what amounts to a high-level consolation game every year.

This year, Penn State has the safety net of a 12-team CFP instead of a four-team one, and the Nittany Lions will likely find themselves there — as long as they win against four Big Ten teams, they’ll be the favorites. against.

But fans understandably have little to no confidence that Franklin can handle the moment, especially after a brutal loss at home against an Ohio State team that hasn’t been as powerful as others in the program’s past.

Fans and analysts pointed out the disappointment afterward, noting the coach’s struggles in big moments and specifically questioning the plays on Penn State’s final goal-to-go drive.

Penn State will stay home this week and host Washington in Happy Valley on Saturday, November 9. The team will then close out the regular season with road games against Purdue and Minnesota before hosting Maryland.