Ohio State/Rutgers

A 17-point spurt in the third quarter pulled No. 8 Penn State within four of No. 2 Ohio State, but the Nittany Lions couldn’t complete the rally from there in Saturday’s Big Ten showdown from Columbus.

The Buckeyes scored a crucial fourth quarter touchdown and used a smothering defensive line to hold off Penn State, and eliminate the blue and white from Big Ten title contention.

Looking Back

Star of The Game: Chase Young

This award could easily go to Justin Fields or J.K. Dobbins, who both were terrific in the Buckeyes’ win. But defensive end Chase Young was flat out phenomenal. In his return from a two-game suspension, he was a terror from both edge spots. Young finished with nine tackles, including three sacks, and recorded a forced fumble. He effectively shut the game down as the Nittany Lions mounted another comeback in the 4th quarter. He absolutely deserves Heisman Trophy consideration.

Moment of Magic: Fields connects with Olave

With the Buckeyes only up four and the crowd inside the Horseshoe suddenly a bit nervous, Justin Fields lofted up a deep ball to his wide receiver Chris Olave in the end zone. Olave leapt into the air and outmuscled John Reid before hauling in the touchdown. It pushed the Buckeyes’ lead to 28-17 and that proved to be enough as Ohio State’s defense closed the deal down the stretch.

Looking Ahead

Rutgers in a free fall

Penn State goes from playing the best team in the Big Ten this season to the worst. The Scarlet Knights are a disaster, having fired coach Chris Ash earlier this season and now reports circulating that they couldn’t come to an agreement with former coach Greg Schiano to take over the program. Rutgers is 2-9 overall and 0-8 in the Big Ten, outscored 328-45 in conference games.

Parsons named Butkus Finalist

Despite the loss in Columbus, sophomore linebacker Micah Parsons had another stellar day for the Nittany Lions. He finished second on the team with 10 tackles. He also recovered a fumble while forcing another to help turn the tide a bit in the third quarter. Parsons was named a finalist for the Butkus Award on Monday, given annually to the best linebacker in college football.

Penn State-Rutgers at a glance

Penn State is 27-2 all time against the Scarlet Knights and has won the last 12 meetings dating back to 1989. The last four games have been one-sided in favor of the Nittany Lions, with Penn State outscoring Rutgers, 122-16. The Nittany Lions should be in store for another dominant showing on Senior Day.