What Ohio State Buckeyes players had to say after Penn State victory

Up 17-7 and in a two-minute drill with a potent passing attack, the energy at Ohio Stadium was pulsing, knowing that one more score could put the game away.

Surrounded by a blackout crowd, CJ Donaldson plunged into a sea of white jerseys before the ball popped out of his arms.

Not only did Penn State recover the loose ball, but it also gained new life. The Nittany Lions drained the remaining clock and took advantage of the fumble, with Kaytron Allen’s eighth straight game with a rushing touchdown gutting any Ohio State momentum.

“We came in at halftime, and we were up by three; you would have thought we were down by 21,” head coach Ryan Day said.

The third quarter would put all of the doubts to rest, adding to the long list of offensive explosions by the Buckeyes.

“In that moment, we wanted to be at least winning by 10. And then to turn around and only be up three, it was like, you got to be kidding me,” Day said.

Beating man coverage in the seams all day long, Carnell Tate secured a 57-yard pass that set the table for Donaldson’s eighth touchdown of the season.

TATE FOR 57 YARDS

Carnell Tate is just a nightmare on defenses for @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/VXB8bl9TE0
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 1, 2025

Following a Penn State punt, Jeremiah Smith grabbed a 57-yard catch of his own, leading to another goal-line touchdown, this time to tight end Bennett Christian.

Ok, Julian Sayin is really freakin good. I get he has Jeremiah Smith to throw to but every single one of his deep balls today has been perfectly thrown.

pic.twitter.com/jaJqdlN0p5
— Will Desautelle (@wdesautelle) November 1, 2025

By the time the third quarter ended, it never felt close. The Buckeyes were up 31-14, with the sea of black rumbling behind their team.

“When you come out in the second half, you have to learn from the first half, but you can’t dwell on it,” Day said.

With the game practically put away in the fourth quarter, safety Zakee Wheatley tipped Sayin’s pass, a throw that would have been his first interception since Sept. 13.

Jeremiah Smith had other plans.

Jumping sky-high into the air, the supernatural sophomore grabbed the ball with one hand, fought into the end zone, and secured his 10th touchdown of the year.

"See ball, get ball," Smith said. "The defender tipped the ball, and I didn't want Julian to throw an interception, so I just had to make a play."

JEREMIAH SMITH ARE YOU SERIOUS?! 😱

He snags an unreal TD catch for @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/yBTdM0xfTW
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 1, 2025

The final box score showed the No. 1 team in the nation winning 38-14, crushing any momentum Penn State had after a late first-half score.

Quarterback Julian Sayin played a pivotal role throughout the game, completing 20 of 23 passes for 316 yards and tossing four touchdowns in his second consecutive game.

For a Penn State defense that allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards per game in the Big Ten (185.4), the Buckeyes turned its strength into a weakness.

Tate led the team with 124 yards and a touchdown, while Smith paced the receivers with six catches for 123 yards and two scores.

“Those guys are the two best [receivers] in the country, and they show it every Saturday,” Sayin said. “I see it in practice when they go make plays against the best defense in the country.”

The running game got a significant push, especially in the fourth quarter, with running back Bo Jackson erupting for 105 yards on 13 carries.

After failing to hit 100 rushing yards as a team last game against a stingy Wisconsin front seven, it was a sight for sore eyes for the Buckeyes to amass 164 against the Nittany Lions.

“I thought we really fit some runs up late, and we were physical late,” Day said. “Sometimes the run game takes a little time. So was it perfect? No, but I thought the guys played hard.”

Although firmly out of playoff contention, Penn State’s defense is littered with top-100 big board players for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Pro Football Focus’ highest-ranked Big Ten cornerback, A.J. Harris (No. 40), edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton (No. 92), and safety Zakee Wheatley (No. 94) were all threats silenced in the second half.

For the players and coaches, the Buckeyes knew it would still be a battle, regardless of the record.

“These guys still have a lot of NFL players on the team, and we knew it was going to be a challenge,” Day said. “For us, they were just the next team on the list that we have to execute against.”

Ohio State’s next stop will be a matchup in West Lafayette when it faces Purdue on Nov. 8.