Penn State's Defense Gets Humbled, Then Taunted, by Ohio State

The Buckeyes threw for 316 yards against the Nittany Lions and then trolled defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) catches a touchdown pass in front of Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Elliot Washington II (9). | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

COLUMBUS, Ohio | In the fourth quarter of Penn State's 38-14 loss to No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday, the Ohio Stadium scoreboard operator flashed a picture of Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jim Knowles on the screen. Boos followed. 

A second later, Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was shown on the scoreboard. Cheers erupted inside The Shoe. This scenario played out multiple times and encapsulated the day for Penn State, and particularly for Knowles’ defense.

“Too many times, there's 10 guys doing their job, nine guys doing their job, and that just doesn't cut it. We need all 11 to be doing their job,” Penn State linebacker Amare Campbell said after the game. “... It’s definitely frustrating. It’s stuff that we know. And it just goes back to focus. Every game, we’ve got to be focused on every play. You’ve got to be focused. So it just goes back to us. Everybody got to do their job.”

I guess they couldn't resist .. up 38-14, @OhioStateFB used a break in the action to troll their former DC Jim Knowles. I caught the tail end as they cut back and forth from Knowles in the booth (chorus of boos) to field level and current DC Matt Patricia (loud cheers) pic.twitter.com/ZWMUARaspn

— Todd Sadowski (@ToddFox43) November 1, 2025

Where Penn State’s defense fell short

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day shakes hands with Penn State Nittany Lions interim head coach Terry Smith. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith was adamant last week about his team not allowing explosive plays. But that’s precisely where the defensive lapses were against the Buckeyes. Wide receiver Carnell Tate caught passes of 57 and 45 yards, and Jeremiah Smith hauled in a 57-yarder. 

The Smith-Tate duo, which Terry deemed as “the two best [receivers] in the country” and “better than all [past Ohio State receivers],” rattled the Nittany Lions from start to finish. Smith finished with six catches for 123 yards, and Tate caught five for 124. They combined for three touchdowns.  

Jeremiah Smith and Tate gave Penn State were consistently behind a Penn State defense that gameplanned to keep everything in front of it. 

“[The struggles were] a combination of all things,” Terry Smith said. “Lack of pass rush, lack of [defensive backs] covering. There's times we were in man [coverage], there's times we were in Cover 3. It was a point of emphasis. It was [a] key to victory. You cannot let them behind you.”

It was clear that Penn State’s point of emphasis didn’t succeed. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin completed 87 percent of his passes and hit on five completions of 20 yards or longer. Smith said Penn State gave the Buckeyes a lot of quarters coverage, often run in the NFL. 

Combine that complex coverage and Campbell saying that not all 11 defensive players did their jobs correctly, and the game favored Ohio State. 

“When we get the chance, with the right coverage, like Coach [Ryan] Day said, we [have] to take our shot [down the field],” Jeremiah Smith said. “We [have] to hit him. We don't get too many of those. Today, we got a lot of them, so we gotta take advantage.” 

RELATED: The Penn State report card at Ohio State

Another frustrating defensive performance

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate catches a pass against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Campbell was frustrated postgame. Five straight losses wasn’t what he envisioned when he transferred to Penn State from North Carolina in April. And he certainly didn’t foresee a Nittany Lions defense, which is near the top of the country every year, ranking seventh in the Big Ten. 

The Nittany Lions allowed 316 passing yards and 164 rushing yards to the Buckeyes. The 480 total yards were the most Penn State allowed since the 2023 Peach Bowl vs. Ole Miss.  

Campbell said that the defensive lapses did not stem from pre-snap issues or miscommunication. He added that Jeremiah Smith and Tate’s speed were a problem that was hard to replicate in practice. 

“It's post-snap,” Campbell said. “Everything is post-snap. Whatever you're keying pre-snap, that changes post-snap. Then you have to adjust post-snap. A lot of stuff like that.” 

Ultimately, Penn State could not handle the Big Ten’s top receiver duo. Even with a gameplan to keep everything in front of it, Penn State’s defense still let Smith and Tate get separation on the back. And it happened three times.  

“You [have] to compete with the ball in the air. That goes for everybody, myself [included],” Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley said. “You play corner, that's what you sign up for. You sign up for 1-on-1 matchups, for matches like this. “... I think the cornerback position is one of the hardest positions on the field. You cover people backwards while they’re moving forward. But like I said, there's no excuses. That's what they signed up for. That's what I signed up for, being a safety.”