Drew Allar returns for his senior season at Penn State, with a showdown in Columbus set for Nov. 1.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about our Biggest Concerns. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our Biggest Concerns here.
The longer the winning streak, the more pressure there is to maintain it. That’s the case for in-season winning streaks, consecutive national championships and winning streaks against an opponent.
We know the Buckeyes repeating as national champions is going to be incredibly difficult, but there’s another streak that’s going to be hard to extend this season.
Ohio State has beaten Penn State in each of the previous eight meetings. That’s impressive, considering how many really good teams the Nittany Lions have had over the last eight seasons. But with quarterback Drew Allar returning for the 2025 season, it’s going to be a 60-minute battle for the Buckeyes to make it nine-straight wins over Penn State.
In honor of this week’s theme here at LGHL, one of my biggest concerns this season is Penn State beating the Buckeyes in Columbus. The Nittany Lions will be fired up for that game, with a chip on their shoulder knowing how close they are to finally breaking through in both the Big Ten and on national level.
There are, obviously, concerns on this year’s Buckeyes team that are worth talking about. From a first time starter at quarterback to replacing Treyveon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins to the defensive line, those concerns obviously take precedent.
But a school like Ohio State is used to replacing talent annually. We know the Buckeyes could very well be one of four teams left in the College Football Playoff come early January. One thing, though, that can derail that or make it harder for the Buckeyes to get to the CFP Semifinals is losing a home game to a team they have owned for nearly a decade.
Look at the last two games between Ohio State and Penn State. The Buckeyes have scored just 20 points in each of those two meetings. Last season alone, the Buckeyes fell behind 10-0 early before shutting down Penn State’s offense the rest of the way in a 20-13 win. The Buckeyes needed a late goal line stand to seal the win.
That’s the thing that concerns me. Ohio State clobbered Penn State 44-31 in 2022, outscoring them 28-17 in the fourth quarter in a game JT Tuimoloau had two interceptions- returning one for a touchdown, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Not to mention, the Buckeyes dominated Penn State in every meeting from 2019 through that game in 2022.
Since then, though, the Buckeyes have had to grind out wins against the Nittany Lions.
Penn State is going to be very good in 2025. They could be No. 1 in the AP Preseason Top 25. Allar has struggled in his first two games against the Buckeyes, but what’s at stake for him could be the motivating factor behind a potentially much better performance for him against the Buckeyes this season.
Teams like Penn State eventually break through. While there is pressure on those teams, there’s more pressure on Ohio State to keep preventing teams like the Nittany Lions to reach the top tier of the conference and national hierarchy. One of my biggest concerns this season is Penn State finally breaking through and beating Ohio State — in Columbus, no less.