COLUMBUS — Right after Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin connected with Bennett Christian on a touchdown throw that shattered any remaining hope left in Penn State’s comeback bid, the quarterback ran toward the Buckeyes’ bench.
With a dash of bravado and self-recognition that the quarterback had effectively called “game,” Sayin shimmied before he was mobbed by his head coach and a few other teammates, while others celebrated with Christian in the back of the end zone. For the quarterback whose Heisman Trophy campaign skyrocketed after the 316-yard performance, it was a subtle but noticeable sense of self-confidence, joy and belief that his play and his team weren’t just the best but enjoyed being the best on the field.
Ohio State knew it, Ohio State owned it and Ohio State reveled in it.
What was so stark about that moment from the other sideline wasn’t that it was the final dagger driven into any futile comeback bid.
It is that at no moment this season has Penn State had a moment like that.
At no moment this season has Penn State had it – whatever it is.
When Terry Smith took over Penn State’s head coaching position from James Franklin just a few weeks earlier, Smith was direct that Penn State was not having fun and for the Nittany Lions to be successful, they would need to find it.
Two games later and it feels no closer to finding that joy with no end in sight.
Penn State has not played a sense of belief effectively all season long – or at least since mid-September. It was evident from Penn State’s first drive that even the coaching staff was questioning that. After a three-yard run on the opening drive from inside the Buckeyes’ half of the field on third down that was four yards short of a first down, it seemed that Penn State was setting up to go for it on fourth down.
Instead, Smith sent the punt unit onto the field to kick the ball away.
There wasn’t much question that Penn State would have to overcome what felt like insurmountable odds to beat the No. 1 team in the country on Saturday. Instead, Penn State played like a team that had accepted its fate — even with a few moments of false optimism — and it wasn’t like Penn State was putting itself in moments to maximize that opportunity either.
After a bye week, Penn State had offered a glimmer of hope it had made changes to put itself in the best position possible against Ohio State. It was, as Smith said earlier this week, looking to stretch the ball vertically. (Penn State’s longest pass was 26 yards and finished with 145 total.) In hopes of finding and creating new energy, Smith had said it wanted to get Tyseer Denmark and Koby Howard, two young but high-potential wide receivers, involved. (The two combined for that one 26-yard catch and just a handful of snaps.) When Smith reiterated Penn State’s coordinators handled the play calling and were refining their approach, it seemed that Penn State might make key changes to its strategy. (It, in need of three scores, ran two screens that went for five yards and then ran a multi-lateral reverse that went for -14 yards.) Even Penn State acknowledged it needed to be aware of Sayin and the Buckeyes’ vertical passing game. (Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith had 124 and 123 receiving yards, respectively.)
It was the opening drive punt, however, that signified an opportunity – like much this season – wasted.
Meanwhile, every opportunity that Ohio State got, it took and that was the it factor that showed up for four quarters.
It manifested in deep throws by Sayin. It showed up in bounces that, instead of incompletions, resulted in highlight reel catches. It was there when the Buckeyes’ defense repeatedly dragged Ethan Grunkemeyer to the ground. It even reared its head when 105,517 jeered as their former defensive coordinator – the very one that helped them to a national title – flashed on the jumbotron, just minutes after taking one of Penn State’s signature songs and spitting it back in their face.
It, too, certainly showed when Sayin and the rest of the Buckeyes celebrated.
It’s difficult to put a finger on what the “it” is. It might be the fact that Ohio State is the defending national champion. It might be some of the best wide receivers in recent college football history. It might be a quarterback who is inching his toward an invite to New York in December. It might be better coaching. It might be self-belief. It might be arrogance. It might be a bit of luck — which was certainly around Smith’s touchdown catch.
However, what it is, Penn State didn’t have on Saturday. That’s what’s left in the 56 million pieces to pick up in the coming days, weeks and months. If Penn State truly wants to have whatever Ohio State has, it will have to find it someday.
But this version of Penn State will never find it. This version of Penn State never had it to begin with.
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