Showdown Between Penn State, Ohio State Not as Close as Predicted

The showdown between Big 10 rivals Penn State Nittany Lions and Ohio State Buckeyes was played in Beaver Stadium this year. This game has been highly anticipated because the defensive squads that both teams field have almost identical in the stats department this year- it was supposed to be the "Dan Connor and James Laurinaitis show" as the highly acclaimed linebackers showed their stuff.

Well, Happy Valley may be a misnomer after tonights game came to a rather uneventful close. The final score: Ohio State 37, Penn State 17. Not exactly the nail-biter that fans may have hoped for, but perhaps the Buckeyes will now start getting some of the respect that the nation isn't quite ready to exude on them after last year's embarrassing loss to Florida in the National Championship.

While this game was touted as a defensive battle, it was in fact Ohio State's excellence offensively which sealed the deal. Quarterback Todd Boeckman remained cool and confident the entire game, showing great field sense. Boeckman threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns. He did have 1 interception by Penn State's Dan Connor, but the Nittany Lions were not able to convert that turnover into any points on the scoreboard.

Ohio State's running game was looking equally impressive, with sophomore sensation Chris "Beanie" Wells rushing for another 133 yards, which now leaves him just 4 yards shy of 1,000 yards on the season. Kicker Ryan Pretorius sent three field goals through the uprights, the first being an impressive 50-yarder on the opening drive of the game. Cornerback Malcolm Jenkins even got in on the fun, returning an interception thrown by Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli 24 yards for a touchdown. The offense was so effective for the Buckeyes that they never punted the ball in the entire game.