Okay, so this is it. 7-0 run for the 2024 season, a win over the Buckeyes will surely get Penn State into the playoffs. The problem is; that James Franklin and Co. need a “win”. See, Ryan Day and Chip Kelly won’t make this easy. Day has spent millions in NIL money to revamp the entire Buckeyes roster and they won’t let their second season loss be to Penn State out of all the teams on the board. Right now, both teams are gunning for each other, and well, in classic CFB fashion, there have been some problems.

Back on X, Josh Pate and JD PicKell were 2 people who called out one major issue that went down on that turf during the first half of the game. The first problem was the unsportsmanlike call. When Will Howard connected with Carnell Tate for a game, Nittany Lions Elliot Washington II got tangled up with Tate during a tackle. Videos from that tackle clearly show Elliot walking over Tate as he got up. “When I am CFB Commissioner I’m straight up overturning some of these calls in realtime,” Pate was quick to point out. PicKell was quick to add, “Step over call in the 1st half against Penn State was tempur pedic mattress soft.”

The officiating call got Penn State a 15-yard penalty, pushing them back. Even James Franklin had somewhat of a meltdown. “The rest, I don’t want to get myself in trouble,” Franklin mentioned while talking about his team and what they need to do better to win back against the Buckeyes.

While some fans might think that Day has got this in the bag, you also have to keep in mind that the roster Franklin has prepped for this year has been terrific. When they hit the turf against West Virginia, Pat McAfee was one of the first to “talk sh-t” about the Nittany Lions. Well, what happened after that? 7 back-to-back wins with a 30-point average in almost every game.

And QB Drew Allar has risen as someone who has all the potential to step right up and change the game for his entire team. The player has truly turned into Day’s worst nightmare because he was running all over the place during the Nittany Lions’ opening drive. But see, not everything has been going against James Franklin. While the 15-yard call was a big roadblock, the Buckeyes, on the other hand, also found themselves in a pickle.

Touchback for Ryan Day and Co.

2nd quarter of the game, the Buckeyes are on a lead with Brandon Inniss’s 21-yard TD. 14-10 on the board and that turned into 20-10 when Will Howard managed to hit the endzone running. The Buckeyes fans are living the dream, but let’s snap back to reality.

That play from Howard was a clear fumble. Going into the endzone, Howard had dropped the football even before crossing the final line. While on the field, it was a touchdown call, but it was later reverted to a touchback for Day and Co.

At least Franklin can breathe easy, knowing he doesn’t have to chase down a 10-point lead. Right now, Penn State stands with a 13-17 figure on the board. The question is, can Franklin and Co. win it, or will Day call it a day with a W in his pocket? We gotta wait and find out.