Ohio State redshirt sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins (7) and sophomore defensive end Chase Young (2) shake hands following the Ohio State-Penn State game on Sept. 29. Ohio State won 27-26. Credit: Casey Cascaldo | Photo Editor

It was always going to be a big game for Ohio State.

With an advantage in the Big Ten East on the line, the Buckeyes traveled to Happy Valley to face Penn State in as close to a must-win game as it could have been at this point in the season. Ohio State came out on top, giving the Nittany Lions their first loss of the season, 1 27-26 comeback victory for the Buckeyes in Beaver Stadium.

As Ohio State moves ahead to its home game against Indiana on Saturday, here are three takeaways the team can take from its top-10 win.

J.K. Dobbins is more than just a runner

For the second straight game, the Ohio State running game could not get it going consistently against the opposing defense, with backs averaging only 3.2 yards per carry in Saturday’s 1-point win.

For sophomore running back J.K. Dobbins, that success did not happen in the ground game either. He led the team with 17 carries, but only recorded 57 yards on the ground, scoring his third touchdown of the season, a 4-yard touchdown run.

With two catches in three separate games this season, including the game against Penn State, Dobbins had been utilized in the passing game as well, but had not found much success. However, on Saturday, the sophomore running back found more success finding open space through the passing game.

He recorded two catches for 61 yards against the Nittany Lions, one for 26 yards and the other, a 35-yard screen pass to begin what would end up being Ohio State’s game-winning drive.

In two seasons with the Buckeyes, Dobbins has only three games in which he has had more than three catches in a game, never recording more than 45 yards receiving.

With the offense redshirt sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins was running, Dobbins was vital, utilizing his speed, not only in handoffs, but in short screens and passes to the outside, putting him up against members of the secondary that he can outrun.

Chase Young made up for the loss of Nick Bosa

In the first conference game without junior defensive end Nick Bosa, Ohio State had to face what head coach Urban Meyer considered as the best offensive line the team had seen in Penn State.

That proved to be trouble for the Buckeyes early on as redshirt senior Trace McSorley, without pressure, effortlessly moved the ball downfield, providing opportunities for Penn State in the first half that ended up not being capitalized on.

However, in the first half, sophomore defensive end Chase Young did provide pressure from the outside, combining with sophomore linebacker Malik Harrison and redshirt junior defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones for two sacks in the first half.

The rest of the defense received that message in the second half, recording two sacks and keeping McSorley from leading the Nittany Lions to another win in Beaver Stadium.

Young continued his performance in the second half, recording a sack and a tackle for loss in the fourth quarter, adding two broken-up passes in the third quarter.

Young finished the day with six tackles, including three for loss with two sacks.

A dominant day on the line for Young showed opposing teams which player to watch in the future as Bosa continues to recover from injury.

Chrisman continues dominance

Redshirt sophomore Drue Chrisman has continued the tradition of flipping the field as Ohio State’s punter. In Saturday’s game, he had a very good day pinning Penn State deep into its own territory.

On nine punts, Chrisman averaged 47.9 yards per kick, recording three punts that went over 50 yards, with the longest one going for 58 yards.

However, more importantly in the mindset of a punter, Chrisman pinned the opposing offense deep, putting three punts inside the Penn State 20-yard line. He helped Penn State start five of its drives inside their own 20, including  a drive starting at their own 2-yard line.

In games like Saturday’s 1-point win over the Nittany Lions, special teams can make or break a game. Early on, as the offense sputtered and the defense struggled to contain McSorley, Chrisman continued to give Ohio State an opportunity to succeed.