If you’ve ever stood in the middle of a White Out at Beaver Stadium, you know it's not just a football game. It's a vibrating, ear-splitting wall of sound that makes your chest ache. For three decades, the penn state ohio state rivalry has been the unofficial thermometer of the Big Ten. When this game is hot, the conference is the center of the sporting universe.
But things are changing. Fast.
The Big Ten is expanding into a coastal behemoth, and in the shuffle of adding schools like USC and Oregon, one of the most reliable annual heart-attacks in college football has been stripped of its "protected" status. Basically, the 2025 meeting in Columbus was the end of an era. Unless they meet in a title game or the playoffs, we won't see these two on the same field again until 2028. It feels wrong, doesn't it?
The "Unrivaled" Problem and the 2016 Ghost
Penn State fans love to use the hashtag #Unrivaled. It’s a bit of a self-own, honestly. It stems from the fact that their historical "true" rival, Pitt, barely plays them anymore, and the Big Ten has always struggled to find them a perfect soulmate. But ask any Nittany Lion fan who they hate most on a random Saturday in October. It isn't Maryland. It definitely isn't Rutgers.
It’s the Buckeyes.
For Ohio State, the world begins and ends with Michigan. We know this. But for twenty years, Penn State has been the team most likely to actually ruin their season. Take 2016. Ohio State was ranked No. 2 in the country and looked invincible. Then Marcus Allen leaped into the air, blocked a Tyler Durbin field goal, and Grant Haley ran 60 yards into legend.
That single play didn't just win a game; it defined a decade of frustration and hope. It’s also, frustratingly for those in Happy Valley, the last time Penn State really got the better of the Buckeyes in a meaningful way. Since that night, Ohio State has reeled off nine straight wins, including the 38-14 thumping in 2025 that felt like a definitive closing of the chapter.
Why James Franklin Can't Shake the Buckeye Shadow
You can't talk about the penn state ohio state rivalry without talking about the "Franklin Ceiling." It’s a harsh term, but sportswriters love it for a reason. James Franklin has built a top-10 program. He recruits like a demon. He wins 10 games a year with the regularity of a Swiss watch.
But he is 1-11 against Ohio State.
That statistic is a weight around the program's neck. Most of those games weren't blowouts, either. In 2017 and 2018, Penn State lost by a combined two points. Two points! One more stop, one more first down, and the entire narrative of Big Ten football in the late 2010s changes. Instead, Ryan Day and Urban Meyer before him found ways to snatch souls in the fourth quarter.
The 2024 game was particularly brutal. A 20-13 loss at home where the Nittany Lions had the ball on the three-yard line and couldn't punch it in. You could feel the air leave the stadium. It wasn't just a loss; it was a realization that the gap, however small, was still there.
A History of Weirdness (1912 and All That)
People think this started in 1993 when Penn State joined the Big Ten, but the roots are actually bizarrely deep. The very first meeting in 1912 ended in a forfeit. Penn State was up 37-0, and the Ohio State coach literally pulled his players off the field because he thought Penn State was playing too rough.
Imagine that today. Ryan Day walking off the field because Abdul Carter hit someone too hard? The internet would melt.
Then you have the 1980 Fiesta Bowl. It’s the only time they’ve ever met in the postseason. Penn State won 31-19, and it served as a precursor to their 1982 national title run. For a long time, this was an "East vs. Midwest" culture clash. Now, they are the two pillars of the Big Ten’s old guard, trying to fend off the newcomers from the Pac-12.
The Recruiting War for Pennsylvania
Why is there so much vitriol? Look at the rosters.
Ohio State’s defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, is a Philly guy. Their starting quarterback in 2024, Will Howard, grew up just down the road from Penn State. The Buckeyes have made a living out of crossing the border and "stealing" five-star talent from Pennsylvania.
When Penn State loses a kid from Harrisburg or Pittsburgh to Columbus, it’s not just a personnel loss. It’s a territorial insult. To win the penn state ohio state rivalry, Franklin knows he has to close the borders. Until he does, Ohio State will continue to use Pennsylvania's best athletes to beat Pennsylvania's biggest team.
What Happens Next?
Since the rivalry isn't "protected," the dynamic shifts from a yearly obsession to a rare delicacy. This is a mistake by the Big Ten. While the "Flex Protect Plus" scheduling model was designed to rotate teams, it ignores the fact that this game consistently draws some of the highest TV ratings in the sport.
If you're looking for actionable ways to navigate this new era of the rivalry, keep these points in mind:
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- Watch the 12-team Playoff bracket: The odds of these two meeting in a neutral-site playoff game are actually higher than them playing a regular-season game in 2026 or 2027.
- Track the "Big Three" recruiting battles: Keep an eye on top-rated prospects in PA, NJ, and OH. If Penn State starts winning the head-to-head battles for defensive linemen against Ohio State, the on-field gap will shrink.
- Beaver Stadium schedule adjustments: Since the Buckeyes won't be coming to town every other year, the "White Out" game will likely shift to matchups against USC, Michigan, or Oregon. It will be interesting to see if the atmosphere remains as hostile without the specific "Buckeye hate" fueling it.
The penn state ohio state rivalry might be on a hiatus, but the tension isn't going anywhere. Nine straight wins for Ohio State is a streak that demands a response, and 2028 is already circled on every calendar in State College. It’s a long wait for a grudge match, but in the Big Ten, some things are worth the patience.
Check the current Big Ten standings to see how the 2025 results impacted the final seedings for the upcoming season.
Explore the 2028 Big Ten schedule releases to see where the next meeting will take place and begin planning travel for what is guaranteed to be a record-breaking ticket price.