If you were sitting in the Horseshoe on October 28, 2017, you probably thought it was over. Honestly, most of us watching at home did too. By the time the second quarter rolled around, Saquon Barkley had already houseshoed a kickoff return and Penn State looked like an unstoppable juggernaut. It felt like the changing of the guard in the Big Ten. But the Ohio State Penn State 2017 matchup didn't just end with a final score; it became a permanent part of college football lore because of a fourth quarter that defied basically every law of physics and momentum.
Football is weird.
One minute you’re down by 15 points against the number two team in the country, and the next, your quarterback is playing like he’s possessed by the spirit of every Heisman winner in history. That quarterback was J.T. Barrett. Before this game, the narrative around Barrett was... complicated. Fans were frustrated. They thought he’d hit a ceiling. Then he went 13-of-13 in the fourth quarter. Total perfection.
The Saquon Barkley Lightning Bolt
The game started with a literal bang. Saquon Barkley took the opening kickoff 97 yards. It was one of those moments where the stadium goes silent because everyone realizes they are watching a generational talent do generational things. Penn State jumped to a 14-0 lead faster than you can grab a beer from the fridge.
Ohio State looked rattled.
Urban Meyer’s squad has always been known for toughness, but they were getting bullied on their own turf. Penn State’s defense, led by guys like Jason Cabinda, was swarming. When Trace McSorley found Koa Farmer to put the Nittany Lions up 21-3, the "Quiet in the Shoe" wasn't just a phrase—it was a funeral. You could see the panic in the stands. People were looking for the exits.
But college football is rarely linear.
The Buckeyes started chipping away. It wasn't pretty. It involved a lot of gritty runs and short passes. They went into the half trailing 28-17, which felt like a victory considering how badly they’d been beaten in the trenches for the first thirty minutes.
That Insane Fourth Quarter Turnaround
If you want to understand why Ohio State Penn State 2017 is a "where were you" game, you have to look at the final fifteen minutes. Penn State led 35-20. To come back from that against a James Franklin-led team with that much talent? It seemed impossible.
Then the J.T. Barrett show began.
It started with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Johnnie Dixon. Okay, cool, Buckeyes are within eight. But then Penn State answers with a field goal. 38-27. The clock is ticking. You’re thinking, "They ran out of time."
Wrong.
The Buckeyes blocked a punt. Denzel Ward, who was basically a human highlight reel that entire season, got his hands on it. That was the spark. Suddenly, the energy in Columbus shifted from "we're doomed" to "wait, are we actually doing this?" Barrett found Dixon again for another score. Now it’s 38-33 because the two-point conversion failed.
The tension was suffocating.
Penn State’s offense, which had been so potent, suddenly went cold. McSorley couldn't find his rhythm. Barkley was being bottled up by a defensive line that finally decided to show up. Sam Hubbard and Nick Bosa started living in the backfield. When Ohio State got the ball back with a few minutes left, everyone knew what was coming. It felt inevitable.
Barrett conducted a masterclass. He wasn't just throwing; he was dissecting. He hit Marcus Baugh for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:48 remaining. The stadium actually shook. I’m not being hyperbolic—seismographs probably picked it up. Ohio State won 39-38.
Breaking Down the Statistical Madness
Let’s look at what J.T. Barrett actually did, because the numbers are frankly stupid.
He finished 33-of-39 for 328 yards and four touchdowns. But look closer at that fourth quarter. He completed every single pass he threw. 13 for 13. In the highest-pressure situation of his career, against a top-five rival, he didn't miss. Not once.
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Penn State actually outgained Ohio State in some metrics early on, but the Buckeyes finished with 529 total yards compared to Penn State’s 283. Think about that. Penn State had the lead for almost the entire game while being outgained by nearly 250 yards. That speaks to the explosive playmaking of Barkley and the opportunistic nature of their early scoring, but it also shows that Ohio State was dominating the move-the-chains part of the game.
Barkley was held to just 44 rushing yards on 21 carries. Take away that opening kickoff return and the Buckeyes' defense actually did a legendary job of neutralizing the best player in the country.
Why This Game Changed the Big Ten Trajectory
We often talk about "signature wins," and for Urban Meyer, this was the ultimate one. It kept Ohio State in the playoff conversation (though they’d eventually get tripped up by Iowa in a weird blowout later that year). More importantly, it established a psychological edge over Penn State that lingered for years.
James Franklin has had some incredible teams in State College. But this game? This was the one that got away. If Penn State wins this, they likely go to the College Football Playoff. They likely win the Big Ten. The entire "can Franklin win the big one" narrative might never have started if they just held on for ten more minutes in Columbus.
It also redefined J.T. Barrett's legacy. He had his detractors—people who thought he was a "system QB" who couldn't win with his arm. After 13-of-13 in the fourth, those people had to stay quiet for a while.
The Technical Brilliance of the Comeback
From a coaching perspective, the adjustments were fascinating. Ohio State started using more quick-game concepts to neutralized Penn State's pass rush. They stopped trying to force the long ball and started taking what the Nittany Lions gave them in the middle of the field.
Billy Price and the offensive line deserve a ton of credit too. In the first half, Barrett was running for his life. In the fourth quarter, he had a pocket you could park a truck in.
What We Can Learn from 2017 Today
Looking back at Ohio State Penn State 2017, there are a few takeaways that still apply to modern college football.
First, momentum is a myth until it isn't. You can dominate for 50 minutes, but if you lose the emotional "vibe" of a game in a stadium like the Shoe, it’s over. Penn State looked like they were playing on ice in that fourth quarter.
Second, the quarterback-tight end connection in the red zone is the most underrated weapon in football. That game-winning pass to Marcus Baugh wasn't a complex play. It was just a perfectly timed seam route.
If you're a student of the game or just a fan who loves chaos, rewatching the condensed version of this game is a must. It’s a reminder that no lead is safe when you have elite athletes and a crowd that refuses to quit.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you are looking to dive deeper into this specific era of Big Ten football or want to use this game as a case study for sports betting or historical analysis, here is what you should do:
- Analyze the "Iowa Hangover": Study the week following this game. Ohio State went from this emotional high to losing 55-24 to Iowa. It is the premier example of an "emotional letdown" game in sports history.
- Watch the D-Line Tape: If you want to see how to stop a talent like Saquon Barkley, watch the second-half tape of the Ohio State defensive line. Their gap discipline and pursuit angles were textbook.
- Review J.T. Barrett’s Passing Charts: Look at where those 13 completions went in the fourth quarter. It’s a lesson in attacking the "seams" and "flats" when a defense is playing back in a prevent-style shell.
The 2017 clash wasn't just a game; it was a high-speed car crash that somehow turned into a symphony. It remains the gold standard for what a Big Ten rivalry should look like.
Next Steps for Deep Diving:
- Check the 2017 Box Score: Look at the play-by-play breakdown to see exactly how the time of possession shifted in the final ten minutes.
- Compare to 2016: Watch the highlights of the 2016 game in State College (the "Block Six" game) to see how these two teams traded miracle finishes in back-to-back years.
- Search "Urban Meyer Post-Game 2017": Watch the press conference. Meyer’s exhaustion and genuine shock tell you everything you need to know about how close this game was to being a disaster for Columbus.