As if you needed another reminder of just how bad Penn State was on offense against Ohio State in a 20-12 loss, ESPN has a stat that tells you just how horrific it truly was.
According to ESPN’s stats department, Penn State’s 3rd down conversion percentage against Ohio State was the worst by any team ranked in the AP Top 25 in a game over the last 10 seasons. Penn State was 1-for-16 on third-down attempts, and the first third-down conversion did not come until the team’s final offensive possession of the game, which led to the first and only touchdown scored by the Nittany Lions in the loss in Columbus.
Penn State went 1-16 (6.3%) on 3rd down in the loss vs Ohio State.
With a minimum of 15 third down attempts, that's the worst 3rd down conversion pct by any AP-ranked team in a game over the last 10 seasons. pic.twitter.com/v08lvUkv5d— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 21, 2023
Penn State converted just 6.3% of their third-down conversions against Ohio State. That is the lowest third-down completion percentage by a Penn State team coached by [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] since converting just 1 of 11 third-down attempts (9.09%) in 2015… at Ohio State.
You have to go back to the season opener of the 2013 season against Syracuse to find the last time Penn State was this bad with its third-down percentage. Penn State converted just 1 of 16 third down tries against Syracuse in a 23-17 win under former head coach Bill O’Brien.
This is clearly an area that must improve if Penn State is going to compete with Michigan in a few weeks. Odds are favorable Penn State will be significantly better next weekend against Indiana in Beaver Stadium, and a game at Maryland after that could be another decent challenge.
Penn State has some work to do with its offense, that much is clear.
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