But the Buckeyes eventually pulled away from their Big Ten foe in the fourth, winning a road matchup 44-31 on Saturday.
The win against Penn State is sure to give Ohio State players even more confidence moving forward and in the case of cornerback Denzel Burke, he said the team needed this victory to help prepare for the biggest matchup of the season looming against Michigan in three weeks.
“We really needed that because the real challenge is coming in about three more weeks," Burke told reporters Wednesday. "The team up north.”
Burke was one of seven OSU players to meet the media on Wednesday along with Paris Johnson Jr.