STATE COLLEGE – Penn State Nation did its part.

It was all dressed in white, louder than ever, and set a new attendance record at Beaver Stadium – 111,030 – in anticipation of snapping an eight-game losing streak to Ohio State on an otherwise perfect Saturday afternoon .

But, once again, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions couldn’t fulfill their end of the bargain.

In a sick replay, Penn State lost to the Buckeyes, 20-13, in almost the same scenario as last year at the Horseshoe, when the score was 20-12 and contributed to the firing of offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich.

This time, it was Andy Kotelnicki whose offense melted away.

Twice, the Nittany Lions were inside the Buckeyes’ 5-yard line and failed to come away with any points.

“It’s the history of the game” Franklin said.

When the final, fateful series screamed for Tyler Warren, Kotelnicki — with Franklin likely signed — instead ordered three straight tackles up the middle to Kaytron Allen before a fourth-down pass in traffic fell incomplete.

This was caveman football at its finest.

The defense then suffered a letdown, allowing Ohio State, on its own 1, to score four first downs in the final 5:13 to win the game.

“We didn’t play well in an obvious running situation” Franklin said.

Overall, the Nittany Lions got what they deserved.

Not only did their offense fail to score in the red zone, in the waning moments of the first half, or late in the game, they failed to score a touchdown all day.

The defense gave the Lions a 10-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to Zion Tracy’s well-timed interception and 31-yard return.

But Penn State didn’t hold him back. Vulnerable to passing offenses all year, the Lions allowed two touchdown receptions as Ohio State took a 14-10 halftime lead.

But these were physical games.

The Lions opened the game with an impressive possession and picked up four first downs against the Ohio State 12 before guard Sal Wormley was whistled for an illegal man flag on the field that helped turn the drive into basket.

After Ohio State made it 10-7 on a nice cartwheel from Will Howard to Emeka Egbuka, the Lions’ generosity really showed.

On third-and-2 from the Buckeyes’ 27, Abdul Carter jumped offside, packing in a first down. Even worse, when the Lions stopped Carnell Tate on third-and-11, PSU cornerback Elliot Washington decided to pass Tate for a taunting penalty, leading to another touchdown.

It was inexcusable.

“We can’t do this” Franklin said. “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t do these things. (Punishment for taunting) happened last week, happened this week. It’s my fault.

Then again, how is the team supposed to have confidence when Franklin himself then engaged in a viral interaction with a fan, something he has also done in the past?

There is no doubt that it was a bitter day. There were several key calls against the Lions – “50 to 50 critical calls in both directions can be made” Franklin said.

An overthrow resulted in a called touchdown for Ohio State, costing the Buckeyes a 21-10 advantage. Another turned a PSU miss in the end zone with 11 seconds left in the half into an Ohio State interception, allowing the Bucks to escape to intermission with a 14-point lead. 10 instead of being led 17-14.

The officials were booed off the field at halftime.

They weren’t the only ones.

Once the match is over and fans are invited to “join head coach James Franklin” and the Lions to sing the alma mater, the mere mention of Franklin’s name provoked another notable chorus of boos with “late Franklin” sings as he exits the tunnel.

Franklin thanked fans for their “incredible support” and added, “I understand their frustration.”

Most frustrating was the fact that although Ohio State showed great resilience and made plays at crunch time, Penn State played poorly on offense, converting only 3 of 11 on third downs. tries and was still in the match.

“Are they good on defense? Yes, but you have to find a way to make points. Franklin said.

The Buckeyes were beatable, but as happened too often in this series, the Lions couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity.

Wormley apologized to fans. Senior Dvon J-Thomas, noting his six losses to OSU, said: “You’re looking for perfection, and not getting there is heartbreaking.”

Franklin was asked about his 1-10 record against the Buckeyes, not to mention his 1-13 record at PSU against the AP Top 5.

“No one looks harder than me in the mirror” he said. “I own everything.”

And right now, his stock couldn’t be much lower.

Neil Rudel can be contacted at [email protected].