Ohio State dominates Penn State

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Maybe now No. 1 Ohio State will get the respect it’s looking for.

Todd Boeckman threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns and Chris Wells ran for 133 yards, leading the Buckeyes to a 37-17 victory over No. 24 Penn State on Saturday night.

“We couldn’t stop them,” Penn State Coach Joe Paterno said. “That was a good football team, and they played really well.”

Several Buckeyes (9-0, 5-0, Big Ten Conference) had complained they weren’t getting enough respect despite their No. 1 ranking in the polls and the Bowl Championship Series standings. Penn State (6-3, 3-3) was only the second ranked team Ohio State has faced.

A crowd of 110,134, the second-largest in Beaver Stadium history, started out loud but was quieted quickly and the Buckeyes went on to their seventh double-digit victory.

Ohio State has won 19 consecutive Big Ten games, tying the mark set by Michigan in 1990-92. The Buckeyes’ last Big Ten loss was 17-10 at Penn State on Oct. 8, 2005.

Boeckman, a first-year starter, engineered two long first-half touchdown drives. He completed 19 of 26 passes with one interception.

Penn State, seventh in the nation in defense, had breakdowns on several third-down plays. Ohio State, which finished with 453 yards, scored on five of its first seven possessions, each of the scoring drives starting at no better than its 22.

A 15-play, 91-yard drive that ate up 6 minutes 26 seconds in the first half exemplified the Buckeyes’ success. A 13-play, 87-yard drive in the third quarter proved to be decisive.

Penn State stopped Wells for a one-yard gain on third and two, ending a streak of seven consecutive third-down conversions.

Boeckman hit tight end Jake Ballard -- on third down, of course -- for a 15-yard touchdown to put Ohio State ahead, 24-7, with 6:10 left in the third quarter.