COLUMBUS, Ohio (Interstat) — In a commanding display of offensive firepower and defensive dominance, the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes remained undefeated Saturday with a 38-14 victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions before a crowd of 105,517 at Ohio Stadium.

Quarterback Julian Sayin, a sophomore from Carlsbad, California, orchestrated a near-flawless performance, completing 20 of 23 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns. His precision passing dismantled the Penn State defense and powered the Buckeyes to their eighth consecutive win.

Ohio State set the tone early, marching 89 yards on the game’s opening possession. Sayin capped the drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Smith, giving the Buckeyes a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Penn State, which fell to 3-5, found a surprising spark in the second quarter. After a Jayden Fielding field goal extended Ohio State’s lead to 10-0, the Nittany Lions engineered a 14-play, 80-yard drive. Nicholas Singleton finished it with a 3-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 10-7.

The Buckeyes responded immediately. Sayin needed just five plays to move his team 75 yards, connecting with Carnell Tate on a 45-yard scoring strike to push the lead back to 17-7.

Just before halftime, Penn State capitalized on a critical turnover. A fumble by Ohio State’s CJ Donaldson Jr. was recovered by Penn State’s Chaz Coleman at the Ohio State 22-yard line. Two plays later, Kaytron Allen plunged into the end zone from a yard out with 20 seconds remaining, sending the Nittany Lions into the locker room trailing just 17-14.

Any hope for a Penn State upset was extinguished in the third quarter as Ohio State’s defense stiffened and its offense exploded. The Buckeyes scored on their first two possessions of the second half. Donaldson Jr. redeemed his earlier fumble with a 1-yard touchdown run, and Sayin later found tight end Bennett Christian for a 1-yard score, widening the gap to 31-14.

Sayin’s fourth and final touchdown pass came early in the fourth quarter, an 11-yard connection with Smith. The Buckeye defense sealed the game when Caleb Downs intercepted Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer in the end zone with just over four minutes remaining.

Ohio State’s offense was bolstered by a strong ground game, led by Bo Jackson of Cleveland, who rushed for 105 yards on 13 carries. The receiving corps was equally impressive, with Tate hauling in five passes for 124 yards and a touchdown, and Smith catching six for 123 yards and two scores.

Defensively, linebacker Arvell Reese led all players with 12 tackles, including a sack. The Buckeyes’ defensive front consistently pressured Grunkemeyer, with Kenyatta Jackson Jr. recording two sacks.

For Penn State, Grunkemeyer, a Lewis Center, Ohio, native, completed 19 of 28 passes for 145 yards but was sacked four times and threw one interception. Allen was the workhorse for the Nittany Lions, rushing for 76 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.

The loss is Penn State’s fifth in its last six games, while Ohio State continues its pursuit of a perfect season ahead of a pivotal matchup at Michigan to close the regular season. The Buckeyes travel to Purdue next Saturday, while Penn State returns home to host Indiana.