As the second half wore on Saturday afternoon, it became clear that if Ohio State was to prevail against Penn State, its defense would have to do the heavy lifting.

It was more than up to the task.

No. 3 Ohio State held No. 7 Penn State out of the end zone until the final minute and its offense did just enough for a 20-12 victory in front of 105,506 at Ohio Stadium.

It was Ohio State's seventh straight victory over the Nittany Lions.

“There are a lot of people who did a lot of great things on defense, but I've got to give (coordinator) Jim Knowles and his staff a lot of credit for the adjustments they've made,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “That's two top-10 wins now in the first seven games where our defense played really well.

The Buckeyes' defense has not allowed more than 17 points in a game all season. It was even more dominating today than it was in the 17-14 victory over then-No. 9 Notre Dame in September. It's a unit that has learned from its breakdowns in season-ending losses to Michigan and Georgia a year ago.

“I'm happy for our guys,” Day said. “I'm happy for the success they've had. They came off the last season with a few scars, just like we all did. But you're starting to see the confidence grow in a big way.”

As it should be.

Of Penn State's 14 drives, only three went for more than 25 yards: 39- and 51-yard possessions that produced Penn State's field goals and the 73-yard drive that resulted in the Nittany Lions' only touchdown, which came with 29 seconds left.

Penn State (6-1, 3-1) gained only 51 yards in its first six possessions of the second half and failed on its first 15 third-down chances against the Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten). PSU didn't get past the Ohio State 23-yard line all game until its final drive.

“We hear a lot about what we were last year,” junior defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau said. “There's barely any talk about what we are this year, and I think that's a lot of our motivation and wanting to continue to be a great defense.”

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar was flustered by Ohio State's pressure. He completed just 18 of 42 passes for 191 yards, even with freshman Jermaine Mathews replacing injured star cornerback Denzel Burke. The Nittany Lions averaged only 1.9 yards per carry.

It's a good thing the defense was so dominating because Ohio State's offense sputtered against Penn State's top-ranked defense. The Buckeyes were without running back TreVeyon Henderson and receiver Emeka Egbuka. Quarterback Kyle McCord (22 of 35 for 286 yards) wasn't especially sharp. Fortunately, Ohio State had Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight end Cade Stover.

Harrison caught 11 passes for 162 yards, nine for first downs. Stover had four key catches for 70 yards.

That helped make up for a running game that did little. Ohio State ran for only 79 yards with a long of 12.

“We didn't run the ball well enough and didn't get enough explosive plays,” Day said. “We certainly could use Tre and Emeka back, but we had enough to win.”

If the offense could have cashed in on its opportunities, the game would have been settled much earlier.

The Buckeyes scored only one touchdown in the first three quarters and were fortunate that drive didn't end in disaster. With just over 9 minutes left in the second quarter, Ohio State had the ball at the Penn State 26 when McCord was stripped of the ball.

Linebacker Curtis Jacobs scooped it up at the 40 and ran for an apparent touchdown. But cornerback Kalen King was called for holding Harrison on the play, wiping out the score and giving OSU a first down.

Harrison then made a tough catch to convert a third-and-10 and Miyan Williams punched it in from the 2 for the half's only touchdown to give Ohio State a 10-3 lead.

“If there hadn't been a hold there, that would have been a whole different game,” Day said.

Ohio State led 10-6 at halftime and drove inside the Penn State 1 in the third quarter on a 5-yard carry by backup quarterback Devin Brown, who was inserted into the game near the goal line as he was last week against Purdue. But Brown injured his ankle on the play, and McCord returned. Miyan Williams was stuffed for a loss on third down. Day decided to go for the touchdown, but Penn State tackled receiver Carnell Tate at the 2.

Ohio State's defense forced a three-and-out, but the Penn State punt bounced off OSU's Lorenzo Styles Jr.'s shin, and Penn State recovered at its 48.

Such a play could have been a huge momentum boost, but Ohio State's defense didn't blink. It forced another three-and-out.

“I think that shows a lot of confidence and a lot of want-to,” Knowles said. “You don't flinch in that situation because it's easy to hang your head. That sequence shows where we are right now.”

After Ohio State's field goal early in the fourth quarter made it 13-6, Penn State went for it on fourth-and-4 from its own 43. Tuimoloau, who wrecked the Nittany Lions last year in State College, hit Allar's arm to force an incompletion.

Ohio State cashed in from there. On third-and-11, McCord threw to Harrison for an 18-yard touchdown to make it 20-6.

Penn State finally scored a touchdown with 29 seconds left, but Ohio State recovered the onside kick.

“We come out of this game thinking we probably should have won the game by a few touchdowns at least,” Day said. “(But) I'm going to enjoy this because you have to find these moments to enjoy. This is a top-10 win. If you said you're going to beat Penn State 20-12, where do I sign up?”

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State's defense makes statement in 20-12 victory over Penn State