As it almost always does, the game between Ohio State and Penn State came down to the fourth quarter. And in some ways, even more than the games between Michigan, there are some memorable and momentum-busting moments that we can point to that made the difference in this one. From a fluky fumble out of the end zone by the Buckeyes, to a pick six handed to the Nittany Lions, to an epic interception in the end zone for the OSU defense, this one had no shortage of wacky, yet, game-defining moments.

We like to look back on every Ohio State football game to try and pull out some things that we observed and learned, and it's time for the same here after a close 20-13 game in which Ohio State was able to do enough and hang on to pull out the victory.

So, without further pomp and circumstance, here are five things we learned from Ohio State's win over Penn State on Saturday.

A much better defensive effort and game plan

What we learned

I like this version of the Ohio State defense much better.

After the loss to Oregon where the Ducks ran through a vaunted Buckeye D that more or less sat back, the coaching staff got back to the drawing board and decided to implement more stunts, twists, and blitzes to dictate things on that side of the ball more.

So far so good. We saw the defense create more disruption against Nebraska and we saw it again in this one against Penn State. It wasn't perfect, but the defense more than did its job today. It held the Nittany Lions to just 13 points on 270 total yards in front of a home crowd, and that deserves a shout out.

Ohio State should have won by more

What we learned

As close as this game was, it really shouldn't have been. The pick six early on gave Penn State a touchdown, there was the very unlucky fumble out of the back of the end zone that bounced just the right way for the Nittany Lions that more or less took another score off the board, and some missed explosive passes that should have put this game out of reach.

In the end, a win is a win, is a win -- and everyone wearing Scarlet and Gray will take it -- but this is a much better showing to encourage everyone following this team that this season still has a lot of attainable goals.

The coaching staff earned its pay today

What we learned

The Ohio State coaching staff -- mainly Ryan Day and Jim Knowles -- have taken a ton of heat this year for what has been perceived as underperforming results for a team with so much talent, but even the coldest fan has to give props to Day, Knowles, and Chip Kelly today.

This week, the staff clearly put a game plan together to move the ball on the ground and through the air despite the issues with injuries on the left side of the line. We saw some action and plays that we haven't all year, and most of it worked beautifully.

Any time you put up 176 yards on the ground against this Penn State defense, that's getting it done -- and then some.

Penn State might be a bit overrated

What we learned

I don't want to take anything away from Ohio State because anytime you can go on the road and beat Penn State, it's a big deal. However, this defense hadn't really gone against talent on offense aside from maybe USC, and we saw what happened there.

The offense was solid enough, but it was clear after one quarter of play that this Ohio State team was the better and more talented squad. Again, the score was tighter because of some wacky circumstance, but I think Penn State is still waiting to be -- wait for it -- elite.

It's Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana that are the three best teams in the Big Ten. Penn State is right behind and still trying to get over that hump.

Will Howard is the leader Ohio State needs

What we learned

I know there are a lot of detractors out there, but you have to give some credit to Will Howard. The pick six wasn't great, but he rebounded and led this team with guts and more en route to a massive victory that kept all the lofty goals still out there for the taking.

And it's not like he's just a game manager either. Howard is sixth in the country in Total QBR and second in the Big Ten behind only Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke. It's time to recognize that Howard has what it takes to take this team anywhere it wants to go.

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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State vs. Penn State instant reaction: 5 things we learned