Theo Johnson did not hold back on the big reason why No. 13 Penn State failed to finish the potential upset win over No. 2 Ohio State. In the press conference after the 44-31 road loss, Johnson said Penn State beat themselves by turning the ball over.

Johnson said in the press conference:

“It didn’t come down to who was more talented, or who had more stars, or who had the better scheme,” said Johnson.

“It really just came down to who beat themselves, and I think that we beat ourselves in turning the ball over today.”

Penn State turned the ball over 4 times, while Ohio State didn’t have a single turnover. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford threw 3 interceptions against Ohio State, with 2 of them coming from the first 2 drives of the game.

The 3rd interception from Clifford was returned by Ohio State defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau for a 14-yard pick-6 late in the game.

While Clifford may have a point, it’s worth pointing out someone was forcing those turnovers on the other side of the ball. Tuimoloau had a breakout performance, accounting for 3 of the takeaways for the Buckeyes and batting the pass that produced the 4th takeaway via a Zach Harrison interception.

Penn State drops to 6-2 overall, with a 3-2 record in B1G play.