State College native and Penn State safety Keaton Ellis was four when Penn State beat Ohio State in 2005, a game that is considered to be among one of the most iconic games in the program’s history and among the greatest played at Beaver Stadium. It was pivotal moment in the program’s modern era, sparking the success of then head coach Joe Paterno’s final years at the helm and reigniting a belief that Penn State was still a nationally relevant program.
But Keaton Ellis was four.
And that’s wild thing to consider when you contemplate the modern relationship Penn State players have with the Ohio State series. Ellis is among the oldest players on the team but even he would only have fleeting memories of Penn State’s 2008 upset of the Buckeyes in Columbus. As for Ohio product and Penn State quarterback Drew Allar? He was just over 1 when Penn State introduced the power of Zombie Nation to the world in 2005, tossing Troy Smith on his head for a program-changing fumble recovery.
The idea that college athletes are young is not a particularly groundbreaking revelation, but it is odd in the context of unpacking how the modern players might view this series – to recognize that Allar was just 12 years old the last time Penn State beat Ohio State, in 2016, and that the program’s existential fight with the Buckeyes is perhaps not seen the same way with current players as long term fans. In many respects, the notion that Penn State has ever beaten Ohio State, and ever did so on a semi-regular basis in the 1990s, is a foreign concept to the vast majority of Penn State’s roster.
But Keaton Ellis grew up in State College, so he knows a bit more than most. In fact he knows that it’s possible because he has seen it. Many years after Penn State’s 2005 upset, Ellis was in the stands as a high school kid, watching the Nittany Lions do the same in 2016.
“The stadium was rocking as big plays were being made,” Ellis said. “I just remember wanting to be playing in games like this. It’s what you love about college football.”
This Saturday will mark Ellis’ fifth appearance in the Penn State/Ohio State series, a span that has seen the Nittany Lions run a pretty emotionally challenging gauntlet of Buckeye teams that have found just enough of an extra gear to pull away in the end. It’s hard to deny that Penn State has generated plenty of success since Ellis stepped foot on campus, but the boogyman still remains, and Ellis only has one more chance to get it off his back.
“For me it’s my last go around,” Ellis said, going from a kid in the stands to one of Penn State’s team captains. “I want to go out on a on a high note … making sure that we cherish and enjoy moments like this and games like this. Just go out there and have fun.”
It’s maybe all a bit too philosophical on a week that will come down to Xs and Os and the future of Penn State’s Big Ten Title and playoff aspirations, but winning would also make winning against Ohio State something that has happened recently, something the program can reach out with current players and touch. Because pretty soon the 2016 win will be a thing of the past. Future Nittany Lion quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer was just 11 when Grant Haley crossed the goal line.
