Ahead of the Penn State game, Thayer Munford could sense a different feeling on the Ohio State offensive line.

Everyone was jittery. Everyone wanted to go hit somebody.

In the first half, with this energy sweeping across the offensive line, Ohio State struggled: missing assignments, failing to run the ball.

Ohio State was punched in the mouth.

“We actually have to calm ourselves down so we know what we are going to do,” Munford said. “We can go hit somebody, but we have to know who we are about to hit, not just ID here and go hit somebody else.”

Against the Nittany Lions, Ohio State scored one touchdown on six red zone tries, hitting four field goals to help the Buckeyes beat Penn State, 33-24. The offensive line struggled to find holes for TreVeyon Henderson in the run game, recording more rushes for loss against the Nittany Lions than he had in his first seven games combined, recording only three carries of 10-plus yards.

The offensive line also struggled with multiple false-start penalties and snap infractions from redshirt freshman center Luke Wypler.

Even after setting Henderson up with a 68-yard run in the second half, allowing him to convert on a one-yard touchdown run, even while the Buckeyes celebrated its gritty, tough nine-point win against a top-20 team, Munford’s message to the line was the same as offensive line coach Greg Studrawa's: “We have to be better.”

“Right after the game, we said ‘We can’t have that no more,’” Munford said.

Especially with Ohio State’s performance in the red zone, head coach Ryan Day agrees, feeling that one or two more conversions within the 20-yard line would have made the Penn State game a different game.

“I think you have to able to win down in the red zone running the football,” Day said. “You just do. If you want to go win championships, you have to do that. We didn’t do that well enough down there. Three and four-yard gains have to turn into five and six. We’ve done a very good job of throwing down there. We have to do a better job of running the ball. That’s just the bottom line.”

To Munford, that’s on the offensive line. It’s job is just to finish, nothing else: finishing blocks, finishing in the end zone.

That’s something Ohio State couldn’t do against Penn State. The Buckeyes couldn’t execute, something that fuels them moving forward.

“You need that one thing that takes you right back to being humble,” Munford said.

That’s the mindset Munford and the rest of the offensive line have responded to as it prepares for Nebraska.

The redshirt senior said Wypler is more vocal at center, IDing linemen as he’s supposed to, while the technique has become a little more sound.

Munford said the approach is not going out to practice “all willy nilly.” It’s about learning from last game, fixing the mistakes from Penn State, something that players off the line have noticed this week.

“They are definitely motivated too,” senior wide receiver Chris Olave said. “We definitely have to run the ball. I know they took that and put a chip on their shoulder. I know they are going to play better this week and I can’t wait to watch them.”

Munford needs to improve. The Ohio State offensive line needs to improve. The unit knows what’s at stake.

Even though it’s not something that is talked about, the Buckeyes know where they stand: right outside of the College Football Playoff picture.

If Ohio State is going to win out, likely getting one of those top-four spots if it does, the offense will have to have converted in the red zone. The offensive line will have had to assert its dominance in the run game.

It’s a necessity.

“I don’t want to lose,” Munford said. “I don’t want to lose no more because we’re No. 5.”