OSU rolls past Lions

Chris Gamble starred on defense, but Maurice Clarett injured his shoulder in the win over Penn St.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Joe Paterno surveyed No. 18 Penn State's 13-7 loss to No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday and summed it up in three words.
"We got licked," Paterno said.
On a day when freshman running back Maurice Clarett missed most of the game with a shoulder injury, it was Chris Gamble who kept the Buckeyes ticking.
Gamble, a starting wide receiver, made a stellar debut as a starting defensive back by returning an interception for a touchdown and making a touchdown-saving tackle. He even got away with a close call on the Nittany Lions' last-gasp pass.
"It feels good to get my name chanted by the crowd," the soft-spoken Gamble said after he was hailed by a record crowd of 105,103 at Ohio Stadium.
Still rolling
The victory helped Ohio State (9-0, 4-0) stay on course for the Big Ten title. The Buckeyes don't play Iowa (8-1, 5-0) this season, but they have the inside track to the Rose Bowl, since they have a better overall record.
"They're the best team we've played. It'd be close between them and Iowa," said Paterno, whose team lost in overtime to the Hawkeyes. "Do they play Iowa? That would be a pretty good game."
The Nittany Lions (5-3, 2-3) managed just five first downs and 179 total yards.
Clarett, who missed a game earlier this season with a knee injury, hurt his left shoulder six plays into the game and did not return. He'd been averaging 140 yards a game and was off to another fast start Saturday, gaining 39 yards on four carries to give him 1,019 yards in just over seven games.
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said he was unsure of the nature or the severity of the injury.
Versatile Gamble
Gamble picked up the slack by becoming the first Ohio State player since Paul Warfield in 1963 to start on both sides of the ball. Gamble entered the game as the Buckeyes' second-leading receiver, and lately he'd been called on more and more to help out the thin, inexperienced cornerbacks.
Before Saturday, he had played just five snaps on defense, with two interceptions.
With Ohio State trailing 7-3 early in the third quarter, Gamble picked off an underthrown floater by quarterback Zack Mills. Gamble raced down the right sideline, cut to the inside briefly and then sidestepped a tackler to slide into the end zone for a 40-yard score.
"I saw Zack Mills rolling to the left, the one dude running the post and the other dude running the wheel [pass route]," Gamble said. "I saw him throw it to the wheel and I just attacked it."
Gamble's other huge play came during the turnover-plagued first half. On third-and-goal from the Penn State 5, Buckeyes quarterback Craig Krenzel fumbled while trying to get the ball across the goal line. Anwar Phillips scooped up the ball at the 1 and raced 58 yards before Gamble brought him down.
"Chris Gamble's a great player but he's a smart player," Tressel said. "There's a lot of talented players in the world, but they all don't have a feel for the game. He's blessed with talent and he pays close attention to what's going on on the field."
Slowing a potent offense
Ohio State's defense dominated for most of the second half. The Nittany Lions -- who had been averaging 37 points a game -- punted on their next four possessions after Gamble's interception return.
Penn State took over at its own 15 with 3:02 remaining after Andy Groom, who was averaging 49 yards a punt, boomed a 55-yarder.
Mills completed a 7-yard pass to Tony Johnson but was then sacked by Kenny Peterson for a 10-yard loss. After another 7-yard pass to Tony Johnson, Mills' pass for Bryant Johnson in the left flat was incomplete.
Bryant Johnson, Mills and Paterno -- who has been very critical of Big Ten officiating -- all protested that Johnson had been interfered with by Gamble, but the play stood, and the Buckeyes ran out the clock.