UNIVERSITY PARK — Like a lot of kids growing up in the Center Susquehanna Valley, Ryan Schuck has been to plenty of Penn State football games.

None of those trips were quite like Saturday’s visit to Happy Valley, however.

Schuck, a former Ohio State walk-on who is now a scholarship senior, played on special teams for the Buckeyes, playing a big role in Ohio State’s special teams dominance that led directly to its easy 24-7 victory.

A former All-State player during a record-setting career at Selinsgrove Area High School, Schuck was on the field for the opening kickoff and got in on several other special teams snaps throughout the game. The Buckeyes dominated the kicking game, especially returns, which led directly two scores.

And while getting out of Beaver Stadium with the win was nice, just being there was special for Schuck.

“This was something I always dreamed about, but never really thought would happen,” Schuck said after meeting with his friends and family following the game Saturday night. “I’ve been coming here my whole life, but this was different.

“It was honestly one of the coolest experiences of my life.”

Schuck said his grandparents had season tickets to Penn State and would often take him and his younger brother Kyle, now a senior tight end for the Seals, to games.

He had been to big games before as a fan and taken part in a lot this year, including a match-up of two top 10 teams in September when Southern Cal visited Columbus.

This was different though. While OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor, himself a former Pennsylvania prep star, got most of the attention returning to his home state, it was also a return for Schuck, who spent his first two seasons at Division II Bloomsburg before transferring to Ohio State.

Judging by the entourage catching up with Schuck afterward, it was good homecoming. “A lot of my teammates gave me tickets so I was able to have a lot of friends and family here,” he said. “It was great, something I will never forget.”

While returning to Pennsylvania was the obvious highlight for Schuck, Ohio State’s victory coupled with Iowa’s loss puts the Buckeyes in prime position to make a run at the conference title and a spot in the Rose Bowl.

“We’re excited to win, but we have a lot of work left to do,” Schuck said. “We have a lot separating us from that, but this was a big step.”