Presented by Able Roofing
PENN STATE
NITTANY LIONS
The stakes are usually high when Ohio State and Penn State meet in a football game, and they couldn’t be much higher than they are this year.
Both teams are entering this week’s game at Ohio Stadium with 6-0 records and ranked among the top seven teams in the country. The winner of Saturday’s game will remain tied with Michigan atop the Big Ten East standings and position itself firmly in the race for a College Football Playoff berth, while the loser will be left needing help to make the Big Ten Championship Game and/or the CFP.
Outside of the regular-season finale against Michigan, no game this season carries greater implications for Ohio State’s postseason aspirations than the one ahead this weekend. It’s also an opportunity for the Buckeyes to make a statement against another elite opponent, and that gives them plenty of excitement as they prepare to welcome the Nittany Lions into the Shoe.
“Knowing the type of opponent we're playing, you circle this one on the calendar, for sure,” said Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord. “The magnitude of the game, two undefeated teams, top-10 matchup, you can't draw it up any better than that.”
The Headlines
Two of the Nation’s Best Defenses
The story of the season so far in Columbus has been the improvement of Ohio State’s defense in Jim Knowles’ second year as defensive coordinator. But the defense the Buckeyes are facing this weekend has been even better.
Ohio State’s defense currently ranks third in the nation in points allowed per game (9.7) and seventh in yards allowed per game (263.5). But Penn State’s defense currently leads all FBS teams with only 193.7 yards allowed per contest and ranks second in scoring defense with only eight points allowed per game.
Penn State’s defensive numbers have been boosted by the fact that the Nittany Lions have yet to face an FBS opponent that ranks better than 70th nationally in points scored per game or 79th nationally in yards gained per game (both West Virginia). Ohio State, which ranks 21st in scoring offense and 34th in total offense through six games, has a much better offense than any Penn State has faced so far this season – particularly in the passing game, where Ohio State ranks 12th nationally in passing yards per attempt while none of the Buckeyes’ previous opponent rank better than 48th.
Even so, Penn State holds a legitimate claim to being the best defense in the country right now. The Nittany Lions are loaded with future NFL defenders like defensive ends Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac, linebackers Abdul Carter and Curtis Jacobs and cornerback Kalen King, and they certainly have the respect of the Buckeyes, who know their offense is in for its biggest test yet this season.
“They're a great defense, probably one of the best defenses that I've seen on film,” Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. said. “From top to bottom, everything you're looking for on a defense, very well-coached as well. So it's definitely going to be a challenge for us.”
McCord vs. Allar
The matchup between Ohio State and Penn State’s first-year quarterbacks would be one of the biggest storylines of Saturday’s game regardless of where McCord and Drew Allar grew up. But that storyline gets extra juice from the roots of both quarterbacks, as McCord played his high school football in Pennsylvania (St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia) while Allar is a Medina, Ohio native.
Both quarterbacks have been efficient as first-year starters, with McCord completing 64.1 percent of his passing attempts for 1,651 yards and 11 touchdowns with one interception and Allar completing 65.2 percent of his passes for 1,254 yards and 12 touchdowns with zero interceptions. McCord has averaged nearly three more yards per attempt than Allar (9.7 to 6.9) as Ohio State has made 31 plays of 20-plus yards in the passing game compared to just 12 for the Nittany Lions.
Given the aforementioned defenses, this week’s seventh game of the season for both quarterbacks will be the toughest test each of them has faced as a collegiate starter yet. How each quarterback responds to that challenge will go a long way toward determining the outcome of Saturday’s game.
Buckeyes Battling Multiple Key Injuries
One of the biggest storylines to monitor in the hours leading up to Saturday’s kickoff will be the status of five notable Ohio State players.
Running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka all missed last week’s game against Purdue with injuries, and cornerback Denzel Burke and running back Chip Trayanum exited that game early with injuries of their own. The availability of all five players for this week’s game against Penn State remains uncertain as Ryan Day has declined to address any of their statuses specifically, saying only that he is “hopeful” all of them will be able to play.
The potential absences of Burke and Egbuka are particularly concerning, considering they are arguably Ohio State’s second- and third-best players behind only Harrison. Burke’s dominance in coverage has played a crucial role in the success of Ohio State’s defense this season, while Egbuka is exactly the kind of weapon the Buckeyes need to break through a defense of Penn State’s caliber.
Related Coverage
Ohio State does have plenty of other receivers it can turn to if Egbuka can’t play, though, with Xavier Johnson and Carnell Tate being the top candidates to join Harrison and Julian Fleming in the lineup. At cornerback, Jordan Hancock would likely start in place of Burke opposite Davison Igbinosun with Jermaine Mathews Jr. also seeing playing time when Hancock moves inside to play nickel.
At running back, Ohio State will certainly hope to have at least one or two of those injured players back – particularly Henderson, who was healthy enough to go through warmups in each of the last two games despite not playing. That said, Dallan Hayden could be a part of the rotation even if all of the other running backs are healthy after Hayden ran for 76 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries in his first extended work of the season against Purdue.
Ohio State will release its injury report of players who are either questionable to play or out against Penn State at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Keep An Eye on These Guys
DE Adisa Isaac and Chop Robinson
Ohio State offensive tackles Josh Simmons and Josh Fryar didn’t have a great first half of the season, and they’ll face their toughest test of the season to date against Isaac and Robinson on Saturday. Penn State’s starting defensive ends have combined for 12.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks and 37 combined quarterback pressures this season as they’ve been both dynamic pass rushers off the edge and strong run defenders.
| Ohio State | Pos | Penn State |
|---|---|---|
| OFFENSE | ||
| KYLE MCCORD | QB | DREW ALLAR |
| TREVEYON HENDERSON | RB | NICHOLAS SINGLETON |
| MARVIN HARRISON JR. | WR | HARRISON WALLACE III |
| JULIAN FLEMING | WR | KEANDRE LAMBERT-SMITH |
| XAVIER JOHNSON | WR/TE | TYLER WARREN |
| CADE STOVER | TE | THEO JOHNSON |
| JOSH SIMMONS | LT | OLU FASHANU |
| DONOVAN JACKSON | LG | VEGA IOANE |
| CARSON HINZMAN | C | HUNTER NOURZAD |
| MATT JONES | RG | SAL WORMLEY |
| JOSH FRYAR | RT | CAEDAN WALLACE |
| DEFENSE | ||
| JT TUIMOLOAU | DE | ADISA ISAAC |
| TYLEIK WILLIAMS | DT | HAKEEM BEAMON |
| MIKE HALL | DT | ZANE DURANT |
| JACK SAWYER | DE | CHOP ROBINSON |
| STEELE CHAMBERS | WLB | ABDUL CARTER |
| TOMMY EICHENBERG | MLB | KOBE KING |
| SONNY STYLES | NB/SLB | CURTIS JACOBS |
| DAVISON IGBINOSUN | CB | KALEN KING |
| JORDAN HANCOCK | CB | JOHNNY DIXON |
| JOSH PROCTOR | S | JAYLEN REED |
| LATHAN RANSOM | S | KEVIN WINSTON JR. |
The Nittany Lions have impactful depth behind them, too, as Dani Dennis-Sutton (1.5 sacks, 17 pressures) and Amin Vanover (1.5 sacks, 13 pressures) have only been disruptive when they’ve gotten in the game, giving Penn State the ability to keep its edge rushers fresh and bring pressure throughout the game.
If Ohio State’s offense is to make explosive plays against Penn State’s defense, its pass protection will need to give McCord time to find his weapons against a strong Nittany Lion secondary. Keeping Robinson and Isaac will be necessary to make that happen.
Robinson, a 6-foot-3, 254-pound defensive end who led the entire Big Ten with 48 quarterback pressures last season (per Pro Football Focus), has particularly caught Day’s eye.
“It starts with Robinson up front, he's been really disruptive,” Day said.
CB/PR Daequan Hardy
Most of the attention paid toward Penn State’s secondary goes to Kalen King, and rightfully so. King is one of the best cover corners in the entire country, and he’ll likely be the player primarily tasked with covering Harrison, who described King as “one of the best corners that I’ve faced in my college career.”
In terms of players who could make a game-changing play to swing the game in Penn State’s favor, though, Hardy is one that Ohio State needs to circle on the scouting report on both defense and special teams.
Penn State’s top nickel cornerback leads the Nittany Lions with two interceptions this season but made an even bigger splash last week against UMass as a punt returner. With touchdowns of 56 and 68 yards, Hardy became the first player in Penn State history to return two punts for touchdowns in one game.
The Nittany Lions also blocked a punt last week, so Ohio State knows its special teams needs to be sound on Saturday.
“These guys, they do a nice job on special teams, so we got to do a great job of protecting but also getting down there and covering,” Day said.
OT Olu Fashanu and Caedan Wallace
JT Tuimoloau had one of the best individual performances in Ohio State history last season when he recorded six tackles with three tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup against Penn State. But he’ll face tougher competition this year than he did last year, when he did most of his damage against Penn State right tackle Bryce Effner, a fill-in starter who is no longer playing football.
Outside of Harrison, the top NFL draft prospect on the field in Ohio Stadium this weekend will be Fashanu, a projected top-10 overall pick in the 2024 draft. The 6-foot-6, 317-pound left tackle, who was named as a second-team AP midseason All-American this week, is a dominant pass protector who has allowed just one quarterback pressure this season, per PFF.
Penn State may have been able to mitigate the damage by Tuimoloau at least last year if it had Wallace, who missed last year’s game against Ohio State with an injury. He’s not as good as Fashanu, so it’s likely Tuimoloau will spend most of the game going against the right tackle once again. But he’s been solid, limiting his opponents to one sack and five total pressures through six games.
Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer are entering the Penn State game with some momentum as Tuimoloau has recorded 1.5 sacks in back-to-back games and Sawyer achieved the same total against Purdue. But the Buckeyes didn’t get any sacks against Notre Dame, and Penn State’s offensive line will be the best Ohio State has faced since, with Fashanu and Wallace – especially Fashanu – leading the way.
Game Week Talk
“This is one of those games that we've got to really create a hostile environment for Penn State … if they're operating and they're on the field, the louder we can be, the more hostile that we can be: advantage Buckeyes.”– Ryan Day
Ohio State will have home-field advantage on its side for this year’s game against the Nittany Lions, and Day says Buckeye fans can really help make that an advantage for the home team by making noise when Penn State is on offense. Ohio State is also encouraging fans to arrive early at Ohio Stadium and wear scarlet for OSU’s annual “Scarlet the Shoe” game, though the Buckeyes will wear their traditional scarlet and gray uniforms rather than the all-scarlet Color Rush threads they wore against Penn State two years ago.
“Anybody can make a name for themselves this game, so everyone should be excited. Everyone should be in the film room a little bit more, taking practice more serious.”– Jordan Hancock
While most public comments from Penn State players this week have stayed true to the Nittany Lions’ mantra of treating every game the same, the Buckeyes have been a bit more forthcoming in acknowledging that they’re putting in extra work this week given the high stakes of the game.
“A guy that I've got like a coach crush on is No. 35, Tommy Eichenberg. Just a really good football player. He's fun to watch. Physically he can make the plays. He's obviously the quarterback of the defense. Everything goes through him.”– James Franklin
Franklin name-dropped 11 different Ohio State players during his lengthy opening statement at his weekly press conference on Tuesday. No one received higher praise than Eichenberg, whose play has captured the heart of Penn State’s head coach.
Get Smart
-
Ohio State has an all-time record of 24-14 against Penn State.
More Ohio State vs. Penn State Coverage
- The Buckeyes have won their last six consecutive games and 10 of their last 11 games against the Nittany Lions.
- This year’s matchup will be the first matchup between Ohio State and Penn State in which both are top-10-ranked teams since three consecutive top-10 matchups from 2017-19. Ohio State won all three of those games.
- Ohio State’s only players from Pennsylvania are starting wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Julian Fleming. Kyle McCord played high school football with Harrison at St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia but grew up in New Jersey.
- Penn State’s roster includes three players from Ohio: Drew Allar and wide receivers Liam Clifford and Kaden Saunders.
- ESPN’s College GameDay and FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff will both be broadcasting live from campus before Saturday’s game. College GameDay will broadcast from in front of St. John Arena from 9-11 a.m. and inside Ohio Stadium from 11 a.m. to noon, while Big Noon Kickoff will broadcast from outside the RPAC from 10 a.m. to noon. Former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud will be the guest picker on GameDay.
How It Plays Out
Line: Ohio State -4.5, O/U 45.5
All of the last seven games between Ohio State and Penn State have been decided by 13 points or fewer, so it would be a shock if this year’s game isn’t close, especially considering how closely matched the teams appear to be this year.
Considering how good both defenses have been so far this year, Saturday’s game also appears far more likely to be a slugfest than a shootout. Neither team has allowed more than 17 points in a game this year, which could make this an enticing matchup for under bettors.
But Ohio State’s offense is better than any Penn State has faced so far this season – even if it’s not the juggernaut it’s been in years past – and the Nittany Lions have yet to score fewer than 30 points in a game this year. With that in mind, most of our staffers expect both teams’ scores to be somewhere in the twenties.
Ohio State’s first big game of the season against Notre Dame came down to the literal final second, and chances are good its second big game of the season will also come down to the waning moments. This year’s Penn State team is arguably the most complete team of James Franklin’s tenure in State College, and neither side enters this game with many clear-cut advantages over the other, though the Buckeyes have more playmakers in the passing game and the Nittany Lions have the stronger offensive line.
No one on our staff expects Saturday’s game to be decided by more than 10 points, but with home-field advantage on its side and the experience of having already battled its way to a big win against one marquee opponent this year, we’re picking Ohio State to prevail in a tight fight.
| Eleven Warriors Staff Prediction | ||||
 |
27 | 20 |
 |
|
Discover the best in exterior renovation when you schedule your roof replacement with Able Roof. With over 300,000 satisfied customers, you can be confident that your roof will last for years to come. Book your roof replacement now and save up to $1000 off your roof. Contact us today.
