It's Game Day, everyone, which means it's a bad, bad day to be a Nittany Lion.
On a Halloween weekend, Ohio State travels to Happy Valley for a battle with Penn State, but there will be no tricks, only treats for the Buckeyes when the game starts at high noon.
In other words, you'll be seeing a lot of celebrations like these:
whats favorite celebration pic.twitter.com/DFKpKBRS5y
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 28, 2022
I'd have to say my favorite is the Mitch Rossi golf swing. He doesn't get to do it as often as the other guys, so it's the rarest. It also tells me that the Ohio State fullback probably tears it up on the links. Would love to see what he'd shoot with a full 18 holes.
Let's have a good Saturday, shall we?
LION TASTES GOOD. As I think about the Buckeyes playing the Nittany Lions today, I am reminded of one of my all-time favorite comedies called “The Other Guys,” which follows desk-bound NYPD detectives Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Terry Holtz (Mark Wahlberg) as they attempt to make a name for themselves in their precinct.
There's a particular scene from the movie that I will share here where Gamble and Holtz – currently desk partners but not yet friends – argue about a school of tuna's chances to defeat a family of lions. It is undoubtedly one of the funniest moments in the film.
"We now have a taste of lion. We've talked to ourselves. We've communicated and said, ‘You know what? Lion tastes good. Let's go get some more lion,’" Gamble says.
The Buckeyes tasted lion – mountain lion, if you want to be particular – for the first time in a 17-9 win over Penn State in 1975. Since then, the Buckeyes have feasted on the Nittany Lions 22 more times while only suffering 10 defeats in the battles between the programs.
From 2000 and beyond, Ohio State has won 17 of 22 meetings against Penn State, including nine out of the previous 10 meetings. The Buckeyes have simply outgunned and outmanned the Nittany Lions since the turn of the century, and that won't change once the game starts today at noon.
Ryan Day and Co. will bring a top-five offense and top-five defense into Happy Valley on Saturday after looking like the best team in America through the first eight weeks of the college football season. And when the clock hits triple zeroes in the late afternoon, the Nittany Lions will be served a loss like the other seven teams the Buckeyes have played.
I feel the Ohio State offense will strike first on its opening drive, and the defense will force a punt or a turnover, allowing the Buckeyes to play from ahead for the entire game. I expect Penn State to deliver a few blows, but the kitties will eventually lose steam as Ohio State keeps them on their heels for all 60 minutes of the contest.
The Buckeyes win this one, 41-21.
TODAY’S MENU. Outside of Ohio State vs. Penn State and Kentucky vs. Tennessee, this weekend of college football is mostly bland.
However, there is intrigue in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party with Florida vs. Georgia with Anthony Richardson possessing the microwave ability of J.R. Smith. Could the Gators play spoiler to the Bulldogs a week before they face Hendon Hooker and Tennessee?
Meanwhile, can Notre Dame take down a No. 16-ranked Syracuse team so the Irish can look a little more respectable as a win for Ohio State as we approach the College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings on Saturday?
Can Illinois keep their magical season alive and advance past Nebraska?
It's college football. Anything can happen!
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV/Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Toledo at Eastern Michigan | 12:00pm | ESPNU |
| 2 Ohio State at 13 Penn State | 12:00pm | FOX |
| Boston College at UConn | 12:00pm | CBSSN |
| Oklahoma at Iowa State | 12:00pm | FS1 |
| Miami (Ohio) at Akron | 12:00pm | ESPN+ |
| USF at Houston | 12:00pm | ESPN2 |
| Georgia Tech at Florida State | 12:00pm | ACCN |
| Notre Dame at 16 Syracuse | 12:00pm | ABC |
| 7 TCU at West Virginia | 12:00pm | ESPN |
| Arkansas at Auburn | 12:00pm | SECN |
| Miami (FL) at Virginia | 12:30pm | RSN/ESPN3 |
| Charlotte at Rice | 2:00pm | ESPN3 |
| Rutgers at Minnesota | 2:30pm | BTN |
| Old Dominion at Georgia State | 3:00pm | ESPN+ |
| North Texas at WKU | 3:30pm | Stadium |
| Robert Morris at Appalachian State | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| Temple at Navy | 3:30pm | CBSSN |
| 17 Illinois at Nebraska | 3:30pm | ABC |
| 20 Cincinnati at UCF | 3:30pm | ESPN |
| Northwestern at Iowa | 3:30pm | ESPN2 |
| Florida vs. 1 Georgia (in Jacksonville, FL) | 3:30pm | CBS |
| SMU at Tulsa | 3:30pm | ESPN+ |
| 9 Oklahoma State at 22 Kansas State | 3:30pm | FOX |
| 10 Wake Forest at Louisville | 3:30pm | ACCN |
| 8 Oregon at California | 3:30pm | FS1 |
| New Mexico State at UMass | 3:30pm | ESPN3 |
| Missouri at 25 South Carolina | 4:00pm | SECN |
| South Alabama at Arkansas State | 4:00pm | ESPNU |
| 19 Kentucky at 3 Tennessee | 7:00pm | ESPN |
| 10 USC at Arizona | 7:00pm | P12N |
| Colorado State at Boise State | 7:00pm | FS1 |
| Coastal Carolina at Marshall | 7:00pm | NFLN |
| UAB at Florida Atlantic | 7:00pm | CBSSN |
| Arizona State at Colorado | 7:30pm | ESPNU |
| Baylor at Texas Tech | 7:30pm | ESPN2 |
| Michigan State at 4 Michigan | 7:30pm | ABC |
| 15 Ole Miss at Texas A&M | 7:30pm | SECN |
| Pitt at 21 North Carolina | 8:00pm | ACCN |
| Middle Tennessee at UTEP | 9:00pm | ESPN+ |
| Nevada at San Jose State | 10:30pm | CBSSN |
| San Diego State at Fresno State | 10:30pm | FS1 |
| Stanford at 12 UCLA | 10:30pm | ESPN |
| Wyoming at Hawaii | 11:59pm | Spectrum PPV |
MY PICKS. Oooooooooooo another week of picks in a Game Day Skull Session. Let me tell you that I head into each Saturday with high hopes to go positive with my picks. However, a lot of them turn out like they did seven days ago.
Last week, Cincinnati beat SMU by two points but didn't cover the spread, while Ole Miss was absolutely demolished by LSU as the Rebels did not come close to living up to their top-10 ranking. Penn State was the only team that came through, beating Minnesota comfortably to cover the 4-point spread.
Still, like a person driven to insanity, doing the same things over and over again expecting different results, surely this will be the week that all three of my picks are correct, and I will fall asleep tonight with a smile on my face!
2022 RECORD: 9-12
- No. 1 Georgia (-23.5) vs. Florida: Last season, Anthony Richardson had a horrible first career start against Georgia. I mean, he was awful. On Saturday, he is going to need to ball out if the Gators are to have any chance of beating the Bulldogs. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening for him. I also think Georgia provides too many matchup nightmares for the Florida defense – for example, tight end Brock Bowers – which will help the Bulldogs cruise to a win in this rivalry and cover that massive spread.
- Pitt at No. 21 North Carolina (-3): The Tarheels are miraculously the No. 21 team in the nation at 6-1 this season. However, I don't think their record is as good as it suggests, and Vegas probably agrees given the 3-point spread against a 4-3 Pitt team. Still, Kedon Slovis has been inconsistent this season and Pat Narduzzi has lost his marbles, so I'll take North Carolina to win and cover the spread.
- No. 7 TCU (-7.5) at West Virginia: TCU is undefeated, but does anyone believe it will go perfect in the regular season? I think the Horned Frogs will lose at some point, and a game against West Virginia in Morgantown could be that loss, but it won't be on Saturday. I expect TCU to move the ball around the field on a Mountaineer defense susceptible to big plays, winning a close one that barely covers the eight points they're favored by.
BACK TO THE BUCKEYES. Griffin Strom coined the term “Farmer Gronk” for Cade Stover earlier this fall, and it's an absolute home run. After all, the Ohio State tight end is a beast on the football field and loves farming. It's who he is!
On Friday, Stover was featured in an advertisement for a company called Ag-Pro, a privately-owned John Deere dealership primarily located in Ohio and Kentucky. In the video, Stover talks about his love for agriculture and helping his family make a living off the land.
Ohio State's @cstov8 knows what it takes to be successful, both on the field and in the field! #YourHomeTeam #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/2syUWAjUbJ
— Ag-Pro Ohio (@AgPro_Ohio) October 28, 2022
The fact that Stover, a kid fully-grown 6-foot-4, 255-pound man from rural Lexington, Ohio, has transformed himself into a potential first-round NFL draft pick in such a short time as a tight end freaking rocks. And despite the added attention from Buckeye fans and professional scouts this year, he remains humbly connected to his roots. That is something to be admired.
May Stover continue building a resume for himself this season and enjoy a long career in football. Whenever his football ends, there's a plot of land waiting to be farmed for him somewhere. You'll find him there when the time comes.
SONG OF THE DAY. “We Ready” by Archie Eversole ft. Bubba Sparxxx
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