The No. 3 ranked Penn State football team is 7-0 after their 28-13 win last over Wisconsin last week. Yet as every Nittany Lions fan knows, it’s all about how they do against the big boys. In particular, how they fare against Ohio State. That week has finally come.
The Nittany Lions host No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday at noon, and both ESPN’s College Gameday and FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff will be in State College for the showdown. This game could be the difference between Penn State potentially playing for a Big Ten title and securing a bye in the playoffs, and having to play in the first round.
Let’s look at the series history and keys to this major matchup.
Penn State vs. Ohio State Football History
Saturday will be the 32nd meeting between the Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes. The first meeting came on October 30, 1993 in Columbus. The result of that game was a 24-6 win for Ohio State. Penn State’s first home game, and first win, against Ohio State came the following year on October 29, 63-14.
Penn State is 8-23 all-time against Ohio State. The Buckeyes have won seven straight and 11 of the last 12 meetings over the Nittany Lions. Penn State’s last win in this series was back in 2016. The Nittany Lions will be looking to change things going forward.
Key players for Penn State
Drew Allar could be a game-time decision for Saturday. If he can’t go, Beau Pribula will get the start at quarterback. Pribula has seen limited action this season. He is 18-for-23 on the year for 200 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He has also added 133 yards and a touchdown on the ground on 21 carries, making him the third-leading rusher on the team.
The two ahead of him are, of course, Kaytron Allen (101 carries, 509 yards) and Nick Singleton (75 carries, 483 yards). The duo have combined for seven rushing touchdowns. Singleton also has 150 receiving yards on 13 catches with four touchdowns. He has seven total touchdowns through seven games.
Tight end Tyler Warren remains the clear top target thanks to his big day against USC. He did have 46 yards on seven catches against Wisconsin. He’s up to 559 yards on 47 catches with four touchdowns on the season.
Of note, wide receiver Julian Fleming will face his former team. Fleming transferred from Ohio State to Penn State this year. So far, he has ten catches for 148 yards, good for 6th on the team.
Key players for Ohio State
For Ohio State, the offense starts with quarterback and Kansas State transfer Will Howard. Howard has 1,795 yards on 134-of-181 passing with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. He has thrown for at least 200 yards in all seven games with multiple touchdown passes in six of the seven games.
Similar to Penn State, Ohio State has two running backs they can rely on at any point. Quinshon Judkins has 520 yards on 81 carries (6.4 yards per carry) with six touchdowns. Meanwhile, TreVeyon Henderson has 449 yards and four touchdowns on 62 carries (7.2 yards per carry). The pair has combined for ten rushing touchdowns.
At wide receiver, freshman Jeremiah Smith leads the way in the passing game with 623 yards and eight touchdowns on 35 catches. Emeka Egbuka is right behind Smith, with 546 yards on 43 catches with six touchdowns.
Keys to victory for Penn State
Take advantage of banged-up offensive line, pressure on Will Howard
Ohio State has injuries across the offensive line. Left tackle Josh Simmons went down with a season-ending injury in the Oregon game and his backup, Zen Michalski, injured his lower back last week against Nebraska. With Penn State fielding one of the better pass-rushes in the nation, this week is a huge opportunity for the unit to tee off and have the best game of the season.
Could the quarterback run game be expanded this week?
In addition to having a solid arm, Pribula is one of the better runners for Penn State. If he gets the start this week, look for Penn State to add more designed quarterback runs into the gameplan this week to give them a numbers advantage. Pribula is essentially the No. 3 running back already.
Prove they can finally win the big one for James Franklin
As Al Davis said, just win, baby.
Franklin is infamous for his struggles in big games. If Penn State is going to be considered a true national title contender, this is a must-win football game. The Nittany Lions will likely still get into the playoffs with a loss here and an 11-1 finish. However, a loss may all but end their Big Ten title hopes which would eliminate their chances of a first-round bye. Yet if they win, their title hopes remain alive and people will actually take this team seriously come December.
