Game To Watch: #20 Penn State at #5 Ohio State: October 30, 2021

Penn State will visit Ohio State for a key Big Ten East match-up in Columbus on Saturday at 7:30 EST. The Nittany Lions were upset by Illinois 20 – 18 in overtime last week, dropping them to 5 – 2 overall and 1 – 2 in conference play. The Buckeyes beat Indiana 54 – 7 last week, to run their record to 6 – 1 overall and 3 – 0 in conference play. The Big Ten East has three unbeaten teams in conference play coming into the weekend, Penn State cannot afford another loss and Ohio State needs to win to keep pace.

Recent History

Ohio State is 21 – 14 all time against Penn State. The Buckeyes have won eight of the last nine, including four straight. They won last year’s game 38 – 25 on the road in Happy Valley. Penn State’s last win in the series was a 24 – 21 win at home in 2016. Three of the last five games between the two teams were decided by less than a field goal.

Top 25 Players

What To Watch For…

Can Penn State’s Defense Slow Down Ohio State’s Offense?

Ohio State might have the best offense in the country. The Buckeyes have a dominant offensive line that has paved the way for a running attack that averages 6.2 yards per carry while allowing just nine sacks in seven games this year. Receivers, Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are both in the running to be first round draft picks while Jaxon Smith-Njigba and tight end Jeremy Ruckert have also shined. Treveyon Henderson is an explosive running back who is averaging 8.8 yards per carry this year. CJ Stroud has been playing lights out at quarterback since returning from an early injury and the offense is now averaging 49.3 points per game and 8.4 yards per play. The Ohio State offense is impressive, but the Penn State defense is the best they have faced this season. The Nittany Lions have allowed just 14.7 points per game, good for 6th in the country. Penn State is even better on a per play basis, allowing just 4.31 yards per play which ranks fifth in the country. Penn State’s defense is led by Jaquan Brisker who is one the elite safeties in college football and can be a difference maker on every play. The Nittany Lions are fast to the ball and play a physical brand of football. Ohio State’s offense has looked really good the last few weeks, but they will be tested by an excellent defense on Saturday.

How Healthy is Sean Clifford?

Sean Clifford suffered an injury in the Iowa game that not only derailed that game, but may have derailed Penn State’s season. Clifford left the Iowa game with a 17 – 3 lead early in the second quarter. The offense could not get anything going without him which allowed Iowa to come back and win the game 23 – 20. He returned after the bye week and started against Illinois, though he did not look to be 100 percent. He averaged a season low 4.9 yards per attempt against the Illini and was not a factor in the running game. Penn State does not have a back-up quarterback they trust and needs Clifford to be healthy to keep pace with Ohio State. He was healthy enough to play against Illinois and another week may help, but Clifford’s health is still very much in question going into this game.

Has Ohio State’s Defense Really Improved?

Ohio State’s defense struggled over the first two games of the season. The Buckeyes allowed 33 points per game and were unable to get stops in key spots. Ryan Day shook up his defensive staff and the defense has made schematic changes as well. The early returns over the last five weeks are positive, Ohio State has only allowed 12.7 points per game over that stretch. They have gone from two sacks and two turnovers forced in the first two games to 22 sacks and 9 turnovers forced in the last five. The only issue is that the opposition has not been very good over the last five games. Penn State may not be a dominant offense either, but they do have some players that will test if the Buckeyes have truly cleaned up their defensive issues. Jahan Dotson is one of the best receivers in college football and has made five or more catches in every game this year. He is joined at receiver by Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith who capitalize on the space he creates and both have over 300 receiving yards this year. Penn State averages 26.9 points per game and 5.5 yards per play, both good for seventh in the Big Ten, but with some big play threats on the outside this will be another test for the Ohio State defense.

Prediction

Ohio State has an elite offense, that may take a drive or two to get going, but will be difficult to keep contained for long. Jahan Dotson had a big day against Ohio State last year and will likely make a few big plays in this year’s game as well. In the end the Buckeyes’ have too much firepower and the defense is improved enough to make it a comfortable win. Ohio State 45 Penn State 24.

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