The Nittany Lions had the opportunity to bounce back after a loss in Iowa, including a Big Ten championship or College Football Playoff. However, after a nine-overtime loss this past weekend against Illinois, Penn State has been removed from the College Football conversation.
The Buckeyes were on the road against Indiana this last weekend with an extremely dominant 54-7 victory. This gave Ohio State five consecutive victories since Oregon visited them in September. As successful as their team is, they can’t lose to Penn State if they want to make the College Football Playoff.
Ohio State has been favored at kickoff in their last 10 games against Penn State. Including this coming weekend, the Buckeyes are favored by 18.5 points and justifiably. They have one of the best offenses in college football right now. Ohio State’s offense is averaging 48.5 points per game, almost double Penn State’s average. The Nittany Lion’s defense has been gravely improving, but their offense won’t be able to keep up. Nevertheless, Penn State’s offense is better than anyone Ohio State has played since Oregon.
The Penn State offense hasn’t necessarily been functioning since quarterback Sean Clifford was injured in the Iowa game two weeks ago. However, Penn State head coach James Franklin says he believes Clifford will be “100%” for Saturday’s game. On the other hand, Ohio State has an unstoppable offense, and their defense looks respectable after early season difficulties.
It appears most are expecting a blowout as the Buckeyes march towards a potential –Playoff appearance. Coming off two consecutive losses, the struggling Nittany Lions will hope to upset the Buckeyes. Saturday’s game will take place at 7:30 p.m. at Ohio Stadium on ABC.
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