The Ohio State football team is set to take on the Penn State football team on Saturday in Happy Valley in an AP Top-15 showdown.

The Ohio State football team is coming off a big victory against Iowa as they travel to Happy Valley to play Penn State. This will be the Buckeyes’ second road test of the season and will be in front of a stripe-out environment. Penn State enters the game coming off a victory over Minnesota in the annual whiteout.

Kickoff is at noon as FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff is in town. It marks a change of pace from years past because it’s usually a night game in State College. The Ohio State football program and fans are rejoicing as the Buckeyes avoid both the whiteout and nighttime environment. However, playing the Nittany Lions will be a competition jump for the barely tested Buckeyes. 

Preview

Historically, this game is played close because of the matchup Penn State’s defense poses to Ohio State’s offense. This division collision will be won in the trenches, and the turnover battle will also be critical. The Buckeyes are the only FBS to remain perfect in the red zone this season. However, Iowa did force Ohio State to settle for four field goals last week. The Nittany Lions will need to do the same on Saturday. 

CJ Stroud is one of the Heisman front-runners and will need to keep his poise in front of a hostile crowd and get into a rhythm early. Additionally, Ohio State will need to run the football to open up the pass as the game progresses. Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s status is still questionable, but Ryan Day did say he expects the star wide receiver to play. 

Saturday’s matchup will be the healthiest Ohio state has been all season. Running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams will both be available. They have been an elite one-two punch this season. On the outside, Marvin Harrison Jr and Emeka Egbuka have been instrumental weapons in the Buckeyes’ passing attack, and the return of Jaxon Smith-Njigba will only make it more lethal. 

Defensively, Ohio State enters Beaver Stadium with a top-five defense. The Silver Bullets will look to slow down star true-freshman running back Nicholas Singleton and face a veteran quarterback in Sean Clifford. Penn State’s offensive attack features a solid running game, a competent passing game that features its tight ends, and a few quarterback-run wrinkles. 

Prediction

FOX’s Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt will be calling the game for the first time in State College. Vegas has the spread listed at 15.5 which is about what you would expect. That is what the line opened as and it has not moved since. 

I think the game will be played closely in the first half until Ryan Day makes his halftime adjustments. Slowing down the Buckeyes for four quarters is a tough task. I’m not sure Penn State has the offense to score with Ohio State. I like the Buckeyes to cover the spread in the second half and win 41-20. A win will give the Ohio State a quality data point on its resume in the eyes of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee.

If Ohio State is able to score 20+ points on Saturday, it will tie Oklahoma’s record of 69 consecutive games eclipsing the mark. The streak began in 2017 for the Buckeyes.