(Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
For many years, the Big 10 has been synonymous with four yards and a cloud of dust football. It’s a style that made Joe Paterno one of the most successful coaches in college football history. This weekend, features a game between Ohio State and Penn State where the over/under is set at 72. An over/under like that is something reserved for a Big 12 matchup between TCU and Oklahoma where no defense would be played. A number that high isn’t quite what we expect from these two programs. However, it is 2018 and in 2018 these are are the two highest scoring offenses in the country.
Penn State is number one in scoring offense with 55 ppg, while Ohio State comes in at 2 with 54 ppg. It has been 56 years since a Big 10 matchup has featured the top two scoring offenses in the country. If you have watched either team’s defense this year, I wouldn’t bank on a defensive battle. Ohio State is very susceptible to the big play and it’s something that Penn State should look into attacking early in the game.
So far this season, Ohio State has given up three plays of 70 yards or more. Tulane didn’t offer the Buckeyes much of a challenge last week. I would look at Ohio State’s matchup with TCU as a good barometer of what to expect from the Lions on Saturday. TCU was able to gash Ohio State consistently for big chunks of yardage. Including, two touchdowns of 50 yards or more. Now, throw the Penn State offense into the equation.
Penn State has a more potent offense than TCU and should be able to do more damage. Trace McSorely can hit the home run ball at anytime. Ricky Slade and Miles Sanders are always a threat to break a big run out of the backfield. Last but not least, number one Kj Hamler can score the ball anytime he touches the ball. The point is, the Lions have no shortage of weapons that can expose the Buckeye defense for a big play at any moment. Big plays and the ability to stop them will be the story of the game. Having the 12th man by their side, I expect the Penn State defense to outplay the Ohio State defense on Saturday. Penn State just needs to hit on those big plays early and often to pull out the win and keep the raucous home crowd engaged.
So after all that said, my prediction on the game? You aren’t getting one. That’s right, my Penn State bias will not allow me to jinx the Lions on this blog. Instead, I will just say this. Picking a winner in this game is like a coin flip. I could see Ohio State winning this game and I could also see Penn State winning this game. What I can’t really see is a blowout. I expect a close game throughout and a game we will all remember for a long time to come. I will be in attendance and for my sanity, let’s just hope the Nittany Lions pull this one out.
