Penn State (4-2, 1-2 Big Ten) is looking to break its two-game losing streak against Ohio State (5-1, 2-0 Big Ten) on Saturday.
Head coach James Franklin will get the first true test of his mettle this season when he meets with Urban Meyer’s Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium in the Nittany Lions’ third and final primetime spot of the year. His promise to “get it fixed” after the Lions’ first loss against Northwestern proved to be unfruitful after the loss to Michigan two weeks ago.
Penn State will be looking to two Big Ten leaders to ignite the scoring. Quarterback Christian Hackenberg leads the Big Ten in passing yards, averaging 272.8 yards per game and wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton averages 7.2 receptions per game, also a conference best.
Ohio State is riding a 56-17 victory over Rutgers last week and are ranked number 12 in the nation. The Buckeyes have an almost impeccable scoring offense; they are second in the Big Ten and fourth in the nation with 46.5 points per game. They have scored at least 50 points in four straight games and look to continue that streak at Beaver Stadium. Redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett is the most efficient player in the Big Ten with a passer rating of 182.1 and 333.0 in total offense. He has led his team in a touchdown drive during the first possession in the last four games.
With Ohio State’s ability to score touchdowns left and right, Penn State should focus on keeping its defense, ranked sixth in the nation for total defense, strong. Senior linebacker Mike Hull has been a standout player for the Nittany Lions, registering 64 tackles through six games. Penn State defensive coordinator Bob Shoop is highly commendatory of Hull, saying that he is “the straw that stirs the drink. Anybody that knows anything about college football should watch him.”
Ohio State is favored over Penn State by 13.5 points and currently holds the series lead over the Nittany Lions by 15-13. However, Penn State has the home-field advantage and although Meyer’s Buckeyes are no strangers to playing in front of tough, loud crowds, Saturday may prove to be a challenge. It is Penn State’s seventh all-stadium White Out, and Franklin hopes that the atmosphere will work to intimidate the visiting team.
“I anticipate us having 107,000 Penn State fans wearing white, screaming and going crazy, making it really difficult for Ohio State to communicate… I would love to see how many times our fans can get them to a delay of game or jump off sides or whatever it may be. I know our defense is looking forward to that advantage.”
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. and the game will be broadcasted on ABC.
