Penn State Vs. Ohio State Preview, Projections

Penn State faces another memorable opportunity Saturday as host Ohio State has a chance to reach 8-0 for just the second time under head coach James Franklin. The Nittany Lions are ranked higher, have a shorthanded starting quarterback, are playing at home for the first time in four weeks and are looking to end a seven-game losing streak to the Buckeyes.

So let’s get started, okay?

No. 3 Penn State (7-0) vs. No. 4 Ohio State (6-1)

RELATED: Donald Trump no longer plans to attend Saturday’s Penn State-Ohio State game

Storyline

Andy Kotelnicki was Penn State’s most dynamic find of the offseason: an offensive coordinator who recites lines from the movie Anchorman in practice. trains his players in public speaking and turned tight end Tyler Warren into best five-tool soccer player. But it was on Saturday that James Franklin invited Kotelnicki from Kansas and coach Lance Leipold to score more than 20 points against Ohio State.

“Hiring him wasn’t easy,” Franklin said this week, hinting at Kotelnicki’s value to both Kansas and other programs. If Kotelnitsky continues fun games challengeusing his assets in unique ways and seeing Penn State’s offense as a fun place to play, he’ll soon be doing it somewhere else – on a head coach’s dime. “It’s super, super fun,” Penn State player Anthony Donko said of Kotelnicki’s offensive play. “…We have a lot more crazy things that I can’t wait to get into the game.”

Well, now is the time because Franklin has hired Kotelnicki to run a high-scoring, explosive offense that can also run the ball, use its backup quarterback wisely and, while doing all of this, beat Ohio State. The Nittany Lions looked lost offensively in Columbus last season. They went 0-for-15 on third down until their final series, converted one play of more than 15 yards through three quarters and watched quarterback Drew Allar and his receivers make different plays (4.5 yards per attempt). Kotelnicki put it all together, propelling Allard into the top 10 in the country in quarterback rating, pass efficiency, completion percentage, yards per attempt and yards per completion. He turned Warren into one of best players in the country. And he’s done a good job with what he has at receiver.

“We’ve done some really good things over the last couple of years,” Franklin said this week. “What we lacked last year was explosive play. We’ve kind of started looking at who are the coordinators and who are the teams that are producing explosive plays, and not just because they have better genetics. Where do explosive games come from? ? How are they created? Do they happen on a regular basis? And are they doing it against their biggest competitor? When you look at things like that, the list narrows down pretty quickly.”

The dynamic gets even more exciting on Saturday as Penn State analyzes who to start at quarterback, how much backup Bo Pribula to play and where to place each top pick. Penn State has been in many fourth-quarter games against Ohio State, but has lacked one more offensive play to win (except in 2017). Kotelnicki is attending State College to create it. If he does, Franklin might be back on this list, so enjoy him.

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Pennsylvania Players to Watch

Nicholas Singleton: The running back hasn’t rushed for more than 100 yards and hasn’t rushed for more than 20 yards since Week 2 against Bowling Green. It will be imperative that he and Kaytron Allen get yards and eat up minutes against a Buckeyes defense that ranks sixth nationally.

Omari Evans: Penn State’s deep threat to the receiver was an afterthought last month. Over the last four games, he has just three catches, none longer than 16 yards. Ohio State’s secondary speed won’t allow him to run past it. So Evans needs to break through physical coverage at the line of scrimmage, make a contested catch, and give his quarterback a third target to pass on.

Jalen Kimber: Penn State covers players well, meaning the quarterback will get Jeremy Smith, Emeka Egbuku or Carnell Tate at some point. Ohio State will benefit if its receivers consistently beat the press man. Kimber, AJ Harris and Zion Tracy will counter this.

Jaylen Reed: Pennsylvania State Security it’s monster seasonwhich pushed the opposition’s last two defenders into critical interceptions in the second half. He will play an important role in not only keeping Ohio State quarterback Will Howard honest, but also providing support against Ohio State’s dual-threat system.

Ohio State Buckeyes to Watch

Jeremiah Smith: Nebraska got some pressure and ran down Will Howard’s throwing clock, but Ohio State targeted the Big Ten’s top receiver just four times in a tight matchup last week. One made a long touchdown. Smith should hit at least 10 targets on Saturday.

Left tackle: This is where the Buckeyes are vulnerable. Zen Michalski, who replaced injured star Josh Simmons last week, struggled before getting injured himself. Day told reporters this week that Michalski “in trend” to miss the game. So the Buckeyes face an even bigger juggling act. Big Ten cornerback Donovan Jackson is a likely candidate at tackle, but Ohio State is becoming more vulnerable on offense.

Caleb Downs: The safety could be Ohio State’s leading defensive player with 5.5 tackles for loss and two key stops against Nebraska. He has the ability to neutralize a potential play involving Pribula or Warren for everyone to see.

Denzel Burke: In a loaded Ohio State secondary, Burke has made a stunning 42 starts, 26 career breaks and two interceptions this season. He didn’t have a great day at Oregon, but he’s going to tire out Penn State’s receivers with route running.

RELATED: Ohio State QB Will Howard ‘excited’ for Saturday’s game at Penn State

Forecasts

Mark Wogenrich: The recent history of Penn State and Ohio State has been defined by great individual performances by the Buckeyes: JT Barrett in 2017, Chase Young in 2018, Justin Fields (despite two setbacks) in 2019, JT Tuimoloau in 2022 and Marvin Harrison Jr. last year. . Ohio State has recently added another player that Penn State has been missing. The dynamics of the game are different this year, but Ohio State still has several players. The quiet last week against Nebraska was outstanding. The Buckeyes will arrive Saturday with one more player (possibly receiver Jeremy Smith) and are looking for another win. Ohio State 24, Penn State 23

Daniel Mader: This is the best Nittany Lions team Ryan Day has faced in years, which doesn’t guarantee a Penn State win, but it does make the game a lot more interesting. The pressure and defense that Penn State showed in this 2023 matchup is still there, but more importantly, Andy Kotelnicki’s offensive creativity completely changes the way these two teams line up against each other. I do think a lot depends on Drew Allar’s injury, but the Buckeyes weren’t entirely convincing in their 21-17 win over Nebraska last week anyway. Assuming Allar plays, I think Penn State will finally sneak by with a big win in this historic rivalry. Pennsylvania 27, Ohio 24

Sam Woloson: Penn State has lost its last seven games against Ohio State, but offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki can help the Nittany Lions overcome their adversity. The way Kotelnicki adjusted his scheme in the second half at Wisconsin to meet the needs of backup guard Bo Pribula was impressive, and his ability to make adjustments at the break will be important again. The Buckeyes defense will be tough, but whether Allar or Pribula starts, I’m confident Kotelnicki can put his players in position to succeed, especially with a weapon like Tyler Warren causing matchup problems all over the field. Pennsylvania 23, Ohio 20

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Game odds are updated periodically and are subject to change.

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