Ohio State football: 5 reasons the Buckeyes will beat Penn State
By Alec Hartman
1. J.T. Barrett and the Buckeyes’ offense will keep moving the chains while limiting turnovers.
J.T. Barrett has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country. His 66.7 percent completion rate has the Buckeyes leading the Big Ten in pass efficiency and fourth overall in the nation. Barrett has also limited his turnovers as he has thrown the least amount of interceptions in the Big Ten with just one.
The Buckeyes are second in the Big Ten in third down conversion rate. With so many viable weapons on offense, it’s hard to imagine the the Bucks not having great success in this category.
Time of possession will be paramount in this game considering both sides have great offenses. Some of the best teams in football are great with time of possession including the Philadelphia Eagles who currently hold the NFL’s best record.
The Eagles are second in the league in time of possession.
It will be to the Bucks’ best benefit if they can keep Saquon Barkley off the field for as long as they can. The Bucks can also run the ball efficiently with both Dobbins and Weber averaging almost five yards per carry or more. Barrett is also averaging over five yards per carry.
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On the other end, the Nittany Lions have capitalized on their opponents turning the ball over. They are currently tied for fourth in the country in turnovers gained.
This can be attributed to their solid overall defense but their opponents’ limited offensive capabilities share a good part of the blame for that as well.
All of the Nittany Lions’ Big Ten opponents thus far are in the bottom five in turnover margin in the conference.
Whether the Nittany Lions’ win against the Bucks was a fluke or not, it would be hard not to side with the Bucks considering how efficient their offense has been. McSorley has thrown five times as many interceptions as Barrett and this could be the game where one of his turnovers costs his team the game.
Next: It's dangerous for OSU to overlook McSorley
Expect the Bucks to come away with the victory by taking care of the ball and limiting the Nittany Lions from getting short field opportunities.