3 reasons Ohio State will dismantle Penn State
By Alec Hartman
Ohio State football goes on the road this weekend in hopes of reigning victorious over division rival Penn State Nittany Lions in a primetime clash.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are taking their talents on the road this weekend following a successful season opener. The Buckeyes came away with a win to open the Big Ten slate against Nebraska but it wasn’t pretty. A slow start gave way to a strong finish in which the Buckeyes were victorious by a margin of 35 points.
This slow start marred much of the awe that came with the return of Buckeye football as feelings of concern quickly arose. Questions about certain aspects of the Buckeyes’ team turned into a reality as the defense let up a quick deficit to Nebraska largely due to lack of contain on defense and the offense sputtered in the run game which had to be carried by Justin Fields. However, growing pains come with reloading any great team and it was anticipated that some things would need work.
In the end, the Buckeyes should be proud of their effort in finishing strong and remembering who they are even through an early deficit. It is also very possible that the Buckeyes were looking ahead to this week as they are set to face-off with divisional foe Nittany Lions in what is always one of college football’s most anticipated match-ups each year.
The Buckeyes weren’t the only ones with an early eye on this game, the Nittany Lions seemingly had both eyes on this game since last weekend as they fell to the Indiana Hoosiers in overtime. This was just an overall badly managed game by the Nittany Lions as they led the Hoosiers in the first quarter, lost the lead, then led again late in the fourth quarter, and then lost the game in overtime.
One loss or no losses, the Nittany Lions tend to put that behind them when facing the Buckeyes as the matchups between these rivals have been extremely close in the last four meetings. The Buckeyes are looking to score their fourth consecutive win in this matchup as the Nittany Lions haven’t been victorious since 2016. Considering this season’s matchup is in Happy Valley, the final point differential has not exceeded 10 points at that location since 2012 when the Buckeyes won by 12 points.
The last two matchups in Happy Valley have resulted in either a one-point Buckeye victory or a loss since the Nittany Lions got a win in 2016. This year, the Buckeyes have an opportunity to break that trend and it only looks easier under the current circumstances. The Nittany Lions will not stand to benefit from a home stadium filled to capacity this season which will be detrimental to their chances of success.
Another reason for the Buckeyes’ slow start to the game in week one was likely due to a lack of energy in the home atmosphere. It will be interesting to see how the Nittany Lions respond to an ominous silence in Happy Valley as it is typically a rowdy arena with their white-out theme.
Head coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions look to right the ship and defend their home turf this week against the Buckeyes in primetime. Though they took a loss in week one, this matchup still holds significant meaning with a lot on the line for both sides. Ryan Day and the Buckeyes look to remain focused and play a solid game from start to finish. Expect the Buckeyes to build on their second-half success in week one and shine against the Nittany Lions.