PREMIUM
GAME OF THE WEEK (Rogers' 10* NCAAF) >> #1 PLAY!
(NCAAF) Penn State vs. Ohio State,
Point Spread: -6.00 | -110.00 Ohio State (Home)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: -6.00 | -110.00 Ohio State (Home)
Result: Loss
The set-up: The Penn State Nittany Lions are ranked No. 2 behind Alabama and looked every bit like the nation's second-ranked team last Saturday, taking down then-No. 109 Michigan, 42-13. Saquon Barkley ran for 108 yards (just 15 carries) and two TDs plus added a juggling 42-yard TD catch for a third score. QB Trace McSorley also had a huge game, throwing for 282 yards and a TD, while rushing for 76 yards and scoring three times on the ground. All the while, the 6th-ranked Buckeyes had teh weekend off and were surelty plotting how they woulkd deal with not only Penn State's offense (averaging 40.0 PPG) but with a defense which ranks first ins coring (9.6 PPG) on 282.9 YPG (ranks 9th).
We can be assured, Ohio State has not forgotten its 24-21 loss at Happy Valley last season, as 19-point favorites!
Penn State: Speaking about not forgetting, Penn State won't forget last year, either. The Nittany Lions not only topped Ohio State but also won the Big Ten East and the Big Ten championship game over Wisconsin. However, when all the dust had settled, it was Ohio Stae which advanced to the four-team CFP from the Big Ten, not Penn State! The Nittany Lions' dramatic upset of Ohio State last season featured a fourth-quarter rally capped by a blocked FG returned for a TD. However, Penn State was out-gained 413-to-276 in that game, so it will have to paly much better here, to pull off a win. Penn State's offense revolves around Barkley, who leads the country in all-purpose yards and has scored a TD in 14 consecutive games. The Nittany Lions will use him in multiple ways as they did last week against Michigan, taking direct snaps, split wide, in the slot and on kickoff returns.That said, Penn St. will also need for McSorley to step up, unlike last season , when he was just 8 of 23 for 154 passing yards.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes have been playing "catch up" ever since losing 31-16 at home to Oklahoma Sep. 9. That said, they've been doing quite a good job indeed of catching up! Ohio State has steamrolled opponents since its early loss to Oklahoma, winning five in a row by an average of 42.0 PPG, The Buckeyes have topped 500 yards of offense in each of those five straight victories (the longest such streak in team history), and will enter this game tied for the FBS lead in scoring at 47.3 PPG. Ohio State averages 577.3 YPG, which ranks 3rd. J.T. Barrett has "been on a mission" since not playing well vs. Oklahoma, completing 72.3 percent of his passes for 1,361 yards (270.2 per) with 18 TD passes and not a single iNT in 137 pass attempts. He's added 232 rushing yards, along with four TDs on the ground. Lat year's star freshman RB Weber has been slowed by injuries (just 227 YR / 4 TDs) but freshman Dobbins has picked up the slack, rushing for 775 yards on 7.8 YPC (5 TDs). Ohio State can't quite match Penn State's defensive stats but the Buckeyes are allowing a modest 15.4 PPG (10th) on 305.3 YPG (16th)
The pick: It's bordering on sacrilege at Ohio State to say there's a bigger game on the schedule than its annual game with hated rival Michigan but a loss here at home to Penn Sate, would likely make OSU's season-ender at Ann Arbor insignificant. Ohio State has rolled over 'cupcakes' but now has a real test. However, the Buckeyes had won 11 of the previous 14 meetings prior to last year's encounter, one which they dominated, statistically. One last thought. Ohio State is off a bye and Urban-Meyer coached teams are a perfect 20-0 SU run following a bye, last losing when he was back coaching Bowling Green. Lay the points and make Ohio St. a 10* play.
We can be assured, Ohio State has not forgotten its 24-21 loss at Happy Valley last season, as 19-point favorites!
Penn State: Speaking about not forgetting, Penn State won't forget last year, either. The Nittany Lions not only topped Ohio State but also won the Big Ten East and the Big Ten championship game over Wisconsin. However, when all the dust had settled, it was Ohio Stae which advanced to the four-team CFP from the Big Ten, not Penn State! The Nittany Lions' dramatic upset of Ohio State last season featured a fourth-quarter rally capped by a blocked FG returned for a TD. However, Penn State was out-gained 413-to-276 in that game, so it will have to paly much better here, to pull off a win. Penn State's offense revolves around Barkley, who leads the country in all-purpose yards and has scored a TD in 14 consecutive games. The Nittany Lions will use him in multiple ways as they did last week against Michigan, taking direct snaps, split wide, in the slot and on kickoff returns.That said, Penn St. will also need for McSorley to step up, unlike last season , when he was just 8 of 23 for 154 passing yards.
Ohio State: The Buckeyes have been playing "catch up" ever since losing 31-16 at home to Oklahoma Sep. 9. That said, they've been doing quite a good job indeed of catching up! Ohio State has steamrolled opponents since its early loss to Oklahoma, winning five in a row by an average of 42.0 PPG, The Buckeyes have topped 500 yards of offense in each of those five straight victories (the longest such streak in team history), and will enter this game tied for the FBS lead in scoring at 47.3 PPG. Ohio State averages 577.3 YPG, which ranks 3rd. J.T. Barrett has "been on a mission" since not playing well vs. Oklahoma, completing 72.3 percent of his passes for 1,361 yards (270.2 per) with 18 TD passes and not a single iNT in 137 pass attempts. He's added 232 rushing yards, along with four TDs on the ground. Lat year's star freshman RB Weber has been slowed by injuries (just 227 YR / 4 TDs) but freshman Dobbins has picked up the slack, rushing for 775 yards on 7.8 YPC (5 TDs). Ohio State can't quite match Penn State's defensive stats but the Buckeyes are allowing a modest 15.4 PPG (10th) on 305.3 YPG (16th)
The pick: It's bordering on sacrilege at Ohio State to say there's a bigger game on the schedule than its annual game with hated rival Michigan but a loss here at home to Penn Sate, would likely make OSU's season-ender at Ann Arbor insignificant. Ohio State has rolled over 'cupcakes' but now has a real test. However, the Buckeyes had won 11 of the previous 14 meetings prior to last year's encounter, one which they dominated, statistically. One last thought. Ohio State is off a bye and Urban-Meyer coached teams are a perfect 20-0 SU run following a bye, last losing when he was back coaching Bowling Green. Lay the points and make Ohio St. a 10* play.
