Penn State Nittany Lions vs No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes
The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes are the No. 1 team in the nation, but many are questioning if they are even the No. 1 team in their conference. This week, the Buckeyes have a chance to further add to their win total and continue to build some offensive chemistry behind quarterback Cardale Jones when they play host to the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Buckeyes have now also began using J.T. Barrett in the red zone at quarterback and last week he put together five touchdowns.
After starting the season with a disappointing loss to Temple, Penn State has rattled off five straight wins, including an impressive blowout over Indiana last week. However, they are playing an Ohio State team on the road that is beginning to find their passing game a little bit.
Not only will they have to deal with weapons like Braxton Miller on the outside, J.T. Barrett in the red zone and the powerful Cardale Jones, the Nittany Lions will have to deal with the powerful ground attack of Ezekiel Elliot. Elliot has rushed for 106 yards or more in every game this season and has been the heart of the Buckeyes offense.
Details for Saturday’s game are below.
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2015
Start Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Columbus, OH
Stadium: Ohio Stadium
TV Info: ABC
Live Stream: WatchABC
Radio: Ohio State, click here. Penn State, click here.
Ticket Information: For Ohio State ticket information, click here. For Penn State ticket information, click here.
Keys to Victory
The Ohio State offense is trying to show that their passing attack is as dangerous as their running game. It’s getting a little bit better by the week, but it won’t be any easier this week when they take on Penn State and their superior pass rush. The Nittany Lions are the top defense in the conference at getting after the quarterback, so Cardale Jones is going to have to think on his feet and make the smart decisions.
When he gets to the red zone, the Buckeyes will utilize J.T. Barrett to engineer scoring drives just like he did last week. With two quarterbacks making plays in different parts of the field, the Penn State defense is going to have their hands full and have to be prepared for several different looks.
Not only will they have to deal with multiple quarterbacks, but they also have to deal with the powerful running back that is Ezekiel Elliot. Elliot can do it all. He can run the ball, he can catch the ball and he can also block. Elliot is one of the best blocking running backs in the nation and with Penn State’s pass rush, he is going to provide a lot of support to his quarterbacks this week.
If the Nittany Lions are going to pull the upset, they are going to have to rely offensively on the arm of their quarterback, Christian Hackenberg. When Hackenberg has time to throw, he has shown why is he one of the more talented passers in the NCAA. The offensive line is going to have to give him time to find his weapons this Saturday.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Ohio State -19
Moneyline: Ohio State -1000
O/U: 47
Prediction
With the inclusion of J.T. Barrett into the offense, the Buckeyes are beginning to find their groove and what works. That’s critical as several other teams in the BIG 10 are beginning to emerge as threats to take them down. The Penn State pass rush is going to come early and often against them.
That’s why they’re going to have to protect Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett. The Buckeyes need to put points up early to make it easy and they need to get after Christian Hackenberg early. A steady diet of Ezekiel Elliot should do the trick to wear down an aggressive Nittany Lions defense and Ohio State should pull away late.
Final Score: Penn State 16, Ohio State 38