Ohio State vs. Penn State: 3 keys to a Buckeyes win

The Ohio State Buckeyes are set to face their biggest test of the season so far as the Penn State Nittany Lions head to Columbus. Here’s what Ohio State must do to secure a win against Penn State.

Ryan Day and Ohio State have experienced a relatively smooth and easy 2019 season so far. But the Buckeyes’ most difficult test of the season up to this point is up ahead of them as James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions arrive in town.

Ohio State, still undefeated at 10, has cruised to victory all season. Penn State, sitting at 9-1, represents the kind of team that might actually be able to challenge the Buckeyes this season. Franklin, an experienced and innovative head coach, has a young but talented quarterback leading his offense. And the Nittany Lions have a variety of ways to score.

For Ohio State to take care of business and win this game, the Buckeyes must do the following:

1. Chase Young needs to pressure Sean Clifford early and often

Sophomore quarterback Sean Clifford has played well throughout the 2019 season, throwing for 2,450 yards and 22 touchdowns against six interceptions while completing just under 60 percent of his passes. Clifford has also shown the ability to gain yards and score with his legs as well as his arm by running for 374 yards and five touchdowns in 2019.

But, Clifford has yet to face a defense quite as talented and dominant as Ohio State’s. And when Clifford has faced tough defenses, he’s had less than stellar performances.

Against Iowa, the sophomore completed just 12-of-24 pass attempts for 117 yards and a single touchdown. On the ground, the Hawkeyes slowed Clifford, letting the quarterback gain a meager 52 yards on 16 carries.

The Buckeyes have a golden opportunity to get after Clifford as Chase Young returns from a suspension. Pressuring Clifford should give the Buckeyes a significantly improved chance of winning.

2. Ohio State must match Penn State’s multitude of rushing threats

In addition to making things uncomfortable and challenging for Penn State’s quarterback, the Buckeyes must also prepare to handle the various scoring threats that the Nittany Lions have on the ground. While the rushing attack isn’t as consistent or dominated by a player or two, the way it has been in previous seasons, it’s still versatile and dangerous.

Through 10 games this season, six different players have run for at least two touchdowns for Penn State. In addition to that, four different Penn State players have over 200 rushing yards this year.

Noah Cain is banged up and has missed the past two games. That could limit how well the Nittany Lions run the ball. But, in general, Ohio State’s defense can’t overlook the variety of options that Penn State can turn to for gaining rushing yards.

3. Justin Fields needs to be Justin Fields

When Ohio State landed Justin Fields, the Buckeyes officially found their next phenomenal quarterback. Fields should be a Heisman finalist and Ohio State will need its quarterback to continue thriving for the Buckeyes to be able to put Penn State away.

All things considered, Fields hasn’t thrown for many yards this season. The sophomore quarterback is only throwing for 216.4 yards per game. However, Fields has tossed 31 touchdowns this year, has just one interception all season and he’s completing 69.1 percent of his passes.

Fields is also a dynamic rushing threat as the talented quarterback has added 10 more touchdowns on the ground.

He’s the heartbeat of Ohio State’s offense. And if the Buckeyes want to make sure they take care of business against the Nittany Lions, Fields needs to play well.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.