Ohio State may have its first real challenge of the season taking on Penn State in Happy Valley.
The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes will have a great opportunity to make a tremendous statement when they take on the No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions in Beaver Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Big Noon Kickoff will be in State College to take it all in. This is a critical game for both Big Ten East teams. For Penn State, it is fairly obvious. After getting demolished by Michigan in the the second half in the Big House, the Nittany Lions are left with no choice but to win this game. As for the Buckeyes, they just might play a worthy adversary before their big date in The Horseshoe after all.
How the Buckeyes look vs. the Nittany Lions will be a strong indicator of how good Ryan Day’s team can truly be this season.
Ohio State beating Penn State will help Buckeyes on their national title quest
There is a reason why so many people were so high on the Buckeyes at the start of the year. That offense is all sorts of explosive. Quarterback C.J. Stroud might be the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The receiving corps is deep, as are the running backs. Unfortunately, Ohio State has not faced a team in its stratosphere up to this point.
And to be frank, the Buckeyes aren’t going to get many opportunities the rest of the way, so they better make the most of them. It all starts with playing a complete game in all three phases vs. a solid Penn State team in a hostile environment. This is not about Ohio State blowing the doors off the Nittany Lions, but rather, being able to handle any adversity they may encounter here in stride.
Although there may be moments when the Maryland Terrapins could put up points on the Buckeyes defense down the line, Ohio State needs to be challenged before its huge home date vs. Michigan at the end of the regular season. While to some degree, Michigan has not been honestly challenged either, the Wolverines will be slightly more battle-tested heading into the rivalry game.
Admittedly, Penn State does not have the offensive firepower to keep pace with the Buckeyes if the Ohio State offense is firing on all cylinders. However, they have an opportunistic defense and more importantly, a more complete roster than what Ohio State faced most recently in one-sided Iowa. With this game being in Happy Valley, Penn State could have a decent shot at the upset bid.
Ultimately, a blowout victory over Penn State could propel Ohio State past Georgia into the No. 1 spot if the Dawgs play with their food in Jacksonville. However, it may not be a bad thing for the Buckeyes to be challenged in a road victory over Penn State. A little adversity would not hurt them, especially if they are playing with a chip on their shoulder vs. Michigan over Thanksgiving.
We will know a lot more about how good the Buckeyes are after their road game in State College.
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