Here are three keys for No. 4 Ohio State at No. 3 Penn State on Saturday:
Handle crowd noise
The last time the Buckeyes were in a hostile environment, they had trouble. In their narrow loss at Oregon three weeks ago, the Autzen Stadium crowd got their offense out of sync. They were flagged four times for false starts and committed a penalty for a delay of game. While Beaver Stadium is an intimidating venue, it is at least a more familiar environment for Ohio State. The upperclassmen last played in State College in 2022. But as top-five games are often settled on the margins, they will need to clean up some of the things that got them off schedule on drives against the Ducks.
Defend deep ball
The health of Drew Allar adds uncertainty surrounding who might at quarterback for the Nittany Lions. Allar was held out of the second half at Wisconsin last week due to a knee injury and his availability is unlikely to be settled until close to kickoff. If he’s able to go, he could test the Buckeyes’ secondary, which was vulnerable to giving up big pass plays against the Ducks. Allar has been more likely to push the ball downfield in his second season as Penn State’s starting quarterback, raising his average depth of throw to 9.6 yards through seven games after averaging 8 yards last season, per Pro Football Focus.
Ignite pass rush
Since defensive line coach Larry Johnson arrived at Ohio State in 2014 following 18 years in Happy Valley, his position group has seemingly elevated its performance in every matchup against his former school. The Buckeyes have averaged four sacks in 10 games against Penn State with Johnson on their sideline. It was two years ago that J.T. Tuimoloau had his historic stat-stuffing performance against the Nittany Lions. The pass rush has vanished in other recent games against Big Ten heavyweights. They had none at top-ranked Oregon. A vintage performance from Johnson’s group would be a boon for the Buckeyes in this top-five performance.
Key matchup
Ohio State offensive line vs. Penn State defensive line
The Buckeyes have been in a state of flux in the trenches since starting left tackle Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending knee injury at Oregon. It’s particularly poor timing ahead of a clash with the Nittany Lions, who have one of the nation’s premier defensive front sevens, a group that is led by end Abdul Carter. Penn State ranks eighth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rush defense and has allowed only two opponents to surpass 100 rushing yards so far. That portends trouble for Ohio State, which ran for a season-low 64 yards against Nebraska and had quarterback Will Howard under more frequent duress. With injuries testing the Buckeyes’ depth at left tackle, they’ll need to find a quick fix.
Key stat
7: Years since Ohio State was the lower-ranked team in a game against Penn State.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter,@joeyrkaufman or email him atjkaufman@dispatch.com.
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