Penn State/Ohio State, a totally not-at-all dramatic series between two of the conference’s most successful programs over the past several seasons is -as you may have noticed- set to take place on Saturday night.
Nothing about this meeting will be normal, but the ramifications will be the same. A win and Penn State’s season will suddenly have new life, a loss and the Nittany Lions will face an easier road ahead, but with new goals to chase down. Things won’t be normal in Beaver Stadium this season, but it seems safe to assume there will be another interesting chapter written by these two teams either way.
Here are five things to watch.
1. Do It Without You
Away from the Xs and Os, the biggest question unrelated to the actual football being played on the field Saturday night is how much the absence of the crowd will impact the proceedings. 110,000 people might not win the game for Penn State, but they could have certainly made things harder for Ohio State and given the Nittany Lions a little extra juice at some of the game’s biggest moments.
In truth this might be difficult to quantify considering that Penn State has only won once in recent years against Ohio State in front of a whiteout, so any struggles in the middle of the game wouldn’t be entirely outside the norm. That aside, it will be different when a big third down comes up and there’s nobody yelling until they turn blue. Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields will also get to avoid his trial-by-fire introduction to the whiteout with very little in the way of noise before the snap.
2. Big Man On Campus
It seems unlikely that Penn State will try and win on Saturday by throwing the ball deep and attempting to outscore the Buckeyes in a shootout so here comes the running game. The bad news is somewhat obvious here, the loss to Noah Cain and Journey Brown means it’s the Devyn Ford show with not much in the way of relief behind him. Ford is plenty capable of shouldering the load, so it’s not really a question of ability as much as it is wear and tear. He’ll have help from Keyvone Lee and Caziah Holmes but both of those players are basically unproven beyond the handful of carries they had against Indiana.
Penn State could do a lot worse than having Ford as the primary back, but it’s a big role for him to step into and a big game to do it during.
3. Catch Him If You Can
Justin Fields’ arm is plenty accurate, but it’s his ability to extend plays and make the most of the yardage in front of him that makes him so dangerous. Penn State will have to get to him quickly and keep him contained in the process. Fields ran for 68 yards last year against Penn State and he probably could have gotten more. His longest run of 22-yards wasn’t anything special, but the fact he is a threat to run for 22-yards on any given play makes him all the more worrisome for Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry.
So it’s simple and not so simple, can you get to Fields and can you contain him?
4. The Time Is Now
Aside from KJ Hamler, Penn State has not really had a significant weekly threat at receiver since the 2017 season. There have been moments and certainly Penn State has managed to win its fair share of games despite the uncertainty at the position, but there’s no time like the present to take the next step. The good news for Penn State is that a lot of the options on the roster are younger, meaning there is time for them to grow as players and turn into that reliable receiver.
But also, it’s Ohio State week and if the Nittany Lions want to make the most of this opportunity they’ll need Jahan Dotson to be that No. 1 guy and for the supporting cast around him to step up as well.
5. Final Stages
It comes as no particular surprise that Penn State’s struggles in big games have come in those final minutes and final quarter of regulation. It’s one thing to hang around in the first half, it’s something else entirely to finish off what you started during those late-game, crucial drives. Penn State held on to the ball for over 40 minutes last Saturday which may or may not work against Ohio State depending on what the Nittany Lions do while they have the ball. Score and drain the clock and you’ve got a chance, sit on the ball and don’t get much to show for it and suddenly you’re down 14 points and don’t have the firepower for a comeback.
Whatever the equation might be, Penn State will have to figure out that final quarter and an answer to how to get over the hump when the game is truly on the line.
