For the first time this season, the Nittany Lions will leave Pennsylvania to for a football game. And they will be face a defending national champion team that has won 19 straight games.
Riding a five-game winning streak, Penn State has grown each week since the season opening loss, notable on the unit that’s struggled the most: offense. Last week Christian Hackenberg had a coming out party against one of the weaker defenses in the nation in Indiana. Clearly cut from a different cloth, Hackenberg expects familiar looks from a more talented No. 1 Ohio State defense as he saw last week.
“It’s very similar to some types of looks that Indiana gave us,” he said of the schematics of the Buckeyes defense, “but their corners are talented; they’re long, they’re tall, they’re strong so I’m very curious and excited to see how our receivers go up against those guys.”
Sophomore receiver DaeSean Hamilton awaits the challenge of facing the Ohio State corners, he said the Nittany Lions receivers will have to bring the fight to opposition if they want to find success.
“You’ve got to be strong and physical right back at them … combating their physicalness with ours’,” Hamilton said. “No receiver like nobody in there face all game but at the the same time you know what you’re going to get on every single snap.
“That just makes your job easier, you just have to go out there and win,” he added.
Penn State will bring travel with a big group of players who’ve never visited the hostile environment that awaits them in Columbus, Ohio., with 22 freshmen already hitting the field for the Nittany Lions this season. Hamilton, who caught 14 catches for 126 yards versus the Buckeyes last year, revealed that Hackenberg told him he hates playing at Ohio State, not shocking as his lone visit came in a 64-13 dismantling in his freshmen season.
But they’re two years removed from then, and Hackenberg will count on Hamilton and the young receiving corp to rise to the occasion against a Buckeyes defense that’s tied for 13th in the nation in pass defense.
“They have to win their 1-on-1s on a consistent basis and I think it’s going to be a great challenge for our receivers, a great challenge for their corners and that’s going to be a good matchup to watch all night,” Hackenberg added.
Plenty of eyes will be watching this primetime game on Saturday, presumable pro scouts looking to get a better read of the junior quarterback who has flashed first round potential at times, but struggled to find his footing just as much.
A few of other high profile players will hit the field in this contest, too. Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa and quarterback Cardale Jones were both touted to hear their names called early in the 2016 NFL draft. Penn State’s defensive line is oozing with talent in senior linemen Anthony Zettel and Austin Johnson, while former walk-on Carl Nassib busted on to the scene this season, leading the nation in sacks.
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has now faced Hackenberg twice and said he holds a lot for the quarterback and the entire Penn State team, whom he said gave Ohio State a “violent” game last year in Happy Valley that the Buckeyes won 31-24 in double overtime.
“We’ve known Christian Hackenberg for quite a while, obvious NFL abilities, receivers are much improved,” Meyer said Wednesday via teleconference.
Penn State head coach James Franklin said he’s never doubted Hackenberg ability, the challenge has always placing him in ideal situations to succeed.
“Our focus has been getting the pieces to the puzzle around Christian,” Franklin said Wednesday via teleconference. “Get the offensive line developed and ready to play and playing confidence. It’s about the receivers and running backs and having a consistently running game and protection.”
The Nittany Lions have certainly established a formidable run game in Akeel Lynch and Saquon Barkley when healthy, and the offensive line has done a relatively good job keeping a clean pocket, so pieces may fall in line for the Penn State offense to show some explosion against stiff competition.
“I don’t believe in limits and ceilings,” Hackenberg said. “Understanding you do have limitations and limitations are out there, but you can find ways to out play those and out smart those at times and that’s my goal.
