No. 3 Penn State Football faces its toughest test of the season on Saturday as the Ohio State Buckeyes come to town.
Ohio State owns a seven-game win streak in a rather lopsided series against the Nittany Lions, with the last win for the Lions coming in 2016.
The teams enter the matchup with one of the tightest spreads in the series recently, with Ohio State favored by 3.5 points Saturday.
If the Nittany Lions are to pull off the top-five upset, Penn State will need to play some of their best ball of the season. Here are three key matchups for Penn State against Ohio State this weekend.
Penn State Offensive Coordinator Andy Kotelnicki vs Jim Knowles
Penn State Football offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki was brought in exactly for games like these.
Last season with Mike Yurcich running the offense, Penn State’s offense shrunk in big moments against Ohio State and Michigan. In both games, the offense struggled to move the ball and stay on the field, going a combined 5/30 on third downs.
This season, Penn State’s offense has been very creative at picking up third downs and moving the ball in many different ways, utilizing weapons all over the field, especially tight end Tyler Warren.
Kotelnicki will need to make sure this creative style of play calling will still work against a tougher, faster defense than the Nittany Lions have seen this season. And Kotelnicki will need to do it with a likely limited starting quarterback Drew Allar or backup Beau Pribula.
On the other side, Jim Knowles has turned Ohio State’s defense into one of the best units in college football on a yearly basis.
However, the defensive coordinator has also struggled in big moments during his tenure at Ohio State, including giving up 496 yards in a loss to Oregon a few weeks ago. Whichever of these coordinators that can out-scheme the other could end up winning the game for their respective team on Saturday.
Penn State defensive line vs Ohio State’s offensive line
Penn State’s defensive line and Ohio State’s offensive line are both dealing with similar issues coming into Saturday’s game.
Penn State may be missing one of its best defensive linemen, as Dani Dennis-Sutton is projecting to be a game-time decision after getting injured against Wisconsin and missing practice Wednesday.
On the other side, Ohio State is down its top two left tackles with injuries in back-to-back games for the Buckeyes.
If Penn State is to pull off the upset, it will likely be because Penn State’s defensive line was able to wreak havoc on Will Howard and the Ohio State offense. If Penn State’s defensive line can stop a dangerous rushing attack led by two of the best backs in college football and force Ohio State to play one-dimensional, Abdul Carter and the defensive ends could thrive against inexperienced tackles in passing downs.
Penn State’s offensive line vs. Ohio State’s front seven
Two years ago, Penn State Football saw just how much Ohio State’s front seven can affect a game. J.T. Tuimoloau recorded two sacks and two interceptions against Sean Clifford and the Penn State offense in Beaver Stadium in 2022.
Last season in Drew Allar’s first year starting for Penn State, Ohio State recorded four sacks and Penn State rushed for a season-low 49 yards. If Penn State wants to have a hope to put up enough points to knock off the Buckeyes, Penn State will need great play out of their offensive line against a very tough and experienced Ohio State defensive line.
Another huge reason the offensive line play is so important in this game is Penn State’s quarterback health.
If Allar plays through a lower-body injury this Saturday, he could be less mobile than usual, necessitating superior offensive line play to keep the already-injured quarterback on the field and off the turf.
Penn State Football may have one of its best shots in the past decade to knock off the Ohio State Buckeyes this weekend, but there are still many question marks for Penn State on the injury front.
No matter which way the injuries end up, Penn State will still need to win these three key matchups to have a shot to continue their undefeated season on Saturday afternoon.
MORE: What We Learned From Simulating Penn State vs. Ohio State 20 Times on EA Sports College Football 25
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