On Saturday, all eyes will be on Happy Valley and Penn State Football, as the Nittany Lions take on Ohio State in one of the most anticipated matchups of the college football season.
The Buckeyes have an eight-game winning streak over the Nittany Lions, and both teams need this win for different reasons.
Penn State has its chance to take the next step forward, get over the hump and show the nation that it is amongst one of the elite programs in the country– but it must take down the Buckeyes first.
Before Saturday’s matchup here are three BOLD predictions for these top-5 teams.
Penn State Football vs. Ohio State BOLD Predictions
Penn State keeps Jeremiah Smith out of the endzone for the first time this year
Whether it’s K.J. Hill, Chris Olave or Marvin Harrison Jr., the Buckeyes always seem to have a breakout game from one of its receivers.
Once again, Ohio State has one of the best wide receiving groups in the country– led by freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith.
Smith has scored a touchdown in every game for the Buckeyes this year, and the narrative has to change around Penn State eventually– doesn’t it?
Penn State won’t entirely shut down the passing game on Saturday, but with an injured offensive line, it will not be easy for the Buckeyes to hit Smith deep down the field in the passing game.
Nick Singleton has his breakout game
Nick Singleton is one of the best running backs in the country, but he has not had a rush of over 20 yards since the Bowling Green game.
He missed a game earlier in the season against UCLA and hasn’t rushed for more than 50 yards in the last two games.
However, the Nittany Lions are going to need the big-play explosive runs from Singleton if they want to beat the Buckeyes.
While Kaytron Allen is more of a bruising back, and they will need his skill set on Saturday, he doesn’t have the breakaway speed that Singleton possesses.
Singleton finds his way into the endzone multiple times and will hit near the 100-yard mark, too.
Ohio State rushes for less than 100 yards for the second straight week
While both TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins have each had big games against the Nittany Lions, they both struggled to run the ball against Nebraska last week.
The Buckeyes offensive line faces a major injury crisis and against the eight best rush defense in the country, I expect those struggles to continue.
For the Nittany Lions to win on Saturday, they need to stop the two-headed monster and make Will Howard beat them with his arm.
If Henderson and Judkins pick up chunk gains consistently against the Nittany Lion front seven, it could be a long afternoon for them.
MORE: Can James Franklin, Penn State Finally Shake Ohio State Monkey Off Program’s Back?
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