COLUMBUS – The second-ranked Buckeyes look to keep their perfect record intact when they visit Happy Valley on Saturday to face the Penn State Nittany Lions, who are struggling to keep their slim chances of winning the Big Tern East alive.
(2) OHIO STATE (7-0, 4-0) at (13) Penn State (6-1, 3-1); Beaver Stadium, State College, Pa.; Oct. 29 (Noon/Fox)
The Buckeyes are 15 1/2-point favorites but the road trip to State College is always a tough one, head coach Ryan Day says.
“This is part of that competitive excellence, you know, and competitive stamina, bringing it every single week, and going on the road and winning a game like this is going to be huge,” Day said.
His team is on a roll, averaging better than 54 points over the last six games while holding six of their seven opponents to less than 300 yards of total offense.
Nittany Lions fans will be taking part in their annual Stripe Out Game, when the stadium sports alternating blue and white sections.
While the Buckeyes appear to be on a collision course with their arch-rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, to decide who will represent the East Division at the conference championship game, Penn State need to win to stay in the Big Ten East race. Having already dropped a game to Michigan. a loss would almost certainly end Penn State’s division title hopes.
The Nittany Lions always seem to give the Buckeyes their best. The last six games have been decided by an average of 6.3 points.
Heisman Trophy front-runner C.J. Stroud will get tested. Penn State’s secondary has broken up a nation-best 58 passes, intercepted seven and been called for pass interference just five times.