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I double-checked this time and BOTH teams are in fact off this weekend so this game is the next game for both squads.  Thus, I'm starting the game week thread early.  

In all my years of CFB fandom I don't think I've ever seen a collapse as sudden and complete as Penn State's.  They were ranked #2 in the first four polls this year then dropped to #3 on September 21 when Miami supplanted them by beating the Gators.  It was really no big deal because with #6 Oregon on tap the Nittany Lions had a chance to not only regain #2 but possibly take over #1.  

Oregon scored early in the 4th quarter to take a two-score lead at 17-3 but Penn State answered immediately with a 4 play, 75 yard drive for a TD to make it a one-score game at 17-10 then forced a punt and scored again to tie it up.  

Penn State scored first in the first OT and then this happened.  

Penn State was still ranked #7 and controlled their own destiny to at least the CFP.  

Then this happened.  

Then this happened.  

Then this happened.  

Then this happened.  

On September 27 this looked like it would be a #1 v #2 GOTC with Gameday on hand for Franklin vs Day.  

At the beginning of October this still looked like a top-10 matchup, Gameday likely on hand for Franklin vs Day.  

Now it is unranked, sub .500, and coachless Penn State visiting the undefeated, defending NC, #1 team in the nation.  FOX still tabbed it for Big Noon but if Gameday visits it will only be for the same reason that people slow down to look at car wrecks on the highway.  

All of that said, as an Ohio State fan this doesn't make me feel good.  Penn State is a dumpster fire of epic proportions and the only thing that could possibly revive it would be something really, Really, REALLY big . . .

Ya know, like beating the undefeated, defending NC, #1 team in the nation on the road.  

From my perspective as an Ohio State fan the other winless B1G teams (MSU, RU, PU, UW) couldn't beat Ohio State unless the Buckeyes played a terrible game.  I never want to say "never" but the analysis starts and ends with Ohio State.  If the Buckeyes played even reasonably well, they'd beat MSU/RU/PU/UW regardless of how well the Spartans/Knights/Boilermakers/Badgers played.  Any of those teams could play the game of their lives against Ohio State and that would only make it closer.  

This game is not that.  Really, the analysis here is almost exclusively about Penn State.  There is a lot of talent on the roster even without Allar and I view them as a wounded animal.  You just don't know what you are going to get from them.  

Series history:

Ohio State has played Penn State 40 times with the Buckeyes holding a 26-14 advantage including 15-7 at home.  The Lions are closer at 6-11 in State College and also won the lone neutral site matchup, the 1980 Fiesta Bowl (Joe Paterno over Earle Bruce).  

Penn State won the first four games (1912, 1956, 1963, and 1964) and the two teams split four games in six seasons from 1975-1980 then didn't play again until PSU joined the league.  There have been 32 league games and the Buckeyes lead those 24-8 including 14-2 in Columbus.  

The Buckeyes have won eight straight and the last time Penn State won in Columbus the Buckeyes were the ones with an interim HC, some guy named Luke Fickell ( @847badgerfan may have heard of him).  

Jim Knowles would understand Day's tendencies better than anybody. 

Penn State will take down #1 in back to back weeks before dropping the remainder of their games. That’s the type of season it’s been.

I knew PSU still had to play Indiana but I didn't realize that it was the very next game so yeah, if PSU wins and Indiana doesn't barf up an upset in their games against UCLA and UMD, PSU will actually play #1 in back-to-back weeks.  

Has any team ever beaten #1 in back-to-back weeks?  

According to Google's AI overview, no:  "No college football team has ever beaten the #1 ranked team in consecutive games in the same season".  I suppose that leaves open the possibility that some team beat #1 in a bowl then opened the following season with a win over #1.  

I would say on CFP era,  if you beat the #1 seed in the semifinals,  then beat the #2 seed in the NCG,  that would be the equivilant of beating #1 in back to back games.

I would say on CFP era,  if you beat the #1 seed in the semifinals,  then beat the #2 seed in the NCG,  that would be the equivilant of beating #1 in back to back games.

So Ohio State kinda did it in 2014 (Bama was #1, Oregon was #2).