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Could be a problem game for the Buckeyes. Mostly because PSU has had some troubles stopping the run on defense, but the Buckeyes have had some problems running the ball. If they can't get that going, Jim Knowles will throw all sorts of weird stuff at Sayin.

They also have to weeks to retool their offense, so they might come out with all sorts of weird things. I don't think they'll go up and down the field, but a couple scoring drives plus a couple turnovers can even things up.

anything is possible....any given Saturday, right? having said that, Ohio State is most likely going to beat the ever loving shit out of Penn State and this game will be over by the 3rd QTR. 

-Penn State and Ohio State are set to meet for the 41st time with Ohio State leading 26-14 in the all-time series.
-The Nittany Lions are 7-15 in road matchups.
-Eighteen matchups have been decided by less than one possession.
-Penn State fell 20-13 in Happy Valley last year, their last win in Columbus was in 2011.
-Penn State sits No. 7 in all-time victories (946) and No. 9 in winning percentage (.689).
-Ohio State sits second with 985 all-time victories and No. 1 with an all-time winning percentage of .737
-Penn State is 4-13 all-time against opponents ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll.

  Penn State, was the preseason pick to win the Big Ten, opened the season with three consecutive wins. However, the Nittany Lions lost their next three contests, which led to the firing of longtime coach James Franklin.

The Lions have lost 4 straight but by a total of 13 pts. Singleton and Allen are some good RBs and have 886 yds between them on the season. tOSU Dfense will probably cheat in some to help slow down the ground game. Kaytron Allen rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns against Iowa.Hist 10th 100yd game and leads all current FBS players with 3,489 career rushing yards, while ranking fourth in career rushing touchdowns (33).

 So we know what the Buckeye defense will be focusing on. For the third-straight week, Penn State blocked a kick & returned one for 6, the Lions have blocked four kicks this season.

Meanwhile, Ohio State seems to be firing on all cylinders. Julian Sayin had 393 yards on 36-of-42 passing (85.7%) for the Buckeyes in that matchup against the Badgers, with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Isaiah West rushed for 55 yards on nine carries (6.1 yards per carry). Carnell Tate had six receptions for 111 yards (18.5 per catch) and two touchdowns against the Badgers.

I'm gonna guess a 14-17 pt OSU win

Was hoping we'd get a second thread

can we merge?

can we merge?

Sorry it was on the 2nd page when 1st looking

Their donor class wanted Franklin out more for losing big games in the past than for losing 3-straight this season. They feared Franklin had the coaching talent and the athletes to turn things around before the end of the season, and they would lose their power to strike, or look bad doing it.

It doesn't matter quite as much anymore now that we have a 12-team playoff but as I've said before, one of the most under-appreciated achievements probably in sports in general but specifically in CFB is winning the games you should win and Franklin was very good at that up until UCLA:

In 2024 Franklin's teams lost to #4 Ohio State (eventual NC), #1 Oregon, and to #7 Notre Dame in the national semi-final.  

In 2023 they lost to #3 Ohio State on the road, #3 Michigan (eventual NC), and #11 Ole Miss.  

In 2022 they lost to #5 Michigan and to #2 Ohio State.  

Prior to the UCLA game Franklin's Nittany Lions hadn't lost to an unranked team since losing 20-18 to Illinois in 9OT on October 23, 2021.  Winning a game against an unranked team isn't that impressive but winning EVERY SINGLE ONE of them for five years is a feat that even the very best coaches have only rarely achieved.  

It gets discounted because you "should" win but if it was easy everyone would do it.  Ask Alabama how easy it was to beat unranked Vanderbilt, unranked Oklahoma, and unranked Michigan last year or unranked FSU this year.  Ask Ryan Day how easy it was to beat unranked Michigan last year.  

Probably the best example is Pete Carroll.  His Trojans missed the BCSNCG in 2003 because they lost to unranked Cal (finished 8-6).  They missed it in 2006 because they lost to unranked UCLA (finished 7-6).  They missed it in 2007 because they lost to unranked Stanford (finished 4-8).  They missed it in 2008 because they lost to unranked Oregon State.  Carroll was phenomenal in big games but his teams seemed to be good for one "WTF loss" almost every year.  

John Cooper went 46-3 against unranked teams from October 17, 1992 through the end of 1998.  The 3 losses were pretty costly

John Cooper went 46-3 against unranked teams from October 17, 1992 through the end of 1998.  The 3 losses were pretty costly

Quite possibly cost Ohio State two NC's.  

Loss to unranked Michigan in Ann Arbor on 11/20/1993:
Ohio State came into this game 9-0-1 (tied UW in Madison) and #5 in the AP Poll.  That may not sound all that close to the top but based on what happened after that, it was.  On the same day that Ohio State lost in Ann Arbor, #1 Notre Dame (just moved up fresh off their GOTC win over previous #1 FSU in the first-ever on-campus Gameday game) lost at home to Boston College.  Also, #4 Miami lost in Morgantown to #9 WVU.  

#2 in the poll was 9-1 FSU and the Seminoles ended up winning the NC.  

#3 in that poll was 10-0 Nebraska, they lost to FSU in the Orange Bowl.  

Wisconsin had previously and inexplicably lost in Minneapolis so the Buckeyes were alone atop the Big11Ten standings and a win in Ann Arbor would have sent them to Pasadena.  A win there over UCLA (whom UW did beat there) would have left Ohio State as the lone (non-probationary) unbeaten and earned them the NC over 12-1 FSU (lost to ND), 11-1 ND (lost to BC), and 11-1 UNL (lost to FSU).  

Loss to unranked Illinois in Columbus on 10/8/1994:
Ultimately this one didn't cost much as the Buckeyes finished the regular season 9-3.  An improvement to 10-2 wouldn't have made much if any difference in bowl destination and the NC was obviously off the table based on the blowout loss in Happy Valley.  

Loss to unranked Michigan State in Columbus on 11/7/1998:
I still don't know how this happened.  I missed the ending due to my presence being demanded at a family wedding (inconsiderate to get married on a fall Saturday).  Ohio State was #1 going into this one and ended up just BARELY missing the inaugural BCSCG.  The Buckeyes were #2 in the final poll after beating aTm in the Sugar Bowl.