Penn State vs. Ohio State: High Stakes Big Ten Showdown

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00:00Now, Joe, I'm hoping for a great game in Happy Valley on Saturday at noon Eastern Time kick

00:08between third-ranked Penn State and number four, Ohio State.

00:12The Buckeyes still a road favorite, laying three and a half points, total reflective

00:16of a Big Ten football game, 46 and a hook.

00:20I hope it is close.

00:21I hope it is decided by a single digit, maybe around a field goal, and we'll get to the

00:27breakdown, the Xs and Os, and the key matchups that will dictate the actual outcome.

00:32But shall we start with the narrative, my friend?

00:36Because ho the narrative on Saturday for both of these head coaches in a monumental spot.

00:45By far, the game much more important for Ryan Day and Ohio State than the Nittany Lions.

00:51Penn State is perfect this year.

00:54They are undefeated.

00:55They are 7-0.

00:57They are expected, as the odds show you, to lose this football game.

01:01If the Nittany Lions lose this one, and then win every other game on their schedule, where

01:06they do not see Michigan, nor Indiana, nor Oregon, they're going to get into the college

01:12football playoff, despite the lack of overwhelmingly successful and marquee wins on the resume.

01:1811-1 Penn State, who might actually play in the Big Ten title game, even with the loss

01:24to Ohio State, is going to be a college football playoff team.

01:27The reason I put that to the side is because this game means everything to Ohio State.

01:32A team that entered this year, Joe, with self-proclaimed national championship or bust aspirations,

01:40if they lose, a two-loss Ohio State team could get in, but they still have to play Indiana,

01:45and there's always the rivalry against Michigan.

01:49But it is not exactly a clear path.

01:52If Ryan Day loses this football game against number three Penn State, he will be 2-7 against

01:59top five opponents in his six full seasons with the Buckeyes.

02:05That is not the standard expectation in Columbus.

02:09So then we go to James Franklin, who is 1-9 against Ohio State, and has lost seven consecutive

02:16against the Buckeyes.

02:17Then we go to James Franklin, Joe, who is 3-17 against eight top ten foes.

02:23A loss in this game will not look kind to either of the two coaches that will face off

02:29in State College on Saturday.

02:31And, well, throw all of that out the window, Ben, because it comes down to matchups, right?

02:38Ultimately, at the end of the day here, Ohio State having to travel here to take on a Penn

02:44State team that is maybe, quite honestly, maybe the best rushing defense in the country.

02:54And I say that because we just watched Ohio State, who has two of the most talented running

03:00backs in the country, running the ball behind Will Howard.

03:06Judkins and Henderson got shut down by Nebraska last week.

03:11They combined for 54 total yards on 20 carries.

03:15When they played Oregon, don't forget, again, outside of a 50-yard touchdown run, they had

03:2157 yards on 20 carries.

03:24And now you're going to take on, on the road, one of the best rush defenses in the country

03:28in Penn State.

03:30You're already having trouble rushing the ball.

03:32So what does that mean, Ben?

03:33That means Ohio State is going to have to rely on Will Howard to throw the ball on the

03:39road at Happy Valley in order to beat Penn State.

03:44And Penn State's offense isn't explosive by any means, but they stay on the field, they

03:50move the chains, and they wear down defenses.

03:53That's what they've been doing.

03:54The matchup favors Penn State in this.

03:58But to your point, you want me to put money on Franklin in a big game in this spot, even

04:05at home?

04:06Oh, my goodness.

04:07But make no mistake.

04:08The matchup favors Penn State.

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