The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0) look to continue their perfect record as they play the Penn State Nittany Lions (5-1). The nation’s fourth-leading rusher, Ezekiel Elliott (835 yards, 10 TDs), is a player to watch in this matchup. It will begin Saturday, Oct 17 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Ohio State won easily over Maryland 49-28 last week. Cardale Jones had a big game throwing the ball in the win, completing 21 of 28 passes for 291 yards and two TDs. Braxton Miller had a big game as well, totaling 79 receiving yards and a TD on five receptions. Not to be outdone, Penn State routed Indiana 29-7. Christian Hackenberg had an outstanding performance passing the ball for the Nittany Lions, completing 21 of 39 passes for 262 yards and two TDs.
The Buckeyes are a heavy 17-point favorite and the Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is currently unavailable.
Despite a 6-0 Straight Up (SU) record this season, the Buckeyes have not fared well Against The Spread (ATS) with a 1-5 record. The Nittany Lions could have a difficult time throwing the ball against the ninth-best pass defense in the nation. The Buckeyes give up 147.5 yards per game through the air. One of the keys to the game will be whether the Nittany Lions can protect the quarterback against Ohio State’s aggressive pass rush. The defense ranks 12th in the nation in sacks with 3.2 per game. The Buckeyes make it hard on their opponents in the third quarter. Ohio State averages 10.3 points during that period, one of the best in the country.
On the other side, the Nittany Lions have 5-1 SU and 3-3 ATS records this season. Penn State’s 13th-ranked pass defense has given its competition headaches. Opponents have only thrown for 158.7 yards per game against this terrifying group. Turnovers could allow the Nittany Lions to slide by the Buckeyes, who are 104th in the country in giveaways with 2.2 per game. Given Ohio State’s history, this game could come down to penalties. The Buckeyes have been one of the most penalized teams in the nation this year, with 65 penalty yards per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ohio State, ATS Winner – Ohio State
Notes
Ohio State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games.
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Ohio State’s last 24 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ohio State’s last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Ohio State’s last 13 games at home.
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Ohio State is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home.
Ohio State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Penn State.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ohio State’s last 5 games when playing Penn State.
Ohio State is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Penn State.
Penn State is 5-1 SU when leading at the half this season. Ohio State is 3-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Ohio State is undefeated (4-0 SU) in games where it wins the turnover battle.
Since the beginning of last year, Ohio State is a perfect 11-0 SU against Big 10 opponents, while Penn State is 4-6 SU against in-conference foes.
The Ohio State rush defense is ranked 57th in the nation this year, and will look to contain the 88th-ranked offensive ground attack of Penn State.
