The sixth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are looking for some payback when the second-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions come to the Horseshoe this weekend. The game is penciled in to begin on Saturday, October 28th at 3:30 p.m. EST. The Big-10 showdown can be watched on FOX for some afternoon entertainment. Currently, odds gurus have the Buckeyes as a -6.5 point favorite and the over/under sits 57.
The Penn State Nittany Lions are heading into the Buckeye State after crushing the Michigan Wolverines 42-13. The Nittany Lions offense erupted against Michigan with Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley coming up big. The defense also was dominant, holding Michigan to only 269 total yards of offense and 14 points. Obviously, Penn State is the real deal and is poised for a return trip to the College Football Playoffs.
The Ohio State Buckeyes got to take a week off and watch the action instead of participating in it. Previous to that, they went on the road to Nebraska and laid a 56-14 beatdown on the Huskers. The victory marked the fifth win in a row for Urban Myers’ Buckeyes after falling in defeat at home to the Oklahoma Sooners.
Last year, the Nittany Lions came alive in the fourth quarter and scored 17 unanswered points. As a result, they came away with a 24-21 win that propelled them into the playoff picture. Once again, this game should decide who will face Wisconsin for the Big-10 championship and a chance at a national title.
(2) Penn State Nittany Lions (7-0)
Saquon Barkley is the star of the Happy Valley offense. Arguably, he is also the best tailback in the nation. He proved that against the Wolverines with another impressive performance. But quarterback Trace McSorley seems to be overlooked when it comes to the best quarterbacks in the country.
Against a good Michigan defense, Trace McSorley was lights-out. The senior threw the ball for 282 yards on 17 completions with one touchdown and one interception. Furthermore, he rushed for a season-high 76 yards on 11 carries and reached the end zone another three times. In 2017, the signal-caller has completed 66 percent of his throws for 1,879 yards with 14 touchdowns and five picks. The underrated runner also has scampered for 254 more yards and seven more scores.
Heisman front-runner Saquon Barkley set the tone early against a stout Michigan defense. The talented running back ran for a 69-yard touchdown run and a 15-yard score in the first quarter alone. When all was said and done, Barkley rushed for over 100 yards on 15 carries with the two trips to the end zone. His numbers on the year are incredible. So far, Barkley has rushed for 757 yards on 117 carries. He also has caught 32 passes for 448 yards. Altogether, the freak athlete has reached pay-dirt 12 different times.
Besides Saquon Barkley, two wide receivers help matriculate the pigskin down the field on Saturdays. Together, the duo has produced 60 catches for over 900 yards and seven scores. The Penn State offense also sports one of the country’s best tight ends. Mike Gesicki has reeled in 24 balls for 228 yards and four more touchdowns. The 6’6, 260-pound mountain of a man is also the Nittany Lions best blocker.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions are about equal with the Ohio State Buckeyes. They also have a number one ranking in the nation and that’s in points allowed a game (9). The secondary is seventh in the FBS, holding quarterbacks to only 167.6 yards a contest. Running the ball against their front seven isn’t much easier as they sit 17th in the rankings at 115 yards a match.
(6) Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1)
The Ohio State Buckeyes have used their home loss to the Oklahoma Sooners a lot like the Sooners did when the Buckeyes beat them last year. Since the defeat, the Buckeyes have been on a tear and scoring plenty of points along the way. The defense has also stepped up their game. They have allowed only 49 points in their last four games with most of them coming in meaningless fourth quarters.
Senior quarterback J.T. Barrett is attempting to go out with a bang in his final season under center for the Buckeyes. In his last outing, he was absolutely sensational against Nebraska. The dual-threat passer connected on 27 throws for 325 yards and five scores. If that wasn’t enough, he also ran for 48 yards and had another two touchdowns. Overall, Barrett has completed 66 percent of his passes for 1,827 yards. Even more impressive, is his 21 touchdowns to only one pick.
Freshman running back J.K. Dobbins has come on the college football scene with a bang. The greenhorn has toted the rock 100 times in 2017 for 775 yards and five touchdowns. Two weeks ago, he recorded one of those touchdowns along with 106 yards on only eight carries. Combined with J.T. Barrett, the Buckeyes are starting to develop back into the top-ranked team we thought they were.
Like most great quarterbacks, J.T. Barrett loves to involve as many of his receivers as possible. This season he has certainly done just that. Eight pass-catchers have at least 10 receptions and all of them have at least one touchdown. In fact, five of them have three or more end zone grabs. Paris Cambell leads the way with 27 catches for almost 400 yards.
Defensively, Ohio State is allowing 15.4 points and 305.3 yards per game. Damon Webb leads the Ohio State Buckeyes with 34 tackles, Nick Bosa has four sacks and Jordan Fuller has one interception. Altogether, they rank 14th in the country against the run and 37th against the pass.
Prediction
When I first saw that the Buckeyes were almost a touchdown favorite I said to myself, no way. Then after looking into them once again, I can kind of see why. Apparently, their offensive numbers have led the prognosticators to have confidence in their abilities to win this game by that margin. Well, they didn’t take a look at who those points were being put up against. UNLV, Army, Rutgers, and Nebraska are some that I’d like to mention because this is Penn State and they aren’t. Take the Nittany Lions to cover the 6.5 points or buy it to 7.5 for less stress.
Oddsmakers also have this total at 57. I get that the defense is pretty darn good but there is just so many studs on these offenses. Plus, both of these experienced quarterbacks make the most of their time in the red zone. I expect a close game with both teams pushing their point totals close to 30. Take the over 57 and enjoy some awesome football that should be decided in the waning moments of the fourth quarter. #moneytreesgrow @EriktheHun
Trends
The Nittany Lions are 11-1-1 ATS in their last 13 conference games.
The Nittany Lions are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games.
The Under is 5-2 in the Nittany Lions last 7 games overall.
The Buckeyes are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games.
The Buckeyes are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 conference games.
The Over is 4-0 in Buckeyes last 4 games overall.
Home team is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.
Bet on this game at BetDSI Sportsbook.
