The Ohio State Buckeyes will likely remain the No. 2 team in the latest College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, but they have a chance to overtake the LSU Tigers to reclaim the No. 1 ranking this Saturday when they host the Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn State is 9-1 and will be the toughest team that Ohio State faces all year, and a convincing win over the Nittany Lions could lead to the Buckeyes supplanting the Tigers once more. That might be crucial as the No. 1 seed should avoid a date with reigning national champion Clemson in the CFP Semifinals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ohio State is a massive favorite on the college football betting line<\/a> against Penn State. The Buckeyes have won all 10 of their games by at least 24 points this year, so it\u2019s no surprise that they are hefty favorites against the Nittany Lions. The point spread has remained steady since it opened, but the total has fallen from 59 to 56.5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Penn State has lost six of its last seven games against Ohio State, but the Nittany Lions have come agonizingly close to winning three in a row. They blew late leads to lose by a point in each of the last two seasons to the Buckeyes, and James Franklin would love to pull off the upset to salvage Penn State\u2019s season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sean Clifford has been one of the better quarterbacks in the Big Ten this season. While Clifford hasn\u2019t been as successful as Trace McSorley, he has fit the same mold as his predecessor well. Clifford has completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 2,450 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions on the season, and he is the second leading rusher on Penn State. If you take out sack yards, Clifford has carried the ball 79 times for 476 yards and five touchdowns, showcasing his wheels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, the Penn State run game hasn\u2019t been as good as seasons\u2019 past. Journey Brown is averaging 6.1 YPC, but this team is averaging 4.5 YPC. That\u2019s not a good sign headed into a game with the best defense in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ohio State has the No. 1 defense in the nation by SP+ rankings, and it\u2019s hard to argue with that determination. The Buckeyes have done an excellent job shutting down opponents all year, allowing just 3.3 yards per play. They are in the top five nationally in most major defensive categories, and the only two teams to score 21 points on them were Florida Atlantic and Rutgers in garbage time. Those were the only two opponents that Ohio State failed to cover the CFB betting odds<\/a> against this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chase Young is back to make this defense even more dangerous. Young sat out the last two games due to archaic NCAA regulations, but he has 13.5 sacks on the year and registered four sacks against Wisconsin in his last appearance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For the Nittany Lions to pull off the upset, K.J. Hamler will need to do something magical. Hamler is the most talented player on Penn State\u2019s offense with 46 receptions for 791 yards and eight touchdowns this season, and he is the one athlete that can hang with Ohio State\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ryan Day is finally going to take the restrictor plates off Justin Fields. Fields hasn\u2019t been asked to do too much during his first season in Columbus. Ohio State has crushed each of its opponents, so Fields has yet to throw the ball more than 25 times in a game. The Georgia transfer has posted great numbers given how little he has touched the ball though, and he will need to make some plays against a good Penn State defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Buckeyes have one of the best running games in the country thanks to Fields. Fields has run the ball 66 times for 484 yards and 10 touchdowns if you exclude sacks, and Ohio State has run for almost 3,000 yards as a team in 2019. J.K. Dobbins leads the way with 1,289 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Master Teague III has seen plenty of action too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ohio State has some talent in the receiving corps too, and the Buckeyes will be out to test Penn State in ways no other team has this year. Minnesota proved that Penn State\u2019s defense is susceptible to big plays in the passing game two weeks ago, and Fields could tear off some chunk plays in trying to ensure the Buckeyes improve upon their national championship odds<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a huge number considering the history between these two schools, and Penn State will be Ohio State\u2019s toughest test yet. The Buckeyes will prevail, but it will be much closer than oddsmakers indicate given this line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get the latest college football odds and information\u2013follow BetOnline.ag on Twitter<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\nRECENT HISTORY<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
WHEN PENN STATE HAS THE BALL<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
WHEN OHIO STATE HAS THE BALL<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
PREDICTION<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n