COLUMBUS — The stakes for No. 2 Penn State at No. 6 Ohio State are cut-and-dried. The winner has a clear path to the Big Ten championship game, while the loser would need some serious help to reach Indianapolis.
How do they make it happen? Here is how each team can win the nationally televised showdown in Columbus:
Penn State
1. Establish the pass. Yes, the Nittany Lions have the best running back in college football. But if Trace McSorley, DaeSean Hamilton, and Mike Gesicki find a rhythm early in the game, Penn State’s playbook is open the rest of the way.
2. Stop the run. The opposite is true on the other side of the ball. If Penn State can limit the Buckeyes on the ground, its No. 1 pass defense can force Ohio State into third-and-long a lot, a scenario the Nittany Lions surely covet. The teams that have caused OSU problems in the past year made the Buckeyes one-dimensional.
3. Special teams magic. Penn State altered the course of both teams’ season last year with a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown. The Buckeyes’ kick coverage has struggled this year, and Saquon Barkley returns kicks. Any break on special teams will be critical, especially on the road.
Ohio State
1. Make mistakes count. It’s been all but forgotten now, but Ohio State had a chance to jump ahead of Oklahoma in the first half of what became a 31-16 loss. Ohio State was the benefactor of two fumbles and a missed field goal in a three-drive stretch in that game, and turned the mistakes into just three points. It’s imperative the Buckeyes do more than that with any Penn State miscues.
2. No big plays. Simple and difficult at the same time, Penn State’s offense is a big play waiting to happen. Ohio State must make the Nittany Lions move the ball down the field bit by bit, not in large chunks. PSU’s offense is built for the home run.
3. Let it fly. Ohio State’s play-calling has been predictable in recent big games, and that’s a problem. The Buckeyes are at their best when it can throw down the field, and they’ll need to take a few risks to win this game.
Contact Nicholas Piotrowicz at: npiotrowicz@theblade.com, 419-724-6110, or on Twitter @NickPiotrowicz.
First Published October 27, 2017, 10:00 a.m.
