Buckeyes legend sets monumental expectations for defense vs. Penn State

The Ohio State Buckeyes' defense is on pace for a historical season that hasn't been seen often in college football history, which has raised expectations for what the rest of the season should look like.

While on the BIGPLAY Sports Network's "Bobby Carpenter Show," Carpenter reviewed the statistics for defenses across the country, noting that the Buckeyes' defense ranked first in points allowed per game at 5.9, with San Diego State second at 10.4.

The former Buckeyes linebacker expects that to remain the same in the upcoming showdown against the Penn State Nittany Lions.

"I'm curious to see what they can do with this Penn State offense this week if they can keep them under wraps again. That'll be wild and crazy to at least see. They've gone out and performed every week. I don't know why you would expect anything else at this point. I think the favorite is for Ohio State to come in and hold them in the single digits, that's kind of the expectation."

"For Ohio State to come in and hold teams in single digits, that's kind of the expectation."

-@Bcarp3 on the Buckeyes' continued defensive dominance this year

Is this the best OSU defense of the Ryan Day era? pic.twitter.com/NTwpTYmnCy
— Bobby Carpenter Show (@BobbyCarpShow) October 30, 2025

The Buckeyes' defensive unit is putting up historical numbers, as they are also first in the nation in total defense with 216.9, as well as top 10 in pass and run defense. They have allowed 10 or more points in just one game against the Illinois Fighting Illini and shut out two opponents this season.

Going into the matchup, Penn State is ranked 12th in the Big Ten in total offense with 355 yards per game.

They are without their star quarterback, Drew Allar, who is out for the season with an injury, and are leaning more on their running game, featuring Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Through the first five games, Penn State's offense averaged 38.6 points per game, but has dropped to just 22.5 points per game in the last two games.

On paper, this is an Ohio State team that is elite on every level, but their defense almost plays like an NFL team with how good they are. They have those types of players who will play on Sundays, including Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, and Caden Curry.

ESPN Analytics gives Ohio State an 88% chance to beat Penn State, given that it is a home game for the Buckeyes and they are the number one team in the nation with an undefeated record.

This isn't going to be an easy game, but it still should be one that the Buckeyes should walk out of the Horseshoe with the win in their back pocket with some comfort.