Is 2023 the Year Penn State and James Franklin Win at Ohio State?
After four years of torment at Ohio State, is 2023 the year Penn State and coach James Franklin finally crush their demons and win in Columbus?
"Let's put it this way," college football analyst Mike Golic Jr. said before the season began, "if there is a year, then yes. This would absolutely be your best chance."
Penn State visits Ohio State on Oct. 21 in what likely will be the Big Ten's first Game of the Season. Since joining the conference, Penn State is 2-13 at Ohio Stadium, winning in 2008 and in 2011 — albeit against the Buckeyes' only sub-.500 team since 1988. Remember the 2011 Interim Bowl, Tom Bradley vs. Luke Fickell? That marked the Lions' last win in Columbus.
Franklin is 0-4 at Ohio State, though three of those games have taken tortured fourth-quarter turns. In 2017, the Lions led by 15 points before J.T. Barrett's miracle finish. In 2019, the Lions capitalized on a couple of second-half turnovers to cut a 21-point deficit to four entering the last quarter, which fizzled. And in 2021, Penn State trailed by six with 3 minutes remaining, but the Buckeyes tacked on a late field goal to secure another win.
Clearly, Ohio State is Penn State's chief rival, even though Franklin avoids saying it and the Big Ten declined to schedule it. Asked at Big Ten media days whether he viewed Ohio State as a rivalry game, Franklin changed the subject.
"To me, that word [rival] is different," Franklin said. "I think there seems to be a lot of people trying to create those things. And it’s funny, when I first got to Penn State and they were having this discussion about unrivaled. Well, why? We're not an original Big Ten team. We were independent for a long time. Then you join the conference, and then people try to create rivalries that weren't really there. Just like everybody wanted to tell me about our rivalry with Pitt. Which I agree with geographically, but literally, up to when we played them a few years ago, none of our players have ever seen a Penn State-Pitt rivalry game in their lifetime. So I just think these games are important. They’re big games, they’re important for the Big Ten, they're important for our teams individually as well. But to me, there shouldn't have to be a discussion on, 'Is this team a rival or not?' If they're a rival, everybody knows they are, in my opinion."
So Franklin makes trip No. 5 to Ohio Stadium in October looking for his first win in perhaps his most important game since 2017. The Lions are playoff contenders according to Golic, who suggests that they need at least a split vs. Ohio State and Michigan to get there. And this represents Penn State's best chance since that 2017 season to win.
Ohio State and Penn State both are unbeaten coming off 11-2 seasons, though the Buckeyes were a New Year's Eve field goal away from playing for the national championship. The roster comparisons are fascinating. Both have tantalizing backfields. Ohio State's receiving corps, led by Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, while Penn State has a more experienced offensive line led by Olu Fashanu. Defensively, Ohio State and Penn State rank second and third in the nation in fewest points allowed.
That oddsmakers installed Ohio State as a preseason double-digit favorite owes plenty to the game's location and recent history. As Golic concluded, the Lions begin the season with a tempting look at winning in Columbus. For Golic, the conversation begins at quarterback.
"[Ohio State receiver] Marvin Harrison Jr. is probably the best non-quarterback in the country," said Golic, who hosts DraftKings' GoJo podcast. "But it seems eerily quiet around how the starting quarterback is expected to perform. I’ve heard [Ohio State coach] Ryan Day talk about the depth of this quarterback room, but it hasn’t really felt like when CJ Stroud stepped on campus and we knew he was supposed to be the guy. We felt that there was some certainty there.
"This feels as unsettled as the Ohio State quarterback situation has felt in a while. So if you take that as the most important position and say you’re also replacing two tackles up front but you’ve also got great skill and great running backs, it’s still going to be a very good team. But if you’re looking for your best opportunity against what the Ohio State machine has been, yeah, this is probably going to be your chance to get over in recent memory with Ohio State."
Looking Ahead
Penn State is off this week, while Ohio State hosts Maryland in an interesting Big Ten game between unbeaten teams. The Lions host Massachusetts for a nonconference visit Oct. 14, when Ohio State visits Purdue. The Oct. 21 Penn State-Ohio State game likely will be a FOX Big Noon broadcast.
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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.
