First Look: Penn State vs. Ohio State
Penn State opened as an 8-point underdog to Ohio State for the Halloween showdown at Beaver Stadium, which lost some sheen following the Lions' overtime loss at Indiana.
The Lions left Indiana without much time to wallow in the loss.
"It's tremendously tough, but the rigorous training we go through, the amount of mental toughness that we endure throughout our time here, prepares us for it," safety Lamont Wade said.
Here's a first look at Saturday's game in State College, which will host ESPN College GameDay for the fifth consecutive year.
No. 3 Ohio State (1-0) at No. 18 Penn State (0-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Beaver Stadium
TV: ABC
Radio: Penn State Sports Network
Betting Line: Ohio State opened as an 8-point favorite
Series History: Ohio State leads 21-14
Last Meeting: Ohio State 28-17
About the Lions: Penn State has plenty of questions to answer, starting with its offense. The Lions scored on their opening drive of the season and totaled 488 yards but looked unsure with elements of the passing game. The offense also has to adjust without starting back Noah Cain, who was injured in the first quarter and on crutches in the second half. A once-deep position will face Ohio State without its top two returning backs in Cain and Journey Brown. Penn State also looks to tune a special teams group that missed three field goals (albeit one from 57 yards), mishandled two kicks and was called for an illegal hit on punt coverage. Then there's quarterback Sean Clifford, who kicked himself over two interceptions that led to 10 Indiana points.
About the Buckeyes: During the Fox Sports pregame show, Urban Meyer predicted that all 11 Buckeyes offensive starters would be drafted. Quarterback Justin Fields led a 52-point surge against Nebraska, completing 20 of 21 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns. Fields also led the Buckeyes in rushing attempts (15), making Penn State's scouting work that much more difficult. Indiana's receivers made some exceptional plays on their game-tying drive in the fourth quarter, but they're not in Ohio State's class. Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are the top-liners, but watch for newcomer Jackson Smith-Njigba. And Ohio State's pass defense held Nebraska to 160 yards, another alarm signal for the Lions.
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