We are only hours away from one of the biggest games of the entire college football season.
Come noon tomorrow, the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes will take on the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions in an epic Big Ten clash which is sure to be one of the most-watched games of the entire season.
A big storyline has been the fact that many Penn State fans wanted the showdown to take place at night in front of the legendary Penn State “White Out.”
Unfortunately for those disappointed fans, a high noon kickoff will have to do.
Penn State head coach James Franklin is urging his fans to get past their grievances and embrace the task at hand.
āOne of the things I think is really important, that I would challenge all of us Penn Staters, is letās stop talking about this game being at 12 oāclock. That ship has sailed,ā Franklin said. āThe game is at 12 oāclock, and we got to embrace it, and we got to make it the best environment, the most challenging environment that college football has ever seen at 12 oāclock. I know weāll do that, and I appreciate it.
āFor forever, the networks wanted their primetime games at seven oāclock. Primetime. Best game. Well, Ohio State/Michigan, it has been a very desirable game for a long time. And, they were only going to play at 12 oāclock. When all the networks wanted them at seven. And the conference protected them,ā Franklin continued.
āNow weāre in a similar situation where the networks want the game at 12, and we should be getting protected in a game that almost every football fan in America would say the White Out game is one of the best games, one of the biggest games of the year, and everything that goes with it. And weāre not getting the same level of protection and support that other games and other teams get.ā
Despite the complaints, Franklin is trying to make the best of the situation and make sure the focus is where it needs to be.
āThereās nothing better than breakfast burritos for tailgating, and we need everybody in that stadium rocking. And then how awesome is it going to be when you have all that time after the game to celebrate?ā he concluded.
Despite Ohio State entering the game as 3.5-point favorites, not everyone is convinced the Buckeyes will walk out of Beaver Stadium with a win.
College Football Hall of Famer and analyst David Pollack stirred the pot this week by predicting a potential upset in favor of Penn State.
“I kind of feel like this is a moment ā¦ I love Penn State’s defense. I think Ohio State looks very vulnerable at left tackle. I am kind of digging the Penn State underdog this week.” Pollack said on his podcast.
Pollackās analysis highlights concerns about Ohio Stateās offensive line, particularly the left tackle position. Head Coach Ryan Day confirmed Wednesday that due to injuries, Ohio State may be down to their third-string left tackle.
The starter will not be confirmed until game day, adding to the uncertainty.
On the other side, Penn State also has question marks, with starting quarterback Drew Allarās status listed as a game-time decision due to a knee injury. (Let’s be honest: There’s no chance in hell he doesn’t play.)
CBS Sports analyst and former San Francisco 49ers great Randy Cross added to the Nittany Lionsā support.
Along with fellow CBS panelists Brian Jones and Aaron Taylor, Cross boldly predicted Penn State will win at home despite the Buckeyes entering as favorites.
“Ohio State is favored, but don’t forget that in the last nine meetings, Penn State is 7-2 against that spread. They’ve got a running game, and they’ve got a defense that can get after Will Howard. They are going to beat them at Happy Valley, and this should be a damn whiteout,” Cross said.
The confidence in Penn State comes despite a concerning trend for Franklin, who has struggled in recent matchups against Ohio State.
Still, the gameās stakes are ultra-high with both teams very much alive for the College Football Playoff. Penn State remains undefeated, while Ohio Stateās only loss is to No. 1-ranked Oregon.
Interestingly, legendary Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer also weighed in on the matchup, albeit cautiously.
On “The Triple Option” podcast, Meyer avoided picking a winner but did predict a narrow finish in which Penn State would cover the 3.5-point spread.
āItās down to 3.5,ā Meyer said. āI donāt have to pick the winner. I just have to pick the spread, right? … I think Penn State covers the spread. I think this is going to be a walk-off, one of the two teams. I donāt know, Iām not ready to make a pick on whoās gonna win. But this will be a one, two-point game.”
Meyer, familiar with the challenges of playing at Beaver Stadium, noted the impact of Penn Stateās intense home atmosphere, especially on visiting offensive linemen. (He even went as far as calling Beaver Stadium the toughest place to play in the country.)
āFirst of all, youāre on the road, so youāre going to deal with some noise issues,ā Meyer said. āThe further you move away from center, noise is an issue. Because you canāt go with cadence. You canāt hear. So theyāre either going to do the clap – and sometimes claps donāt work in those stadiums – [or] youāre going to go on movement by the center.
“And the further you move out, this is really importantā¦ The guardās sitting right next to the center. He can see the movement. A lot of times itās a head bob. Itās something, they move their arm – usually itās a head bob. The guard can see it. Plus, the guardās playing in a confined space. You put the tackle against an Abdul Carter, some of those really fast defensive ends. This is how bizarre it is, I actually taught it – youāre going to try to two-way this thing as an offensive tackle.
āYouāre a little bit further off the line of scrimmage. A lot of times a guardās helmet is in your way, and youāre going to watch that center. But you also got a problem. Thereās a guy thatās going to get paid a lot of money in the NFL thatās going to be rushing off the edge. I would not leave that tackle alone for a minute. Iād have a tight end there. Iād have a tail back there.ā
In case you were wondering, ESPN’s Football Power Index gives Ohio State a 61% chance of winning.
While picks for the game are pretty split, there’s no doubt Penn State has plenty of support. Many feel that this is the year Franklin finally slays the dragon.
Both ESPN’s College GameDay and FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff will be broadcasting live from Happy Valley. Kickoff of course is set for noon EST.
What is YOUR prediction for the game? … Regardless of what happens, will we be seeing both of these teams in the College Football Playoff???
