The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes kicked off the 2024 college football season as the clear favorite to dominate the newly expanded Big Ten Conference, and they lived up to that hype in Week 1.
Despite a sluggish start, Ryan Day’s team cruised to a 52-6 victory over Akron at home.
In the big picture, questions linger about who might challenge Ohio State within the revamped conference, which now includes the Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies, and UCLA Bruins.
Surprisingly, Oregon faced a tougher-than-expected test in their opener against the Idaho Vandals but ultimately pulled out a 24-14 win after a strong fourth quarter.
Most expect the Ducks to be Ohio State’s main competition for the Big Ten crown. Some even have Oregon going on to win the national title.
While they certainly are one of the best teams in the country, last Saturday’s performance left a whole lot to be desired.
Interestingly, ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy thinks it’s another team who poses the biggest threat to Ohio State – and it’s a familiar foe…
“There is a case to be made that Penn State is the biggest threat to Ohio State in the Big Ten,” McElroy said on his Always College Football podcast.
The No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions faced a challenging road game against the West Virginia Mountaineers, who were coming off a strong 9-4 season in 2023.
Despite facing a raucous atmosphere in Morgantown, Penn State handled the Mountaineers with ease, securing a 34-12 win in dominating fashion.
“I’m not gonna stamp it with a 100% guarantee that the Big Ten title will come down to Penn State and Ohio State- I’m not there just yet,” McElroy added. “But there were a few things on Saturday that made me feel really, really encouraged by what I saw from Penn State.”
One of those encouraging signs was the performance of second-year starting quarterback Drew Allar.
After an up-and-down 2023 season, the former five-star recruit appeared much sharper in his 2024 debut.
“Drew Allar looked better didn’t he?” McElroy said. “In 13 starts last year, 13 starts, Drew Allar had five completions of 50-plus yards. Well he had two in the first half in week one against West Virginia.”
Allar finished the game with 216 yards on 11-of-17 passing, including three touchdowns, and added 44 rushing yards on six carries.
Running back Nicholas Singleton was also impressive, rushing for 114 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, while wide receiver Harrison Wallace III caught five passes for 117 yards and two scores.
On the defensive side, the Nittany Lions stifled West Virginia’s usually potent rushing attack, limiting them to just 85 yards on the ground.
The Mountaineers had ranked fifth nationally in rushing yards per game in 2023, but Penn State’s defense stood firm and shut them down.
Looking ahead, Penn State’s schedule is favorable, with only two ranked opponents on their slate.
The Nittany Lions will visit No. 23 USC on October 12 before their much-anticipated showdown with Ohio State on November 2, which could be pivotal in determining the Big Ten champion.
What are your thoughts on McElroy’s comments?
Of course, the elephant in the room is the fact that over the past several years people always get excited about Penn State early in the season. However, when push comes to shove, they have proven time and time again that they just can’t stack up against the big boys (Ohio State and Michigan).
But is this year different? … Is Penn State indeed the biggest threat to Ohio State in the Big Ten???