Penn State Football: 5 reasons PSU will be better than Ohio State in 2018

2. Penn State has better front seven

Yes, Ohio State has Nick Bosa, but they lost many of their best players on the defensive line and at linebacker to the NFL or graduation, including linebackers Chris Worley and Jerome Baker and defensive lineman Tyquan Lewis, Tracy Sprinkle, Sam Hubbard, and Jalyn Holmes. Penn State returns most of their depth on a very deep defensive line, which is the greatest strength of the Nittany Lions’ defense.

At linebacker, Penn State also has a lot of depth and talent, including five-star recruit Micah Parsons who will likely be a backup. Ohio State does not have any seniors at linebacker.

Penn State will be led by senior Koa Farmer at linebacker along with junior Cam Brown. The middle linebacker position is still in question, but Jan Johnson is the favorite to start for the Nittany Lions.

On the defensive line, Penn State lost Ryan Bucholz to retirement due to a back injury, but the Nittany Lions have a lot of depth on the ends, including Shaka Toney, Kevin Givens, Shareef Miller, and Shane Simmons. At defensive tackle, they lost Parker Cothren and Curtis Cothran, but Kevin Givens and Robert Windsor should be able to step in and play well as starters.