Penn State football will get revenge on Saturday night against Ohio State after their heartbreaking 39-38 loss in 2017 in Columbus.
Before the college football season began, I published an article giving five reasons why Penn State will be better than Ohio State. Some of the same reasons remain the same, but either team could still make the College Football Playoff regardless of the outcome on Saturday night.
In 2016, Penn State beat Ohio State during the regular season, but due to other circumstances, Ohio State was still selected for the playoff. It is still early in the season, so this game is very important, but it does not necessarily make or break the chances of either team making the playoff in 2018.
Penn State will want to win this game this year after losing in heartbreaking fashion last year. Here are five reasons Penn State will beat Ohio State on Saturday night.
5. Revenge
Last year, Penn State was ranked No. 2 in the nation and Ohio State was ranked No. 6 when the two teams met in Columbus. The Nittany Lions lost 39-38 after being outscored 19-3 in the fourth quarter.
Saquon Barkley returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and helped Penn State gain a 21-3 lead early in the second quarter. Other than a 36-yard touchdown, Barkley finished the game with 20 other carries that only resulted in eight rushing yards. He also had four receptions for 23 yards in the passing game.
McSorley did not have a great game either, throwing for only 192 yards and rushing for another 49 yards. He had two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown, but he did not dominate and do enough to get Penn State the win.
Last year, Penn State got revenge on Michigan by winning 42-13 at home after losing in Ann Arbor 49-10 in 2016. The Nittany Lions will get revenge this year against Ohio State on Saturday night.