Ohio State football: 3 reasons Buckeyes will beat Penn State in Week 8
By TJ Heyder
You have to relish the importance of this top 10 undefeated matchup we have on tap this weekend between Penn State and Ohio State football. In the last season of the original four team playoff, it’s fair to believe we’re towards the end of these regular season games with this type of magnitude.
Whether you’re a fan of either school or just another college football spectator, sit back and enjoy this treat we got in store. This one has all the material to be an all-timer.
An introduction isn’t needed here.
Penn State (6-0) against Ohio State (6-0) in a Big Ten East collision that is essentially a playoff game for both of these squads. Ryan Day and James Franklin have only met up four times in their careers, but it feels as though the talent gap is closer now than it’s been in their short history.
The Nittany Lions finally have their long-waited blue chip quarterback, and in a season that they have the nation’s No. 1 ranked defense. The belief in Happy Valley is that the time is now, and why shouldn’t it be?
Well, because the Buckeyes still stand in the way. Ohio State has won their last six games against Penn State, and they will improve the streak to seven on Saturday. Let’s talk about why.
3. James Franklin can’t win on the road
It’s no secret that James Franklin has struggled in his career when the lights were the brightest. Franklin won a Big Ten title in 2016, sure, but his resume against top competition has been alarmingly bad in his nine years at the helm, especially away from Beaver Stadium.
For reference, Franklin is a whopping 2-11 against Top 25 teams on the road in his career, and 0-9 when the opponent ranks in the top 10. Whether you believe a talent issue has lingered the program over the last several years, this is coaching malpractice at its finest. Penn State has been on the doorstep of the College Football Playoff numerous times yet he’s never been able to take them over that hump.
Franklin is coming to Columbus to duel with a head coach who’s shown his own signs of weakness the last two seasons, but has also won more big games in half the time as him.
Ohio State absolutely has the coaching edge, and I’ll take that staff and the roster loaded with more four and five star recruits. There’s a reason Franklin hasn’t beaten Ryan Day yet, and it has much more to do than the talent on paper.