The No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions will welcome the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes into Happy Valley in arguably the biggest game of the season. The two Big-Ten powerhouses will collide in a game that will have great influence on how the Big-Ten title and College Football Playoff race is going to play out at the end of the season. The Nittany Lions haven't beaten the Buckeyes since 2016, can Penn State finally beat Ohio State this year?
Yes, it is a fact that the Nittany Lions haven't beaten the Buckeyes in nearly a decade. Penn State head coach James Franklin, who has been at the helm since 2014, has continuously gotten flack over the notion that he can't win the "big games". In fact, Penn State hasn't beaten Michigan since 2020, as the Wolverines have been the cream of the crop of the Big-Ten over the last three seasons (three consecutive Big-Ten championships). However, the Wolverines aren't on Penn State's slate this year, but the Buckeye's will head to Happy Valley this season in hopes to not suffer another in-conference loss (vs. Oregon).
The Nittany Lions are led by junior quarterback Drew Allar, who is in his second season as a full-time starter. In 2024, Allar has tossed for 1,640 yards and 12 touchdowns while completing 71.3 percent (career-high) of his passes. In last season's affair against Ohio State, Allar tossed for just 191 yards while having completed just 42% of his passes and no touchdowns. The Nittany Lions offense was uninspiring and non-creative, as it went 1/16 on third down and averaged 3.5 yards per play respectively.
The Penn State offense underperformed last season, however, Franklin brought in former Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to succeed former offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. Under Kotelnicki, the offense went from averaging 5.6 yards per play last season to 7.1 yards per play, respectfully. Also, Allar's pass per attempt average skyrocketed from just 6.7 yards in 2023 to 9.8 yards per play.
The Nittany Lions offense looks and operates much better compared to last season. Penn State tight-end Tyler Warren has established himself as one of the nations best tight-ends. In fact, Warren ranks fourth in receiving in the country among tight-ends with a statline of 47 catches for 559 yards along with 4 touchdowns. The Virginia native had a monster performance against USC by having garnered 17 catches for 224 yards and a touchdown. Warren, who is Penn State's leading receiver, will have to be leaned on heavily for the Nittany Lions to win.
However, Allar's availability for Saturday's game is in question. Allar suffered an injury in the first half against Wisconsin and did not play in the second half. If Allar can't go, that means backup Beau Pribula will get the nod. Whether its Allar or Pribula under center, can the offense fair against an Ohio State defense that is ranked second in the nation in total defense (allows only 4.3 yards per play). On Saturday, the College football world will see just how much improved the Nittany Lions offense is under Kotelnicki.
On the Ohio State side of things, they are coming off of a narrow victory over Nebraska at home. The Buckeyes offense looked rusty to say the least after having come off a bye week. The Buckeye's offense went 1/10 on third down and only garnered 64 yards on the ground with the star pairing of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson in the backfield. Buckeye's quarterback Will Howard tossed for 221 yards and three touchdowns, but it took defensive back Jordan Hancock to make a game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
Nonetheless, the Buckeye's won, but Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly must tune-up the offense before they face a Penn State defense that is ranked fourth in the country (allows only 4.4 yards per play).
Moreover, Franklin isn't the only coach that gets the "can't win the big game" notion. Buckeye's head coach Ryan Day's coaching seat is getting hotter with each passing game. Day hasn't exactly lived up to the expectations throughout his tenure in Columbus (hasn't beaten Michigan since 2019). Also, Day gets the bulk of the blame for the Buckeye's only loss this season, as the Buckeye's were in position to win late in the fourth quarter against Oregon until poor clock management mishaps occured. The theme for Day's tenure as head coach has been that he can't seal the deal in tight games.
Day and Franklin both badly need this win and the pressure is mounting as game day gets closer. Can the Nittany Lions and Franklin finally beat the Buckeyes? Or will Day and Ohio State continue its dominance over Penn State?