Ryan Day details how possible Emeka Egbuka absence would impact Kyle McCord

Ohio State Buckeyes have a major showdown with Penn State on Saturday with conference championship and College Football Playoff positioning on the line. One of the major concerns for the Buckeyes entering Saturday’s contest is the status of wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.

The absence of Egbuka against Penn State could be significant and greatly impact Ohio State’s game plan. But according to head coach Ryan Day, fans don’t need to worry as the Buckeyes are built to handle such an occasion.

“Our guy’s working hard to get back to the game, and we’re hopeful that’s going to happen,” said Day. “But we have a lot of weapons. And that’s one of the things that we talked about in the preseason is how we’re going to spread the ball around. Whether it’s a tight end, running back, or receiver, we’re gonna need all these guys to step up; they’re gonna have opportunities. But that’s where depth comes in, and that’s why we have to have weapons across the field.”

Day and his Ohio State coaching staff have done a tremendous job over the years acquiring some of the best pass-catching talent in the country. Outside of Egbuka, the Buckeyes still have the likes of Cade Stover at tight end, plus Carnell Tate, Julian Fleming, and arguably this season’s top wide receiver prospect, Marvin Harrison Jr.

Andy Staples talks Penn State vs. Ohio State point spread

The eyes of the college football world will turn toward Columbus this week as No. 3 Ohio State takes on No. 7 Penn State at The Horseshoe. It’s a matchup with not only Big Ten title implications, but also with College Football Playoff hopes hanging in the balance for both teams.

It’s shaping up to be one of the best games of the college football season so far. The Buckeyes enter as 3.5-point favorites in the matchup, according to FanDuel, meaning the oddsmakers expect it to be a close game between the two Big Ten East contenders.

Sports Illustrated and The Split Zone Duo podcast’s Richard Johnson said he’s not just taking Penn State to cover the 3.5 points. He’s also picking the Nittany Lions to win outright.

“I’m very curious about how this one plays out,” Johnson told Andy Staples on Andy Staples On3. “If Ohio State loses this game, I think you’re gonna look back on the season and say, ‘Oh, that was coming. That was coming.’ You survived against Notre Dame. You beat Maryland, but it took you a while to get rolling there.

“Similarly, too, I think you look at USC last week and you say, ‘Oh, that was coming.’ They’ve had that in them all season. The sequencing of the games just was what it was. I think you may look back on Ohio State if they lose this game and say the same thing.”