Paul Finebaum predicts winner of Ohio State-Penn State, what's at stake for James Franklin, Ryan Day

College football games don’t get much bigger than this weekend’s matchup in Happy Valley when No. 3 Penn State hosts No. 4 Ohio State. It’s a matchup that college football analyst Paul Finebaum will specifically be dialed in on for the head coaches.

Penn State head coach James Franklin has only defeated the Buckeyes once in his past 10 seasons with the program, and Ohio State head man Ryan Day remains undefeated against the Nittany Lions. Those are streaks that Finebaum believes will continue this Saturday.

“It’s who do you expect the least from here,” Finebaum said Friday on ESPN’s Get Up. “Ryan Day has an unbelievable record as we all know, it’s unmatched except he can’t seem to break through and has indeed lost to Michigan in three straight years. I think he’ll win this game, this is a game he always wins and guess what? James Franklin always loses his game. He always blows it, he always underperforms, and that’s what I’m watching for tomorrow in Happy Valley.”

Franklin’s overall success with the Nittany Lions has often been overshadowed by his shortcomings with the two perennial powerhouses in the Big Ten: Ohio State and Michigan. But a win this weekend with one of Day’s most talented teams to date could chance that narrative.

“Everyone would have to take out the easiest and laziest take in college football that James Franklin can’t win the big one. He beat Ohio State, but it’s been so long ago, I was an elderly man at that point,” Finebaum joked. “You see the record here, 1-12, I mean that is a disastrous record. He always loses to Ohio State and Michigan, and it’s a mark on his resume that is otherwise very respectable.”

For as big as a win on Saturday would be for Franklin and the Nittany Lions, a loss for the Buckeyes and Ryan Day may be even more impactful. It’s a defeat that could significantly impact Ohio State’s College Football Playoff chances after already losing to Oregon, according to Finebaum, and the future of their head coach.

“It would put him on the cut line of the playoffs because they just don’t have an impressive win. They’d have two good losses, which may not get him in the playoff. That’s what’s at stake for him and then with Michigan in a couple weeks, a game that should he lose, I think we would all have [to] help him pack,” Finebaum said referring to Day.

There’s no question that the stakes are sky-high for both head coaches this Saturday in a matchup that kicks off at noon ET.