Penn State vs. Ohio State: Early point spread released on Nittany Lions, Buckeyes

One of the most important Big Ten matchups kicks off Oct. 21. Penn State and Ohio State are both trying to win the Big Ten East and punch a ticket to the conference title game, and the road to Indianapolis runs through Columbus.

The oddsmakers in Las Vegas have weighed in, and Ohio State is a 5.5-point favorite over Penn State, according to FanDuel. The over-under is set at 52.5.

There’s plenty of hype around the game as the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions sit in the thick of a heated Big Ten East race. Those two, along with Michigan, sit atop the conference standings through seven weeks of the season.

Ohio State got another conference victory against Purdue on Saturday. The Buckeyes were without their top running backs due to injury and lost Chip Trayanum during the game, as well, but still flew past the Boilermakers 41-7 for the sixth win of the season to clinch bowl eligibility.

Kyle McCord had a solid day as the starting quarterback, completing 16 of 28 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns to lead the effort. Marvin Harrison Jr. also had a huge showing with 105 yards and a touchdown as his stock continues to rise.

As for Penn State, the Nittany Lions took a break from conference play with a home matchup against UMass. It was all Nittany Lions as they came away with a resounding 63-0 victory over the Minutemen at Beaver Stadium despite some harsh weather conditions.

Drew Allar put together another good day. He completed 16 of 23 passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns while also adding a rushing touchdown. The two-headed monster of Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton looked strong, as well, as they combined for 147 rushing yards while Allen ran in a touchdown.

The biggest showing, however, came from DaeQuan Hardy. He took two punt returns back for touchdowns and, according to James Franklin, earned a role going forward.

It’s shaping up to be quite the battle at The Horseshoe, and the eyes of the college football world will be on Columbus. Both ESPN College GameDay and FOX Big Noon Kickoff will be in attendance for what should be an exciting game.

Entering Week 7, Ohio State came in at No. 3 in the AP Top 25 and Penn State wasn’t far behind at No. 6. The game will not only have major implications in the Big Ten, but also have an impact on the College Football Playoff with the first rankings set to come out at the end of the month.