Penn State-Ohio State matchups: Who will have the edge at Beaver Stadium?

Penn State returns to the field on Saturday when it hosts No. 2 Ohio State. The marquee matchup will be on FOX at Noon ET from Beaver Stadium. Head coach James Franklin’s side is a sizable 15.5-point underdog as of Wednesday morning.

The Lions have had limited success against the Buckeyes in recent years. They’ve lost close games and blowouts alike. Could this year be different?

“This team is different,” Penn State defensive tackle PJ Mustipher said. “The team we have this year isn’t the same as last year or 2019, 2018, 2020. This is different group of men. So we’re not really concerned with what’s going on in the past. We’re just focused about right now. If we take care of business this week in practice, do what we’re supposed to and focus on what we have to focus on, then we give ourselves the best opportunity.

“We just got to control what we can control and that starts in practice today and moving forward throughout the week. And then Saturday, we just have to go out there and play. It’s gonna be a great game. I’m truly excited, but the preparation is key.”

Added quarterback Sean Clifford:

“It’s another opportunity to go 1-0. Really excited for the chance to play a program that’s highly touted like Ohio State and excited to do it on a big stage in front of Beaver Stadium.”

Here’s our breakdown of the matchups on the field.

When Penn State has the ball

The Buckeyes, as is usually the case, again have a tremendous defense. They rank No. 2 overall in the Big Ten and are in the top-five, of course, against both the run and the pass. The interior of the Lions’ line will have to account for defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. at all times. He has 5.5 sacks already this season and is impactful against the run, as well. Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg  is one of the top tacklers in the Big Ten and a game wrecker. Tanner McCallister, then, has four interceptions from his safety position.

We hate to be blunt, but as we’ll cover below, Ohio State is going to score. That means Penn State must. match it stride for stride. Clifford is the biggest key when it comes to the Lions doing so. If he plays as well as he did a week ago, then the Penn State attack will be balanced and able to use the run to set up play action pass opportunities that could lead to chunk plays. If he does not play well, however, then a full game like last week’s first quarter, which saw two off-schedule drives followed by an interception, is not out of the question.

All told, Penn State has showed that it is capable of moving the ball and putting up a big number of points against good defenses. But, it has not displayed an ability to do that consistently. That leaves us no choice but to give the edge to Saturday’s visiting team, even if the Lions will be just a few big plays away from keeping this game competitive.

EDGE: Ohio State

When the Lions are on defense

Ohio State is a machine when it has the ball. The Buckeyes average nearly 50 points a game. Quarterback CJ Stroud is the Heisman Trophy frontrunner. He’s thrown for 2,023 yards and 28 touchdowns to just four interceptions through seven games. Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson do the majority of the rushing for OSU. They have combined for 13 touchdowns so far. Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Julian Fleming have all been productive and are among the best receivers in the Big Ten. And, the offensive line is good, as always. Ohio State has only surrendered five sacks this season, which is the top mark in the Big Ten through eight weeks.

Penn State will not stop the Ohio State attack for 60 minutes. It can only hope to slow it down enough so that the offense can keep pace. Manny Diaz will have to be creative with blitzes to get free rushers pressuring Stroud. And, the secondary, especially the corners, will have to play it and their best game to date.

Ultimately, the Lions have played good defense this year despite the clunker at Michigan. But, this is an enormous test that will be hard to pass with flying colors.

EDGE: Ohio State

Final word

Ohio State is seen as one of the best teams in the country. There’s a good reason for that. It has few flaws and more strengths than just about any other program. It scores at will and has a knack for keeping opponents out of the end zone. Penn State will have to be at its best to have any shot of pulling off a masisve upset.