Previews, predictions and features on Penn State-Ohio State
It’s finally here — the game everyone’s been waiting for.
Will No. 6 Ohio State prevail at home? Can it avenge last season’s upset loss to Penn State? Or will the No. 2 Nittany Lions remain unbeaten and push for the nation’s No. 1 ranking?
Whatever you’re looking for, from a Penn State coverage angle, we’ve got you covered right here:
Previews (Looking at the game from different angles)
Penn State’s confidence high heading into Columbus: The narrative surrounding Penn State has changed quite a bit since last season — but the Nittany Lions are hoping history repeats itself at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett still a problem: 2017 is Barrett’s fifth and — thankfully for the Big Ten — final season in Columbus. But boy does it feel longer, especially for the Nittany Lions.
Scouting the opponent: Getting to know Penn State’s opponent, Ohio State, by quizzing Buckeyes beat writer Bill Landis of Cleveland.com.
What to watch for: J.K. Dobbins, Curtis Samuel 2.0, DaeSean Hamilton making another run at history and more. Check out five things to know before the No. 2 Nittany Lions take on No. 6 Ohio State.
Urban Meyer heaps praise on Barkley: A three-time national champion and future College Football Hall of Famer, Ohio State’s head coach thinks Saquon Barkley is pretty darn good.
Penn State-Ohio State podcast: Andrew Callahan of Lions 247 joins “Airing It Out” to discuss the biggest game of the college football season.
Takeaways from James Franklin’s press conference: A look at five highlights — including Urban Meyer and his bye week success — from James Franklin’s press conference ahead of Penn State’s game at Ohio State.
Features (Getting to know the Nittany Lions)
Jason Cabinda — the heartbeat of Penn State’s defense — ‘embodies Linebacker U’: When he moves on after this season, he may not be remembered like Jack Ham, Sean Lee and the rest. But from the moment he stepped on-campus, Cabinda’s been inching toward Nittany Lion linebacker lore.
Saquon Barkley reflects on 2015 Ohio State game: As a wide-eyed true freshman slowly wandering the Ohio Stadium field, Saquon Barkley found Ezekiel Elliott and shook his hand seconds after his fifth career game with the Nittany Lions. He was in awe then. But Barkley’s come a long way.
Curtis Cothran, Parker Cothren ‘brothers’ on and off field: Parker Cothren and Curtis Cothran, both defensive tackles, came into Happy Valley the same year and are now starting alongside each other as ‘best friends.’
“5 Questions” with Sam Ficken: Beloved former kicker Sam Ficken recently spoke to us about chasing his NFL dream, balancing it with his work life — and what it’s like looking back on his college career now.
Sean Spencer talks Saquon Barkley, defensive standouts: Penn State defensive line coach Sean Spencer, along with Charles Huff, handled Saquon Barkley’s recruitment — and even back then, the Heisman front-runner was something special.
Miscellaneous (Other PSU stuff you might be interested in)
What the country’s saying about Saquon Barkley and the Heisman Trophy: Penn State running back Saquon Barkley deserves the Heisman Trophy, as of now, according to ... well ... just about everyone.
Bill O’Brien ‘proud’ to be associated with Barkley: Bill O’Brien has watched Saquon Barkley from afar, and like most people who see the Heisman Trophy front-runner do his thing, the former Penn State coach is impressed.
Nittany Lions pick up quarterback commit: Ta’Quan Roberson — the No. 17 dual-threat quarterback in the country, per 247 Sports — announced his commitment to the Nittany Lions on Thursday afternoon.
Predictions (For Penn State-Ohio State and elsewhere in the Big Ten)
No. 2 Penn State at No. 6 Ohio State, 3:30 p.m. FOX
Josh Moyer: Ohio State 27-24
John McGonigal: Ohio State 34-28
Gordon Brunskill: Ohio State 29-27
Ryne Gery: Penn State 38-35
Nate Cobler: Ohio State 20-17
No. 5 Wisconsin at Illinois, noon ESPN
Josh Moyer: Wisconsin 42-17
John McGonigal: Wisconsin 49-0
Gordon Brunskill: Wisconsin 34-13
Ryne Gery: Wisconsin 35-14
Nate Cobler: Wisconsin 35-10
Rutgers at Michigan, noon BTN
Josh Moyer: Michigan 38-10
John McGonigal: Michigan 27-0
Gordon Brunskill: Michigan 30-6
Ryne Gery: Michigan 28-3
Nate Cobler: Michigan 45-7
No. 16 Michigan State at Northwestern, 3:30 p.m. ESPN
Josh Moyer: Michigan State 21-17
John McGonigal: Michigan State 20-10
Gordon Brunskill: Michigan State 20-12
Ryne Gery: Michigan State 27-24
Nate Cobler: Michigan State 13-3
Indiana at Maryland, 3:30 p.m. BTN
Josh Moyer: Indiana 27-21
John McGonigal: Indiana 35-14
Gordon Brunskill: Maryland 27-24
Ryne Gery: Indiana 31-17
Nate Cobler: Maryland 52-40
Minnesota at Iowa, 6:30 p.m. FS1
Josh Moyer: Iowa 28-20
John McGonigal: Iowa 24-10
Gordon Brunskill: Iowa 24-17
Ryne Gery: Iowa 24-10
Nate Cobler: Iowa 20-13
Nebraska at Purdue, 7:30 p.m. BTN
Josh Moyer: Nebraska 24-20
John McGonigal: Purdue 34-27
Gordon Brunskill: Nebraska 21-20
Ryne Gery: Nebraska 35-28
Nate Cobler: Purdue 27-17
This story was originally published October 28, 2017 at 2:06 AM with the headline "Previews, predictions and features on Penn State-Ohio State."