2008 Penn State Game Preview
written by: BB73, BuckeyeRyn, Buckeyeskickbuttocks, Bucklion, DaddyBigBucks, JCOSU86, jwinslow, and 3yardsandacloud
written by: BB73, BuckeyeRyn, Buckeyeskickbuttocks, Bucklion, DaddyBigBucks, JCOSU86, jwinslow, and 3yardsandacloud
Preface
Are you ready for some football? ESPN's College Gameday is broadcasting from Columbus on Saturday, which is something like a circus coming into town.
There have been BP previews which have talked about Penn State for the last few years, so JoePa's records and legacy have been discussed - he's currently leading Bobby Bowden 380-378 in career wins, but Bobby has 2 more games left than Joe does this year. So this week our preface will focus on College Gameday itself.
ESPN's popular show first broadcast from a game-day location from South Bend in 1993, when Florida State was visiting Notre Dame. In its history, they have visited 44 campus locations, But their most frequent location has been from just outside the Horseshoe.
ESPN's popular show first broadcast from a game-day location from South Bend in 1993, when Florida State was visiting Notre Dame. In its history, they have visited 44 campus locations, But their most frequent location has been from just outside the Horseshoe.
Most home game visits by ESPN's College Gameday (as of this week):
11 - Ohio State (9-1 in games so far)
10 - Florida (6-4)
09 - Michigan (7-2)
08 - Alabama
07 - Notre Dame
07 - Tennessee
06 - Florida State
06 - Southern Cal
06 - Nebraska
06 - LSU
06 - Virginia Tech
05 - Oklahoma
05 - Texas
05 - Miami
05 - Auburn
04 - Penn State
04 - Michigan State
03 - Colorado
03 - Oregon
03 - South Carolina
The Buckeyes certainly have the most wins (9) as a Gameday host, since the only loss among the previous ten games was in 2005. That was the last time the 'Shoe hosted a night game, when Vince Young led Texas on a late drive to stun the hometown fans. Geez, why can't Ohio State get a quarterback that has physical abilities like him?
Ohio State's 10 games with College Gameday in Columbus:
1996 - tOSU 38, Penn State 7 (this was when Corso first did the 'Mascot on the Head' thing)
1997 - tOSU 23, Iowa 7
1998 - tOSU 28, Penn State 9
2002 - tOSU 25, Washington State 7 (MoC ran wild in the second half)
2002 - tOSU 14, Michigan 9 (you should know where you where that day)
2003 - tOSU 28. Washington 9
2003 - tOSU 13, Purdue 10 (OT)
2005 - tOSU 22, Texas 25 (eventual NC winner)
2006 - tOSU 28, Penn State 6 (Troy's spin and pass to Robiskie was a Heisman moment)
2006 - tOSU 42, Michigan 39 (first-ever #1 vs #2 matchup in The Game)
College Gameday has also been to several conference championship game and bowl game sites, and two famous neutral sites: the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville for Florida-Georgia, and the Texas State Fair in Dallas for the Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma. Here are the teams whose games have been featured the most often:
Total appearances at College Gameday sites (as of this week):
28 - Florida
24 - Ohio State
21 - Michigan
20 - Florida State
19 - Oklahoma
18 - Notre Dame
17 - Tennessee
16 - Miami
15 - Southern Cal
15 - Nebraska
12 - Alabama
11 - LSU
11 - Penn State
11 - Auburn
11 - Va Tech
10 - Texas
10 - Georgia
06 - Colorado
06 - UCLA
05 - Kansas State
05 - Georgia Tech
This will be the fourth time that College Gameday has set up shop when the Nittany Lions are visiting Columbus. That ties for the most common Visitor-Host matchup, along with Florida State at Florida, and Florida at Tennessee.
Most common College Gameday matchups:
07 - Florida-Florida State (4 times at Florida, once in a bowl)
07 - Florida-Tennessee (4 times at Tennessee)
06 - tOSU-Penn State (4 times in Columbus)
05 - tOSU-Michigan (3 times in AA)
05 - Miami-Florida State (3 times at FSU)
04 - USC-Notre Dame (2 at each site)
04 - Michigan-Notre Dame (2 at each site)
So head on down and watch the show - see Herbie's twins, watch Corso put the Lion on his head, check out the signs and try to get on camera. But if you want to learn about what's likely to happen once the game starts, keep reading this preview.
Date and Time11 - Ohio State (9-1 in games so far)
10 - Florida (6-4)
09 - Michigan (7-2)
08 - Alabama
07 - Notre Dame
07 - Tennessee
06 - Florida State
06 - Southern Cal
06 - Nebraska
06 - LSU
06 - Virginia Tech
05 - Oklahoma
05 - Texas
05 - Miami
05 - Auburn
04 - Penn State
04 - Michigan State
03 - Colorado
03 - Oregon
03 - South Carolina
The Buckeyes certainly have the most wins (9) as a Gameday host, since the only loss among the previous ten games was in 2005. That was the last time the 'Shoe hosted a night game, when Vince Young led Texas on a late drive to stun the hometown fans. Geez, why can't Ohio State get a quarterback that has physical abilities like him?
Ohio State's 10 games with College Gameday in Columbus:
1996 - tOSU 38, Penn State 7 (this was when Corso first did the 'Mascot on the Head' thing)
1997 - tOSU 23, Iowa 7
1998 - tOSU 28, Penn State 9
2002 - tOSU 25, Washington State 7 (MoC ran wild in the second half)
2002 - tOSU 14, Michigan 9 (you should know where you where that day)
2003 - tOSU 28. Washington 9
2003 - tOSU 13, Purdue 10 (OT)
2005 - tOSU 22, Texas 25 (eventual NC winner)
2006 - tOSU 28, Penn State 6 (Troy's spin and pass to Robiskie was a Heisman moment)
2006 - tOSU 42, Michigan 39 (first-ever #1 vs #2 matchup in The Game)
College Gameday has also been to several conference championship game and bowl game sites, and two famous neutral sites: the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville for Florida-Georgia, and the Texas State Fair in Dallas for the Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma. Here are the teams whose games have been featured the most often:
Total appearances at College Gameday sites (as of this week):
28 - Florida
24 - Ohio State
21 - Michigan
20 - Florida State
19 - Oklahoma
18 - Notre Dame
17 - Tennessee
16 - Miami
15 - Southern Cal
15 - Nebraska
12 - Alabama
11 - LSU
11 - Penn State
11 - Auburn
11 - Va Tech
10 - Texas
10 - Georgia
06 - Colorado
06 - UCLA
05 - Kansas State
05 - Georgia Tech
This will be the fourth time that College Gameday has set up shop when the Nittany Lions are visiting Columbus. That ties for the most common Visitor-Host matchup, along with Florida State at Florida, and Florida at Tennessee.
Most common College Gameday matchups:
07 - Florida-Florida State (4 times at Florida, once in a bowl)
07 - Florida-Tennessee (4 times at Tennessee)
06 - tOSU-Penn State (4 times in Columbus)
05 - tOSU-Michigan (3 times in AA)
05 - Miami-Florida State (3 times at FSU)
04 - USC-Notre Dame (2 at each site)
04 - Michigan-Notre Dame (2 at each site)
So head on down and watch the show - see Herbie's twins, watch Corso put the Lion on his head, check out the signs and try to get on camera. But if you want to learn about what's likely to happen once the game starts, keep reading this preview.
Date: Saturday, October 25th, 2006
Time: 8:00 p.m. EDT Kick-off
Location: Ohio Stadium - "The Horseshoe" (Columbus, OH)
Constructed: 1922 (Renovated in 2001)
Seating Capacity: 102,329 (Originally 66,210)
Playing Surface: FieldTurf
Location: Ohio Stadium - "The Horseshoe" (Columbus, OH)
Constructed: 1922 (Renovated in 2001)
Seating Capacity: 102,329 (Originally 66,210)
Playing Surface: FieldTurf
Events: 2008 College Football Hall-of-Fame inductee John Cooper will be honored at halftime.
Broadcast Information:
TV Broacast: ABC: Brent Musbuger (Play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (Analysis), and Lisa Salters (Sideline)
Radio Broadcast: Ohio State Radio Network (WBNS 1460TheFan in Columbus): Paul Keels (Play-by-play), Jim Lachey (Analysis), and Marty Bannister (Sideline)
2008 Penn State Offensive PreviewBroadcast Information:
TV Broacast: ABC: Brent Musbuger (Play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (Analysis), and Lisa Salters (Sideline)
Radio Broadcast: Ohio State Radio Network (WBNS 1460TheFan in Columbus): Paul Keels (Play-by-play), Jim Lachey (Analysis), and Marty Bannister (Sideline)
Returning starters: 8
After annihilating the Spartans in East Lansing, the Buckeyes return to the friendly confines to play the one game that will probably define the season for both teams. Saturday, the Penn State Nittany Lions will enter a stadium they haven't left with a victory in since 1978, and haven't been able to win in since joining the Big Ten in 1993, with vivid memories of the home thrashing they took in 2007. They probably bring their best team that's visited the 'Shoe in that span, however, and probably enter with their highest level of confidence and best chance to win, from an offensive perspective. Gone are the days when teams could stack the line and did not have to especially worry about covering the talented wideouts because the QB could not find a way to get them the ball against a quality defense. The "Spread-HD" (whatever exactly that is) has been wildly successful for most of this season, save the first half against Michigan last week, and the offense enters this game with firepower at seemingly every position, including at QB, where Daryll Clark has Lion fans remembering Michael Robinson from 2005. It is hard to see either team losing another game, though each team has two tricky games remaining that will require solid execution to emerge victorious (OSU at Northwestern and at Illinois, Penn State at Iowa and versus Michigan State), so it is very likely that this game is for the Big Ten title and a BCS bid. Whoever wins will also remain in the National Championship hunt. For the loser, it will be a very bitter pill to swallow.
The Lions have fired on all cylinders for seemingly the entire season (the Purdue game was more of the "boring but effective enough" mold), except for the first half against Michigan, where they quickly recovered to outscore a pathetic Wolverine team 32-0 in the 2nd half. The Lions enter the game Saturday just outside the national top 10 with 487.8 yards per game (11th nationally). As with the few great Penn State teams of the recent past (1994 being the best example), the Lions are a fine balance of rushing and passing, gaining 234.6 yards a game on the ground (10th nationally) and a respectable 247.5 yards a contest through the air (31st nationally). The team is averaging an astounding 45.4 points a game after 8 games, ranking them 7th nationally. They are also piling up 1st downs in bunches (24.6 per game, 12th nationally) and converting a very high percentage of their 3rd down attempts (52.0%, 8th nationally). The Lions are also 8th in the nation in turnover margin (+0.87). Though these stats are somewhat inflated by a lack of a true quality OOC opponent in 2008, they are nevertheless extremely impressive after half the conference season and 8 total games, and demonstrate few, if any, obvious weaknesses in the Lion attack. The Buckeye defense will have to be at their very best on Saturday to come away with a victory.
Quarterbacks
QB #17 Daryll Clark (6-2, 235, JR, Ursuline HS, Youngstown, OH)
The obvious weak link in the offense for the Lions since their highly successful 2005 campaign has been the QB position, and there were large question marks coming into the 2008 campaign. Enter an Ohio product, Daryll Clark, who had to earn the job in a very close and spirited competition with backup Pat Devlin (#7). He has responded by waking the echoes of Michael Robinson, pounding the ball on the ground and firing the ball to receivers with equal ferocity. He's been a menace for opposing defenses this season, and has accounted for 19 TDs, and that's without playing late in several games where the score was out of reach. He has not been explosive in the passing game, as he has not topped 250 yards through the air in a game, but he has been very consistent, averaging about 20-25 attempts per game and throwing for 175-225 yards on average, completing a very high percentage (over 60% 6 times, over 70% twice). He has also thrown a TD pass in every game except the Purdue game 2 weeks ago, and has been picked off only 2 times in 180 pass attempts. Being a mobile QB, it makes sense that he has also avoided sacks, being dropped behind the line only 5 times in 8 games. On the ground, the yardage numbers are not overwhelming (only broken 50 yards twice, against Oregon State and Illinois), but he has rushed for 8 TDs, including 2 each against Wisconsin and Michigan, and scoring at least once on the ground the past 5 games. Clark is big, strong, tough, versatile, and the perfect fit for the offense the Lions are running, and he has finally been able to take advantage of the talent that the Lions have at the wideout positions.
Backing up Clark is the sophomore Devlin (#7), who almost won the starting job. He is more of a ?traditional? pocket quarterback with good size (6-4, 222) and a strong arm. He's gotten some quality game action thus far, albeit at the end of games, throwing for 367 yards and 3 TDs, with an additional rushing TD against Wisconsin. He's clearly not the threat Clark is, but Penn State coaches have said they think they would be right around the same level of success had they gone with Devlin instead of Clark. Are the blowing smoke? Possibly, but there is little doubt that Devlin has significant talent.
QB Rating: A-
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus Ohio State QBs
Clark (P/R): 114/180 (63.3%), 1531 yards, 11 TDs, 2 INTs, 152.7 rating; 47/190, 8 TDs
Pryor (P/R): 59/90 (65.6%), 653 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs, 144.1 rating; 88/411, 5 TDs
It has been argued amongst pundits that Clark is now where Pryor wants to get to. This may be true to an extent, though Pryor appears to be a more significant threat on the ground already, in terms of breaking long runs and consistent yardage production. Still, Clark at this point is the far superior passer, though Pryor has been making consistent progress in his reads over the few weeks he has been in the lineup, and appears to be coming into his own as a passer slowly but surely. Pryor has also thrown for a very high percentage, but has not put the ball in the air much, something undoubtedly the Lion defense will attempt to force him to do. When Pryor breaks contain, he is deadlier for a big play, though Clark is a tough runner and has shown to be devastating inside the 20 on the QB draw and with an occasional option read. It is difficult to ignore the numbers Clark has put up over the course of the season, particularly the TD/INT ratio and the 19 total TDs. At the backup positions, the Buckeyes have the edge with the experienced Boeckman, but the Lions are confident they can run their offense perfectly well with Devlin at the helm as well. This battle will go a long way in determining the outcome of the game, but based on the season thus far, the edge goes to the Lions.
Edge: Penn State
Running Backs
TB #22 Evan Royster (6-1, 211, SO, Westfield HS, Fairfax, VA)
Evan Royster is the next in a line of running backs that has been a proud tradition at Penn State over the decades of the Joe Paterno era. Though Tony Hunt was a quality back, Royster appears destined to pass him, if he has not done so already, and move into the upper echelon of Nittany Lion backs. He has eclipsed the 100 yard mark 5 times, and of the 3 games he did not do that, all 3 were out of reach early (Coastal Carolina, Temple, Wisconsin), so he did not get a large number of carries (8, 9, 14) in those games. He hit Oregon State for 141 yards and 3 TDs, gained 101 against Syracuse on only 13 carries, gained 139 against Illinois, 141 against Purdue, and torched Michigan for 174 yards last week. The amazing thing is he has done all of that without breaking 20 carries in a game, so he is fresh at the midpoint of the conference slate. He is averaging a ridiculous 7.7 yards a carry, and has scored 10 TDs, including one in 4 of the past 5 games. He can also be a target out of the backfield on occasion, chipping in 11 catches for 101 yards thus far. He is a sleek but powerful runner, and he always seems to put in a big second effort at the end of his runs, gaining a few extra yards and doubtlessly earning the respect of his teammates in the process. The Buckeyes did a very good job stopping Javon Ringer last week, and they will have to be equal to that task this week to contain Royster.
Backing up Royster is freshman Stephfon Green (#21). He is a burner (5-10, 189) who provides a nice compliment to the powerful running of Royster. The Lions have used him consistently (7-10 carries a game), and his quality play has made it possible to keep Royster fresh and punishing between the tackles in the 2nd half. He gained 89 yards on 10 carries in the opener, and 132 yards on 9 carries against Temple. He also caught a seemingly innocuous screen pass last week at the end of the game that he turned into an 80 yard TD by dekeing Morgan Trent out of his equipment on the way to the end zone.
The Lions do not (and do not have to) go much more than 2 deep at the back position. Freshman and Youngstown native Brandon Beachum (#25) gets the occasional opportunity (24 carries), but do not expect to see him much, if at all, Saturday.
RB Rating: A-
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus Ohio State RBs
Royster: 116/893 yards, 10 TDs, 7.7 YPC; 11 rec/101 yards, 0 TDs, 9.2 YPR
Green: 70/411 yards, 4 TDs, 5.9 YPC; 7 rec/142 yards, 1 TD, 20.3 YPR
C Wells: 102/619 yards, 4 TDs, 6.1 YPC; 6 rec/13 yards, 0 TDs, 2.2 YPR
Herron: 58/262 yards, 1 TD, 4.5 YPC; 5 rec/27 yards, 0 TDs, 5.4 YPR
M Wells: 28/99 yards, 1 TD, 3.5 YPC; 4 rec/39 yards, 0 TDs, 9.8 YPR
Many call Chris Wells the best back in the Big Ten, and most Ohio State fans would certainly agree with that logic. Since coming back from injury, Wells has been dominant (3 100 yard performances in 4 games), and he has the ability to carry the team on his back with a heavy workload if it becomes necessary or desirable (31 carries last week against the Spartans), something Royster at this stage of his career probably cannot do. That said, the Lions have the advantage at the 2nd level with Green, though if Herron is back and healthy the gap there closes significantly. The Buckeye defense has made a habit of shutting down quality running backs (see Javon Ringer) and Lion running backs at home (see Larry Johnson) so it would be surprising if Royster has a monster game this weekend. Still, the Lions have 2 quality backs, and will be an integral part of the success or failure of the Lion offense this weekend. A healthy Wells is unmatched, so give the edge to the Buckeyes.
Edge: Ohio State
Wide Receivers
WR #2 Derrick Williams (6-0, 199, SR, Eleanor Roosevelt HS, Greenbelt, MD)
WR #3 Deon Butler (5-10, 170, SR, C. D. Hylton HS, Woodbridge, VA)
WR #24 Jordan Norwood (5-11, 171, SR, State College Area HS, State College, PA)
The strength of the Lion attack is in the leadership and development of the receiving corps. The Lions have 3 senior starters, any of whom can have a big game at any time, and finally have a QB who can get them the ball to take advantage of their considerable talent. They are all good route runners, consistently produce, can position themselves well to make a catch, and have reasonably good speed. They have combined for 101 career starts, so they also have a wealth of experience in almost every game situation.
Butler will finish his career among the all-time leading receivers at Penn State, and he's been exceptionally consistent year to year, having seasons of 691 yards (37 catches), 637 yards (48 catches), and 633 yards (47 catches) thus far, and he has started 41 career games for the Lions. In 2008, he is on par with those numbers again, and leads the team in catches and yards thus far. His highlights include a 7 catch, 100 yard, 2 TD day against Syracuse, 3 catches for 70 yards and a TD against Wisconsin, and 8 catches for 105 yards last weekend against the Wolverines.
Norwood has also been remarkably consistent year to year, with seasons of 422 yards (32 catches), 472 yards (45 catches), and 484 yards (40 catches) in his first 3 campaigns. He has 20 career starts under his belt. This year he already has 405 yards receiving and has matched his career high in TDs with 5, so he will undoubtedly surpass his previous totals in his senior season. He started fast, nabbing 8 balls for 116 yards against Oregon State and 5 for 113 yards and 2 TDs against Syracuse. He has battled injuries since, and his production has fallen off a bit, though he did catch a TD pass last weekend against Michigan.
Williams, arguably the most sought after recruit of his freshman year, has not produced the explosive or consistent numbers in the passing game that many had envisioned, though he has been a mainstay in the lineup, starting 40 career games despite suffering a broken arm as a freshman. Last season he set career highs for catches (55), yards (529), and TDs (3), but this season his production has tapered off some, with only 25 catches thus far. The team does look to get him the ball in a variety of other ways, on backward passes, end arounds, and other such plays. Still, he has only 1 rushing TD and 1 receiving TD this season. However, both of those were against Illinois, in a game he clearly dominated. Thus the capacity for Williams to take over a game exists, and he has done so in the past, but his production (season high 52 yards receiving other than the Illinois game) has not been entirely consistent. On the flip side, he is a team captain, a vocal leader, and is responsible in many ways for the revitalization of Penn State football, as his decision to attend Penn State led to Justin King and a host of other players to join him. So, in totality, his numbers will not go down as Heisman caliber, but his effect on the program has been significant when viewed through the totality of the situation.
The Lions also have additional weapons in the wings, though go to them infrequently with the wealth of experience at the top of the chart. Sophomores Brett Brackett (#83) and Graham Zug (#5) each have a TD catch, as does freshman Derek Moye (#6). All could get an occasional target Saturday, but it is unlikely they will play a large factor.
WR Rating: A-
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus Ohio State WRs
Butler: 30 catches, 486 yards, 3 TDs, 16.2 YPR
Norwood: 25 catches, 405 yards, 5 TDs, 16.2 YPR
Williams: 25 catches, 282 yards, 1 TD, 11.3 YPR
Robiskie: 26 catches, 242 yards, 5 TDs, 9.3 YPR
Hartline: 15 catches, 287 yards, 2 TDs, 19.1 YPR
Small: 16 catches, 112 yards, 0 TDs, 7.0 YPR
As a group, the Lions are 3-deep and have a bit more experienced than the Buckeyes. Grant in particular is a very steady player, and Norwood has really come into his own this season. Williams is a potential game-breaker at any time, the question just being whether that will be in the passing game or restricted to the return game. The Buckeyes have reasonably good options as well, but their production has tapered, certainly partially because of the reduction in passing since Pryor became the starter, but also because they have not played quite as well in spots as they did a season ago. The Buckeyes can hang with this group, but the 3-headed monster gets the nod.
Edge: Penn State
Tight Ends
TE #82 Mickey Shuler (6-4, 250, JR, East Pennsboro HS, Enola, PA)
Shuler, a 2nd generation Lion, is unspectacular, but extremely sound in his fundamentals of blocking and receiving. He knows what his job is, where he needs to be, and is instrumental in the success of the running game out of the spread. He will not light up the scoreboard with his numbers, but he can catch an occasional pass if left unguarded. The backup, Andrew Quarless, is an immense raw talent, with good size (6-5, 250) and the ability to create matchup problems, but through his inconsistent work ethic and off-the-field problems has spent more time in the doghouse than Fido. He can be a dangerous weapon in the passing game, but has not been a factor the past 2 weeks, and may not see the field at all this Saturday.
TE Rating: B
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus Ohio State TEs
Shuler: 5 catches, 60 yards, 1 TD, 12.0 YPR
Quarless: 9 catches, 95 yards, 1 TD, 10.6 YPR
Nicol: 4 catches, 32 yards, 1 TD, 8.0 YPR
Ballard: 3 catches, 42 yards, 0 TDs, 14.0 YPR
Both teams use their TEs primarily as blockers, and have players who do a capable job. Neither group will remind anyone of Jason Whitten in the passing game.
Edge: Even
Offensive Line
LT #76 Gerald Cadogan (6-5, 314, SR, Portsmouth HS, Portsmouth, OH)
LG #64 Rich Ohrnberger (6-2, 296, SR, East Meadow HS, East Meadow, NY)
C #57 A.Q. Shipley (6-1, 300, SR, Moon Area HS, Coraopolis, PA)
RG #50 Stefen Wisniewski (6-3, 294, SO, Pittsburgh Central Catholic HS, Bridgeville, PA)
RT #73 Dennis Landolt (6-4, 303, JR, Holy Cross HS, Burlington, NJ)
Though the QB play has been a nemesis for the Lions the past few seasons, a bigger problem this decade has been a series of unsuccessful classes of offensive linemen. Penn State once had a good tradition of producing NFL-calibur players on the line, as recently as the 1990s, but in recent seasons they have hardly even looked worthy of Big Ten players in many cases. That has changed this season, as a line that has had a chance to play together has finally morphed into a veteran group and a trench weapon for the Lions, and the offensive production has skyrocketed as a result. The line has reasonably good size, but is also versatile allowing them to run the Spread HD and be equally adept at run and pass blocking, as their excellent balance in the 2 phases demonstrates. It all starts in the middle with Shipley, a senior and team captain. He has started 34 straight games and was named 1st team All-Big Ten by the coaches in 2007. On the left side, Ohio product Cadogan is in his 2nd season manning the tackle spot after replacing Levi Brown. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten performer a year ago, and has started every game this season, with 26 career starts to his credit. Ohrnberger is a versatile interior lineman who started 9 games at right guard in 2006 and 12 at left guard in 2007, when he was named 2nd team All-Big Ten by the media and coaches. He is also a cagey veteran with 30 career starts under his belt. On the right side, Landolt started all 13 games at right tackle in 2007 after backing up Levi Brown at left tackle in 2006, and has now started 21 games in his career. At guard, Wisniewski's father was arguable the meanest lineman of his era in the NFL, and Stefen brings some of that same tenacity to the field as a starting underclassman. He played in 8 games last season, including one start, and has started every game this year. This group is tough, versatile, determined, works hard, and has played together by and large in tact for 2 years, so they are peaking in their performance at just the right time, as the Lions make a final National Title run with this senior-laden group of offensive players.
Senior Mike Lucian (#50) is the most experienced backup, manning the interior. He started 8 games last season, and provides an experienced presence from the bench. The rest of the backups are youngsters, including 3 freshmen.
OL Rating: A-
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus Ohio State OL
The Buckeyes seem to be getting their acts together along the line, playing much better in recent weeks after some shakeups in the lineup. The Lions have been steady and oftentimes dominant, playing with the same cohesive unit all season. They seem equally adept at power blocking between the tackles, edge blocking on end arounds, toss sweeps, and screens, and pass blocking for Clark. This is a very good line, and the Buckeye front 7 will have to work very hard to get pressure on Clark and to slow the running game down.
Edge: Penn State
Overall Offensive Analysis
Save one half of football against Michigan and a somewhat lackluster performance against Purdue (who also gave the Buckeye offense some problems), this has been one of the most dominant units in the country, ranking in or near the top 10 in every major statistical category. They block well, don't take a lot of big losses, don't throw stupid interceptions, don't take a lot of silly penalties, don't put the ball on the ground all that often, and mix in a nice array of gadget plays at opportune times. They have explosive players at the skill positions and are very solid up front. This will be the best defense they face all year, and the Buckeye offense seems capable of competing with the Lions to the point that they will not be able to recover from a very subdued start like they had last weekend to blowout an awful Michigan team in the 2nd half. Wells and the Buckeyes are not going to allow that to happen, so the onus will be on the Lions to play 60 minutes of solid football. Arguably, this game might be different than some other games, in that it might be determined in the first 20 minutes, rather than the last 20 minutes. If the Lions can get off to a rollicking start and put the Buckeyes on their heels, they can try and force Pryor to throw the ball more and take some of the sting out of Wells. But if they get off to the same start they got off to last weekend, they'll be in a big hole, instead of down only 17-7, and find it very difficult to come back. The first quarter and a half may determine the Big Ten Champion, and put someone in line for an outside shot at the National Championship game. In any event, both teams will have their work cut out for them, but it would be hard to argue against this being the best team the Lions have brought to Columbus, or it being their best chance to walk away with the elusive victory. They exorcised one demon last week, but this one will be in a different zip code in terms of degree of difficulty. Are they up to the challenge? If they are, against a stout defense, a rapidly rising offense, and a deafening crowd in prime time, they will have earned it.
Overall Offensive Rating: A
2008 Penn State Defensive PreviewThe Lions have fired on all cylinders for seemingly the entire season (the Purdue game was more of the "boring but effective enough" mold), except for the first half against Michigan, where they quickly recovered to outscore a pathetic Wolverine team 32-0 in the 2nd half. The Lions enter the game Saturday just outside the national top 10 with 487.8 yards per game (11th nationally). As with the few great Penn State teams of the recent past (1994 being the best example), the Lions are a fine balance of rushing and passing, gaining 234.6 yards a game on the ground (10th nationally) and a respectable 247.5 yards a contest through the air (31st nationally). The team is averaging an astounding 45.4 points a game after 8 games, ranking them 7th nationally. They are also piling up 1st downs in bunches (24.6 per game, 12th nationally) and converting a very high percentage of their 3rd down attempts (52.0%, 8th nationally). The Lions are also 8th in the nation in turnover margin (+0.87). Though these stats are somewhat inflated by a lack of a true quality OOC opponent in 2008, they are nevertheless extremely impressive after half the conference season and 8 total games, and demonstrate few, if any, obvious weaknesses in the Lion attack. The Buckeye defense will have to be at their very best on Saturday to come away with a victory.
Quarterbacks
QB #17 Daryll Clark (6-2, 235, JR, Ursuline HS, Youngstown, OH)
The obvious weak link in the offense for the Lions since their highly successful 2005 campaign has been the QB position, and there were large question marks coming into the 2008 campaign. Enter an Ohio product, Daryll Clark, who had to earn the job in a very close and spirited competition with backup Pat Devlin (#7). He has responded by waking the echoes of Michael Robinson, pounding the ball on the ground and firing the ball to receivers with equal ferocity. He's been a menace for opposing defenses this season, and has accounted for 19 TDs, and that's without playing late in several games where the score was out of reach. He has not been explosive in the passing game, as he has not topped 250 yards through the air in a game, but he has been very consistent, averaging about 20-25 attempts per game and throwing for 175-225 yards on average, completing a very high percentage (over 60% 6 times, over 70% twice). He has also thrown a TD pass in every game except the Purdue game 2 weeks ago, and has been picked off only 2 times in 180 pass attempts. Being a mobile QB, it makes sense that he has also avoided sacks, being dropped behind the line only 5 times in 8 games. On the ground, the yardage numbers are not overwhelming (only broken 50 yards twice, against Oregon State and Illinois), but he has rushed for 8 TDs, including 2 each against Wisconsin and Michigan, and scoring at least once on the ground the past 5 games. Clark is big, strong, tough, versatile, and the perfect fit for the offense the Lions are running, and he has finally been able to take advantage of the talent that the Lions have at the wideout positions.
Backing up Clark is the sophomore Devlin (#7), who almost won the starting job. He is more of a ?traditional? pocket quarterback with good size (6-4, 222) and a strong arm. He's gotten some quality game action thus far, albeit at the end of games, throwing for 367 yards and 3 TDs, with an additional rushing TD against Wisconsin. He's clearly not the threat Clark is, but Penn State coaches have said they think they would be right around the same level of success had they gone with Devlin instead of Clark. Are the blowing smoke? Possibly, but there is little doubt that Devlin has significant talent.
QB Rating: A-
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus Ohio State QBs
Clark (P/R): 114/180 (63.3%), 1531 yards, 11 TDs, 2 INTs, 152.7 rating; 47/190, 8 TDs
Pryor (P/R): 59/90 (65.6%), 653 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs, 144.1 rating; 88/411, 5 TDs
It has been argued amongst pundits that Clark is now where Pryor wants to get to. This may be true to an extent, though Pryor appears to be a more significant threat on the ground already, in terms of breaking long runs and consistent yardage production. Still, Clark at this point is the far superior passer, though Pryor has been making consistent progress in his reads over the few weeks he has been in the lineup, and appears to be coming into his own as a passer slowly but surely. Pryor has also thrown for a very high percentage, but has not put the ball in the air much, something undoubtedly the Lion defense will attempt to force him to do. When Pryor breaks contain, he is deadlier for a big play, though Clark is a tough runner and has shown to be devastating inside the 20 on the QB draw and with an occasional option read. It is difficult to ignore the numbers Clark has put up over the course of the season, particularly the TD/INT ratio and the 19 total TDs. At the backup positions, the Buckeyes have the edge with the experienced Boeckman, but the Lions are confident they can run their offense perfectly well with Devlin at the helm as well. This battle will go a long way in determining the outcome of the game, but based on the season thus far, the edge goes to the Lions.
Edge: Penn State
Running Backs
TB #22 Evan Royster (6-1, 211, SO, Westfield HS, Fairfax, VA)
Evan Royster is the next in a line of running backs that has been a proud tradition at Penn State over the decades of the Joe Paterno era. Though Tony Hunt was a quality back, Royster appears destined to pass him, if he has not done so already, and move into the upper echelon of Nittany Lion backs. He has eclipsed the 100 yard mark 5 times, and of the 3 games he did not do that, all 3 were out of reach early (Coastal Carolina, Temple, Wisconsin), so he did not get a large number of carries (8, 9, 14) in those games. He hit Oregon State for 141 yards and 3 TDs, gained 101 against Syracuse on only 13 carries, gained 139 against Illinois, 141 against Purdue, and torched Michigan for 174 yards last week. The amazing thing is he has done all of that without breaking 20 carries in a game, so he is fresh at the midpoint of the conference slate. He is averaging a ridiculous 7.7 yards a carry, and has scored 10 TDs, including one in 4 of the past 5 games. He can also be a target out of the backfield on occasion, chipping in 11 catches for 101 yards thus far. He is a sleek but powerful runner, and he always seems to put in a big second effort at the end of his runs, gaining a few extra yards and doubtlessly earning the respect of his teammates in the process. The Buckeyes did a very good job stopping Javon Ringer last week, and they will have to be equal to that task this week to contain Royster.
Backing up Royster is freshman Stephfon Green (#21). He is a burner (5-10, 189) who provides a nice compliment to the powerful running of Royster. The Lions have used him consistently (7-10 carries a game), and his quality play has made it possible to keep Royster fresh and punishing between the tackles in the 2nd half. He gained 89 yards on 10 carries in the opener, and 132 yards on 9 carries against Temple. He also caught a seemingly innocuous screen pass last week at the end of the game that he turned into an 80 yard TD by dekeing Morgan Trent out of his equipment on the way to the end zone.
The Lions do not (and do not have to) go much more than 2 deep at the back position. Freshman and Youngstown native Brandon Beachum (#25) gets the occasional opportunity (24 carries), but do not expect to see him much, if at all, Saturday.
RB Rating: A-
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus Ohio State RBs
Royster: 116/893 yards, 10 TDs, 7.7 YPC; 11 rec/101 yards, 0 TDs, 9.2 YPR
Green: 70/411 yards, 4 TDs, 5.9 YPC; 7 rec/142 yards, 1 TD, 20.3 YPR
C Wells: 102/619 yards, 4 TDs, 6.1 YPC; 6 rec/13 yards, 0 TDs, 2.2 YPR
Herron: 58/262 yards, 1 TD, 4.5 YPC; 5 rec/27 yards, 0 TDs, 5.4 YPR
M Wells: 28/99 yards, 1 TD, 3.5 YPC; 4 rec/39 yards, 0 TDs, 9.8 YPR
Many call Chris Wells the best back in the Big Ten, and most Ohio State fans would certainly agree with that logic. Since coming back from injury, Wells has been dominant (3 100 yard performances in 4 games), and he has the ability to carry the team on his back with a heavy workload if it becomes necessary or desirable (31 carries last week against the Spartans), something Royster at this stage of his career probably cannot do. That said, the Lions have the advantage at the 2nd level with Green, though if Herron is back and healthy the gap there closes significantly. The Buckeye defense has made a habit of shutting down quality running backs (see Javon Ringer) and Lion running backs at home (see Larry Johnson) so it would be surprising if Royster has a monster game this weekend. Still, the Lions have 2 quality backs, and will be an integral part of the success or failure of the Lion offense this weekend. A healthy Wells is unmatched, so give the edge to the Buckeyes.
Edge: Ohio State
Wide Receivers
WR #2 Derrick Williams (6-0, 199, SR, Eleanor Roosevelt HS, Greenbelt, MD)
WR #3 Deon Butler (5-10, 170, SR, C. D. Hylton HS, Woodbridge, VA)
WR #24 Jordan Norwood (5-11, 171, SR, State College Area HS, State College, PA)
The strength of the Lion attack is in the leadership and development of the receiving corps. The Lions have 3 senior starters, any of whom can have a big game at any time, and finally have a QB who can get them the ball to take advantage of their considerable talent. They are all good route runners, consistently produce, can position themselves well to make a catch, and have reasonably good speed. They have combined for 101 career starts, so they also have a wealth of experience in almost every game situation.
Butler will finish his career among the all-time leading receivers at Penn State, and he's been exceptionally consistent year to year, having seasons of 691 yards (37 catches), 637 yards (48 catches), and 633 yards (47 catches) thus far, and he has started 41 career games for the Lions. In 2008, he is on par with those numbers again, and leads the team in catches and yards thus far. His highlights include a 7 catch, 100 yard, 2 TD day against Syracuse, 3 catches for 70 yards and a TD against Wisconsin, and 8 catches for 105 yards last weekend against the Wolverines.
Norwood has also been remarkably consistent year to year, with seasons of 422 yards (32 catches), 472 yards (45 catches), and 484 yards (40 catches) in his first 3 campaigns. He has 20 career starts under his belt. This year he already has 405 yards receiving and has matched his career high in TDs with 5, so he will undoubtedly surpass his previous totals in his senior season. He started fast, nabbing 8 balls for 116 yards against Oregon State and 5 for 113 yards and 2 TDs against Syracuse. He has battled injuries since, and his production has fallen off a bit, though he did catch a TD pass last weekend against Michigan.
Williams, arguably the most sought after recruit of his freshman year, has not produced the explosive or consistent numbers in the passing game that many had envisioned, though he has been a mainstay in the lineup, starting 40 career games despite suffering a broken arm as a freshman. Last season he set career highs for catches (55), yards (529), and TDs (3), but this season his production has tapered off some, with only 25 catches thus far. The team does look to get him the ball in a variety of other ways, on backward passes, end arounds, and other such plays. Still, he has only 1 rushing TD and 1 receiving TD this season. However, both of those were against Illinois, in a game he clearly dominated. Thus the capacity for Williams to take over a game exists, and he has done so in the past, but his production (season high 52 yards receiving other than the Illinois game) has not been entirely consistent. On the flip side, he is a team captain, a vocal leader, and is responsible in many ways for the revitalization of Penn State football, as his decision to attend Penn State led to Justin King and a host of other players to join him. So, in totality, his numbers will not go down as Heisman caliber, but his effect on the program has been significant when viewed through the totality of the situation.
The Lions also have additional weapons in the wings, though go to them infrequently with the wealth of experience at the top of the chart. Sophomores Brett Brackett (#83) and Graham Zug (#5) each have a TD catch, as does freshman Derek Moye (#6). All could get an occasional target Saturday, but it is unlikely they will play a large factor.
WR Rating: A-
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus Ohio State WRs
Butler: 30 catches, 486 yards, 3 TDs, 16.2 YPR
Norwood: 25 catches, 405 yards, 5 TDs, 16.2 YPR
Williams: 25 catches, 282 yards, 1 TD, 11.3 YPR
Robiskie: 26 catches, 242 yards, 5 TDs, 9.3 YPR
Hartline: 15 catches, 287 yards, 2 TDs, 19.1 YPR
Small: 16 catches, 112 yards, 0 TDs, 7.0 YPR
As a group, the Lions are 3-deep and have a bit more experienced than the Buckeyes. Grant in particular is a very steady player, and Norwood has really come into his own this season. Williams is a potential game-breaker at any time, the question just being whether that will be in the passing game or restricted to the return game. The Buckeyes have reasonably good options as well, but their production has tapered, certainly partially because of the reduction in passing since Pryor became the starter, but also because they have not played quite as well in spots as they did a season ago. The Buckeyes can hang with this group, but the 3-headed monster gets the nod.
Edge: Penn State
Tight Ends
TE #82 Mickey Shuler (6-4, 250, JR, East Pennsboro HS, Enola, PA)
Shuler, a 2nd generation Lion, is unspectacular, but extremely sound in his fundamentals of blocking and receiving. He knows what his job is, where he needs to be, and is instrumental in the success of the running game out of the spread. He will not light up the scoreboard with his numbers, but he can catch an occasional pass if left unguarded. The backup, Andrew Quarless, is an immense raw talent, with good size (6-5, 250) and the ability to create matchup problems, but through his inconsistent work ethic and off-the-field problems has spent more time in the doghouse than Fido. He can be a dangerous weapon in the passing game, but has not been a factor the past 2 weeks, and may not see the field at all this Saturday.
TE Rating: B
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus Ohio State TEs
Shuler: 5 catches, 60 yards, 1 TD, 12.0 YPR
Quarless: 9 catches, 95 yards, 1 TD, 10.6 YPR
Nicol: 4 catches, 32 yards, 1 TD, 8.0 YPR
Ballard: 3 catches, 42 yards, 0 TDs, 14.0 YPR
Both teams use their TEs primarily as blockers, and have players who do a capable job. Neither group will remind anyone of Jason Whitten in the passing game.
Edge: Even
Offensive Line
LT #76 Gerald Cadogan (6-5, 314, SR, Portsmouth HS, Portsmouth, OH)
LG #64 Rich Ohrnberger (6-2, 296, SR, East Meadow HS, East Meadow, NY)
C #57 A.Q. Shipley (6-1, 300, SR, Moon Area HS, Coraopolis, PA)
RG #50 Stefen Wisniewski (6-3, 294, SO, Pittsburgh Central Catholic HS, Bridgeville, PA)
RT #73 Dennis Landolt (6-4, 303, JR, Holy Cross HS, Burlington, NJ)
Though the QB play has been a nemesis for the Lions the past few seasons, a bigger problem this decade has been a series of unsuccessful classes of offensive linemen. Penn State once had a good tradition of producing NFL-calibur players on the line, as recently as the 1990s, but in recent seasons they have hardly even looked worthy of Big Ten players in many cases. That has changed this season, as a line that has had a chance to play together has finally morphed into a veteran group and a trench weapon for the Lions, and the offensive production has skyrocketed as a result. The line has reasonably good size, but is also versatile allowing them to run the Spread HD and be equally adept at run and pass blocking, as their excellent balance in the 2 phases demonstrates. It all starts in the middle with Shipley, a senior and team captain. He has started 34 straight games and was named 1st team All-Big Ten by the coaches in 2007. On the left side, Ohio product Cadogan is in his 2nd season manning the tackle spot after replacing Levi Brown. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten performer a year ago, and has started every game this season, with 26 career starts to his credit. Ohrnberger is a versatile interior lineman who started 9 games at right guard in 2006 and 12 at left guard in 2007, when he was named 2nd team All-Big Ten by the media and coaches. He is also a cagey veteran with 30 career starts under his belt. On the right side, Landolt started all 13 games at right tackle in 2007 after backing up Levi Brown at left tackle in 2006, and has now started 21 games in his career. At guard, Wisniewski's father was arguable the meanest lineman of his era in the NFL, and Stefen brings some of that same tenacity to the field as a starting underclassman. He played in 8 games last season, including one start, and has started every game this year. This group is tough, versatile, determined, works hard, and has played together by and large in tact for 2 years, so they are peaking in their performance at just the right time, as the Lions make a final National Title run with this senior-laden group of offensive players.
Senior Mike Lucian (#50) is the most experienced backup, manning the interior. He started 8 games last season, and provides an experienced presence from the bench. The rest of the backups are youngsters, including 3 freshmen.
OL Rating: A-
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus Ohio State OL
The Buckeyes seem to be getting their acts together along the line, playing much better in recent weeks after some shakeups in the lineup. The Lions have been steady and oftentimes dominant, playing with the same cohesive unit all season. They seem equally adept at power blocking between the tackles, edge blocking on end arounds, toss sweeps, and screens, and pass blocking for Clark. This is a very good line, and the Buckeye front 7 will have to work very hard to get pressure on Clark and to slow the running game down.
Edge: Penn State
Overall Offensive Analysis
Save one half of football against Michigan and a somewhat lackluster performance against Purdue (who also gave the Buckeye offense some problems), this has been one of the most dominant units in the country, ranking in or near the top 10 in every major statistical category. They block well, don't take a lot of big losses, don't throw stupid interceptions, don't take a lot of silly penalties, don't put the ball on the ground all that often, and mix in a nice array of gadget plays at opportune times. They have explosive players at the skill positions and are very solid up front. This will be the best defense they face all year, and the Buckeye offense seems capable of competing with the Lions to the point that they will not be able to recover from a very subdued start like they had last weekend to blowout an awful Michigan team in the 2nd half. Wells and the Buckeyes are not going to allow that to happen, so the onus will be on the Lions to play 60 minutes of solid football. Arguably, this game might be different than some other games, in that it might be determined in the first 20 minutes, rather than the last 20 minutes. If the Lions can get off to a rollicking start and put the Buckeyes on their heels, they can try and force Pryor to throw the ball more and take some of the sting out of Wells. But if they get off to the same start they got off to last weekend, they'll be in a big hole, instead of down only 17-7, and find it very difficult to come back. The first quarter and a half may determine the Big Ten Champion, and put someone in line for an outside shot at the National Championship game. In any event, both teams will have their work cut out for them, but it would be hard to argue against this being the best team the Lions have brought to Columbus, or it being their best chance to walk away with the elusive victory. They exorcised one demon last week, but this one will be in a different zip code in terms of degree of difficulty. Are they up to the challenge? If they are, against a stout defense, a rapidly rising offense, and a deafening crowd in prime time, they will have earned it.
Overall Offensive Rating: A
Returning Starters: 7
Coming in to the season there was some question about how Defensive Coordinator Tom Bradley would replace the losses of outgoing LB Dan Connor and CB Justin King while also dealing with the losses of Tackles Chris Baker and Phil Taylor both of whom were dismissed from the team for off the field issues. Compounding the problem was LB Sean Lee suffering a season ending knee injury. None-the-less, Penn State has performed above the expectations of some, leading the Big Ten in several statistical categories, including total defense and pass defense through the team's first eight games.
Compared to Ohio State:
Team........Total D....Pass D....Rush D....INT...Fumble....RedZone....Pct...1stD (R/P/Pen).3rd........Sacks...Score
Penn State..263.2......159.4.....103.9.....11....4.........11-14......79%...52/59/6........33/120 28%...23....11.8.
Ohio State..265.4......168.2.....97.1......12....9.........12/14......86%...51/65/9........42/115 37%...14....13.4.
While generally close in most categories, it is clear that Penn State has had an easier time generating pressure on the Quarterback as they have 9 more sacks than do the Buckeyes. Still, Ohio State has created more turnovers and also has more scores coming from the Defense.
Both teams have played at least one "superior" offense with Penn State beating Illinois (number 9 Offense in the country) and Ohio State losing to USC (number 12 in the nation). Conversely, the worst offense Ohio State has played was last week against #69 Michigan State, while the Nittany Lions have feasted on patsies like #115 Temple, #109 Syracuse and #108 Michigan. In this respect, the numbers may favor Ohio State in spite of the results listed above. Conversely, Penn State will be facing an offense currently ranked 90 in the nation in the Buckeyes, while the Buckeyes will be going against a PSU team which ranks 11th, just ahead of USC. While Penn State has put up huge numbers against defenses far inferior to the Buckeyes, the Buckeyes haven't exactly been scoring at will against a schedule which, while tougher than Penn State's, doesn't inspire much fear.
Defensive Line
DE #59 Aaron Maybin (6-4, 245, JR)
DT #91 Jared Odrick (6-5, 303, JR)
DT #85 Ollie Ogbu (6-1, 289, JR)
DE #47 Josh Gaines (6-1, 273, SR)
Thus far the line has been lead by Maybin who brings quickness rather than size to the unit. While not the strongest run stopper in the land, Maybin has been a force behind the line of scrimmage recording 10 sacks and 14.5 TFLs among his 33 tackles. He has also forced 3 fumbles, though recovering none. The next leading tackler on the line is the Senior Josh Gaines who is an interesting contast with Maybin. That is to say, Gaines is a better run stopper but is not nearly as disruptive in the backfield though he does have good quickness. He has 26 Tackles, 6.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks. Oderick is a beefy stop-gap in the middle who also displays the ability to get in to the Quarterback's face. He has 20 tackles, 4.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks thus far. Rounding out the starting rotation is Ogbu. A starter of five contests in 2007, Ogbu has to get better at getting off the ball and behind the LOS. While certainly talented, Ogbu has just 11 tackles and 1.5 TFLs with a sack thus far.
Depth comes from Ends; #48 Maurice Evans (6-2, 262, JR), #81 Jack Crawford (6-5, 248, FR), #44 Kevion Latham (6-2, 252, SO) and, #56 Eric Latimore (6-6, 262, SO) and Tackles; #95 Abe Koroma (6-3, 312, JR), #55 Tom McEowen (6-4, 277, JR) and #92 Chima Okoli (6-4, 298, SO). Evans may well be the most talented of the bunch and will see the field with regularity. Unblockable at times, Evans has the talent and potential to play on Sundays. While leading the Defense in sacks in 2007 with 12.5, Evans sat out three games for off the field issues. Thus, in 5 contests he has recorded 17 tackles, 2.5 for loss with 2 sacks. Also having spent time suspended for off the field problems is Tackle Abe Koroma who has returned to record 11 tackles, .5 for loss and a fumble recovery. Crawford has played in each of PSU's 8 games and has 4 tackles, while Latimore and Latham have played in 7 games with Latimore recording 7 tackles and a sack and Latham recoding 2 tackles. Okoli has 1 tackle in 6 games, while McEowen has 4 in 5 contests.
DL Rating: B+
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus OSU DL
Penn State has demonstrated a much better ability to get in to the backfield and bring the QB down. They do this particularly well with the front four, while Ohio State has relied on blitzes to create pressure and to less impressive results. While PSU does give up a few more yards on the ground than does Ohio State, they have better interior play and are just as good or slightly better off the edge than are the Buckeyes, especially in light of the loss of Lawrence Wilson. It is somewhat hard to know if PSU's susceptibility to the run has been remedied from last year (Ohio State ran for over 200) or is more on account of the offenses they've faced, namely the likes of Temple, Purdue and Coastal Carolina. Having a mobile QB like Pryor will certainly help, but his youth could also have the Nittany Lions salivating. The Buckeyes will need Beanie to establish a threat early to keep as much pressure off Pryor as possible.
Edge: Penn State
Linebackers
OLB #46 Tyrell Sales (6-2, 238, SR)
MLB #43 Josh Hull (6-3, 239, SR)
WLB #18 Navorro Bowman (6-1, 228, JR)
Coming in to 2008, Penn State fans were expecting Sean Lee to pick up where Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor left off and give James Laurinaitis a run for his money as the Big Ten's best LB. Unfortunately, Lee's season ended before it started with a knee injury. He's due to return in 2009. Instead, the unit has been lead thus far by Bowman who has rejoined the team after being suspended for off the field issues. Bowman is the fastest of the group and has the potential to be a serious play-making threat on the defensive side of the ball. He leads PSU with 71 tackles, 9.5 for loss with 3 sacks and a 29 yard INT return. The lone returning starter is Sales who had a fine season when surrounded by Lee and Connor in 2007 recording 50 tackles. He has good size and speed for his position and has plenty of game expirience. He is second on the team with 46 tackles, but has not yet recorded one for loss. Rounding out the starting corps is Hull. A former walk-on, Hull is a downgrade from Dan Connor and would not have played in front of Lee. But, he is a hard worker as his status as "former walk-on" attests. He is tied for 3rd with 41 tackles, 3.5 for loss, with a 14 yard pick and 1 fumble recovery to his credit.
Depth is provided by, #34 Nathan Stupar (6-1, 233, SO), #15 Bani Gbadyu (6-1, 223, JR), #42 Michael Mauti (6-2, 228, FR), and #53 Chris Colasanti (6-2, 240, SO). The reserves have all seen action in each of Penn State's games with Gbadyu leading the way with 22 tackles, 3 for loss and a pick. A tough tackler with good speed, Gbadyu was projected to take over for Lee out of spring ball. Stupar needs to establish he can be more consistent in coverage but failing that he could end up as a speedy rush end before his career at PSU ends. He has 17 tackles with one for loss in 2008. Mauti, an early enrollee Freshman, has 15 tackles and 1 for loss in this his freshman season while Colasanti has recoded 10.
LB Rating: B-
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus OSU LBs
Penn State's LB corps is solid, but not great. The group performs well enough and is hardly a weakness, but does not disrupt the passing game as well as it could with more time. In losing Connor and Lee, PSU is replacing some 238 tackles. But, the loss has also opened the doors for new talent to emerge as Lee's absence has allowed more reserves to get in to the rotation. The increased depth will do nothing but help in the long run, especially when Lee returns next season. Each of Ohio State's LBs, Laurinaits, Freeman and Homan are ahead of their counterpart at PSU in terms of tackles, have a few more sacks as a unit, and are slightly better in coverage than PSU's corps. The difference is far from extreme, but the edge here favors Ohio State.
Edge: Ohio State
Secondary
RCB #11 Tony Davis (5-10, 192, SR)
FS #7 Anthony Scirrotto (6-0, 197, SR)
SS #9 Mark Rubin (6-3, 220, SR)
LCB #1 A.J. Wallace (6-1, 188, JR)
Scirrotto returns for his senior season looking to improve on a solid Junior campaign where he was 4th on the team in tackles and first in interceptions with three. He is very good when the ball is in the air, though he has just one INT thus far in 2008. He is tied for 3rd on the team in tackles with 41 and has a fumble recovery. On the strong side, Rubin looks to buiild off his Junior season where he worked his way in to the starters role for the last 5 games of the year. While he needs to improve in coverage he is a sure tackler and can be counted on to make the stop. He has 32 tackles, 1 for loss and a pcik. Davis was a starter at Strong Safety last season and now takes over for the depated Justin King. As a SS he had great range, but needs to establish he can stick with the better wide-outs. He has 24 tackles, 1 for loss and a pick this season through 8 games. A.J. Wallace took over the other corner position last season when he saw the first action for the last 4 games of the year. A speedster, Wallace has great size and "sky's the limit" potential. He has 11 tackles thus far.
Depth is provided by Corners; #8 D'Anton Lynn (6-1, 190, FR) and #10 Lydell Sargeant (5-10, 190, SR) and Safeties; #4 Knowledge Timmons (5-10, 187, JR), #28 Drew Astorino (5-10, 191, SO), and Cedric Jeffries (6-2, 215, JR). Astorino is tied for the team lead with 2 picks and is 8th on the team with 26 tackles, one for loss. Sargeant also has two picks and 12 tackles having seen action in each of PSU's 8 games. Both Timmons and Jeffries have played in all 8 games as well, with Timmons recording 7 tackles and a pick and Jeffries recording 12 stops.
DB Rating: B
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus OSU DBs
While Penn State won't miss the loss of Justin King too badly, there is no true lock down corner here. Even when PSU had King, Ohio State was better with Malcom Jenkins - who has, of course, returned to the Buckeyes for his senior season. Jenkins has returned two picks for scores against the Lions and would love to do so again this year. The Nittany Lions' Safeties are stronger than the corners, but they also have room to improve. The secondary relies on the D-Line generating pressure to get the job done, and if Ohio State's line can slow them down, or if Pryor is able to scramble effectively, it's not clear how long the corners will be able to hang with Ohio State's wideouts. If the Safeties are additionally asked to keep an eye on the mobile Pryor, the passing lanes could be for the taking.
Edge: Ohio State
Overall Defensive Analysis
It's hard to know exactly how good Penn State's defense is. So as not to be misunderstood, it is certain that this is a solid group and will be one of the better units Ohio State faces this season, behind USC. But, with the meager competition it has gone against, one cannot be certain that the statistical advantage(s) PSU displays are in line with their "real" ability as a unit. All that said, it may well depend on which Ohio State shows up. The Ohio State that mailed it in against Purdue and Ohio will look dreadful against Penn State, while the Michigan State and Troy game Buckeyes should find room to run and throw against this defense. As usual, "who shows up" will largely be determined by line play. In favor of Ohio State is the fact that Beanie Wells has some of his best games against the better competition. While this line is very good, it's not the Glenn Dorsey led LSU unit, which Beanie ran against just fine. If the running game is clicking, and Pryor has time, there are yards available through the air.
Overall Defensive Rating: B
2008 Penn State Special Teams PreviewCompared to Ohio State:
Team........Total D....Pass D....Rush D....INT...Fumble....RedZone....Pct...1stD (R/P/Pen).3rd........Sacks...Score
Penn State..263.2......159.4.....103.9.....11....4.........11-14......79%...52/59/6........33/120 28%...23....11.8.
Ohio State..265.4......168.2.....97.1......12....9.........12/14......86%...51/65/9........42/115 37%...14....13.4.
While generally close in most categories, it is clear that Penn State has had an easier time generating pressure on the Quarterback as they have 9 more sacks than do the Buckeyes. Still, Ohio State has created more turnovers and also has more scores coming from the Defense.
Both teams have played at least one "superior" offense with Penn State beating Illinois (number 9 Offense in the country) and Ohio State losing to USC (number 12 in the nation). Conversely, the worst offense Ohio State has played was last week against #69 Michigan State, while the Nittany Lions have feasted on patsies like #115 Temple, #109 Syracuse and #108 Michigan. In this respect, the numbers may favor Ohio State in spite of the results listed above. Conversely, Penn State will be facing an offense currently ranked 90 in the nation in the Buckeyes, while the Buckeyes will be going against a PSU team which ranks 11th, just ahead of USC. While Penn State has put up huge numbers against defenses far inferior to the Buckeyes, the Buckeyes haven't exactly been scoring at will against a schedule which, while tougher than Penn State's, doesn't inspire much fear.
Defensive Line
DE #59 Aaron Maybin (6-4, 245, JR)
DT #91 Jared Odrick (6-5, 303, JR)
DT #85 Ollie Ogbu (6-1, 289, JR)
DE #47 Josh Gaines (6-1, 273, SR)
Thus far the line has been lead by Maybin who brings quickness rather than size to the unit. While not the strongest run stopper in the land, Maybin has been a force behind the line of scrimmage recording 10 sacks and 14.5 TFLs among his 33 tackles. He has also forced 3 fumbles, though recovering none. The next leading tackler on the line is the Senior Josh Gaines who is an interesting contast with Maybin. That is to say, Gaines is a better run stopper but is not nearly as disruptive in the backfield though he does have good quickness. He has 26 Tackles, 6.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks. Oderick is a beefy stop-gap in the middle who also displays the ability to get in to the Quarterback's face. He has 20 tackles, 4.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks thus far. Rounding out the starting rotation is Ogbu. A starter of five contests in 2007, Ogbu has to get better at getting off the ball and behind the LOS. While certainly talented, Ogbu has just 11 tackles and 1.5 TFLs with a sack thus far.
Depth comes from Ends; #48 Maurice Evans (6-2, 262, JR), #81 Jack Crawford (6-5, 248, FR), #44 Kevion Latham (6-2, 252, SO) and, #56 Eric Latimore (6-6, 262, SO) and Tackles; #95 Abe Koroma (6-3, 312, JR), #55 Tom McEowen (6-4, 277, JR) and #92 Chima Okoli (6-4, 298, SO). Evans may well be the most talented of the bunch and will see the field with regularity. Unblockable at times, Evans has the talent and potential to play on Sundays. While leading the Defense in sacks in 2007 with 12.5, Evans sat out three games for off the field issues. Thus, in 5 contests he has recorded 17 tackles, 2.5 for loss with 2 sacks. Also having spent time suspended for off the field problems is Tackle Abe Koroma who has returned to record 11 tackles, .5 for loss and a fumble recovery. Crawford has played in each of PSU's 8 games and has 4 tackles, while Latimore and Latham have played in 7 games with Latimore recording 7 tackles and a sack and Latham recoding 2 tackles. Okoli has 1 tackle in 6 games, while McEowen has 4 in 5 contests.
DL Rating: B+
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus OSU DL
Penn State has demonstrated a much better ability to get in to the backfield and bring the QB down. They do this particularly well with the front four, while Ohio State has relied on blitzes to create pressure and to less impressive results. While PSU does give up a few more yards on the ground than does Ohio State, they have better interior play and are just as good or slightly better off the edge than are the Buckeyes, especially in light of the loss of Lawrence Wilson. It is somewhat hard to know if PSU's susceptibility to the run has been remedied from last year (Ohio State ran for over 200) or is more on account of the offenses they've faced, namely the likes of Temple, Purdue and Coastal Carolina. Having a mobile QB like Pryor will certainly help, but his youth could also have the Nittany Lions salivating. The Buckeyes will need Beanie to establish a threat early to keep as much pressure off Pryor as possible.
Edge: Penn State
Linebackers
OLB #46 Tyrell Sales (6-2, 238, SR)
MLB #43 Josh Hull (6-3, 239, SR)
WLB #18 Navorro Bowman (6-1, 228, JR)
Coming in to 2008, Penn State fans were expecting Sean Lee to pick up where Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor left off and give James Laurinaitis a run for his money as the Big Ten's best LB. Unfortunately, Lee's season ended before it started with a knee injury. He's due to return in 2009. Instead, the unit has been lead thus far by Bowman who has rejoined the team after being suspended for off the field issues. Bowman is the fastest of the group and has the potential to be a serious play-making threat on the defensive side of the ball. He leads PSU with 71 tackles, 9.5 for loss with 3 sacks and a 29 yard INT return. The lone returning starter is Sales who had a fine season when surrounded by Lee and Connor in 2007 recording 50 tackles. He has good size and speed for his position and has plenty of game expirience. He is second on the team with 46 tackles, but has not yet recorded one for loss. Rounding out the starting corps is Hull. A former walk-on, Hull is a downgrade from Dan Connor and would not have played in front of Lee. But, he is a hard worker as his status as "former walk-on" attests. He is tied for 3rd with 41 tackles, 3.5 for loss, with a 14 yard pick and 1 fumble recovery to his credit.
Depth is provided by, #34 Nathan Stupar (6-1, 233, SO), #15 Bani Gbadyu (6-1, 223, JR), #42 Michael Mauti (6-2, 228, FR), and #53 Chris Colasanti (6-2, 240, SO). The reserves have all seen action in each of Penn State's games with Gbadyu leading the way with 22 tackles, 3 for loss and a pick. A tough tackler with good speed, Gbadyu was projected to take over for Lee out of spring ball. Stupar needs to establish he can be more consistent in coverage but failing that he could end up as a speedy rush end before his career at PSU ends. He has 17 tackles with one for loss in 2008. Mauti, an early enrollee Freshman, has 15 tackles and 1 for loss in this his freshman season while Colasanti has recoded 10.
LB Rating: B-
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus OSU LBs
Penn State's LB corps is solid, but not great. The group performs well enough and is hardly a weakness, but does not disrupt the passing game as well as it could with more time. In losing Connor and Lee, PSU is replacing some 238 tackles. But, the loss has also opened the doors for new talent to emerge as Lee's absence has allowed more reserves to get in to the rotation. The increased depth will do nothing but help in the long run, especially when Lee returns next season. Each of Ohio State's LBs, Laurinaits, Freeman and Homan are ahead of their counterpart at PSU in terms of tackles, have a few more sacks as a unit, and are slightly better in coverage than PSU's corps. The difference is far from extreme, but the edge here favors Ohio State.
Edge: Ohio State
Secondary
RCB #11 Tony Davis (5-10, 192, SR)
FS #7 Anthony Scirrotto (6-0, 197, SR)
SS #9 Mark Rubin (6-3, 220, SR)
LCB #1 A.J. Wallace (6-1, 188, JR)
Scirrotto returns for his senior season looking to improve on a solid Junior campaign where he was 4th on the team in tackles and first in interceptions with three. He is very good when the ball is in the air, though he has just one INT thus far in 2008. He is tied for 3rd on the team in tackles with 41 and has a fumble recovery. On the strong side, Rubin looks to buiild off his Junior season where he worked his way in to the starters role for the last 5 games of the year. While he needs to improve in coverage he is a sure tackler and can be counted on to make the stop. He has 32 tackles, 1 for loss and a pcik. Davis was a starter at Strong Safety last season and now takes over for the depated Justin King. As a SS he had great range, but needs to establish he can stick with the better wide-outs. He has 24 tackles, 1 for loss and a pick this season through 8 games. A.J. Wallace took over the other corner position last season when he saw the first action for the last 4 games of the year. A speedster, Wallace has great size and "sky's the limit" potential. He has 11 tackles thus far.
Depth is provided by Corners; #8 D'Anton Lynn (6-1, 190, FR) and #10 Lydell Sargeant (5-10, 190, SR) and Safeties; #4 Knowledge Timmons (5-10, 187, JR), #28 Drew Astorino (5-10, 191, SO), and Cedric Jeffries (6-2, 215, JR). Astorino is tied for the team lead with 2 picks and is 8th on the team with 26 tackles, one for loss. Sargeant also has two picks and 12 tackles having seen action in each of PSU's 8 games. Both Timmons and Jeffries have played in all 8 games as well, with Timmons recording 7 tackles and a pick and Jeffries recording 12 stops.
DB Rating: B
Head-to-Head: Penn State versus OSU DBs
While Penn State won't miss the loss of Justin King too badly, there is no true lock down corner here. Even when PSU had King, Ohio State was better with Malcom Jenkins - who has, of course, returned to the Buckeyes for his senior season. Jenkins has returned two picks for scores against the Lions and would love to do so again this year. The Nittany Lions' Safeties are stronger than the corners, but they also have room to improve. The secondary relies on the D-Line generating pressure to get the job done, and if Ohio State's line can slow them down, or if Pryor is able to scramble effectively, it's not clear how long the corners will be able to hang with Ohio State's wideouts. If the Safeties are additionally asked to keep an eye on the mobile Pryor, the passing lanes could be for the taking.
Edge: Ohio State
Overall Defensive Analysis
It's hard to know exactly how good Penn State's defense is. So as not to be misunderstood, it is certain that this is a solid group and will be one of the better units Ohio State faces this season, behind USC. But, with the meager competition it has gone against, one cannot be certain that the statistical advantage(s) PSU displays are in line with their "real" ability as a unit. All that said, it may well depend on which Ohio State shows up. The Ohio State that mailed it in against Purdue and Ohio will look dreadful against Penn State, while the Michigan State and Troy game Buckeyes should find room to run and throw against this defense. As usual, "who shows up" will largely be determined by line play. In favor of Ohio State is the fact that Beanie Wells has some of his best games against the better competition. While this line is very good, it's not the Glenn Dorsey led LSU unit, which Beanie ran against just fine. If the running game is clicking, and Pryor has time, there are yards available through the air.
Overall Defensive Rating: B
Returning Starters: 2
2007 stats
Punting: Jeremy Boone 59 for 2538, 43.02 avg, 19th in the Nation
Kicking: Kevin Kelly, 20 of 26 (76.9%) FGs, 44 of 45 FGs (97.7%), 16th in the Nation
Punt Returns: Derrick Williams 23 for 254 yds, 11.04 avg, 1 TD, 19th in the Nation
Punt return Defense: 20 for 107 yds, 5.35 avg 10th in the Nation
Kickoff returns: A.J. Wallace 22 for 581 yds, 26.41 avg 1 TD, 26th in the Nation
Kickoff return defense: 56 for 1476 yds, 26.36 avg, 2 TDs, 116th in the Nation
2008
Punting: Jeremy Boone, 16 for 648 yds, 41.0 avg (doesn't qualify for rankings, need 3.6 punts per game)
Kicking: Kevin Kelly, 12 of 14 FGs (85.7%), 43 of 43 PATs (100%)
Punt returns: Derrick Williams 12 for 124 yds, 10.33 avg, 35th in the Nation, Anthony Scirrotto, 4 for 57 yds, 14.2 avg
Punt return defense: 7 for 24 yds, 3.43 avg, 8th in the Nation
Kickoff returns: Derrick Williams 11 for 354 yds, 32.2 avg, 2 TDs, 5th in the Nation, A.J. Wallace, 6 for 119 yds, 19.8 avg, Chaz Powell, 5 for 176 yds, 35.2 avg
Kickoff return defense: 52 for 1155 yds, 22.2 avg, 76th in the Nation
Except for one glaring weakness (kickoff return defense), the Nittany Lions bring potent Special Teams play into the Shoe this weekend. Penn State ranks among the leaders in the country in every Special Teams category save for Kickoff Return defense, ranking only 76th in the Nation (although up from 116th last year). This will be a real battle that the Buckeyes cannot afford to lose.
Special Teams
P #41 Jeremy Boone (5-9, 184, Jr., Mechanicsburgh Area HS, Mechanicsburg, PA)
PK #23 Kevin Kelly (5-7, 164, Sr., Neshaminy HS, Langhorne, PA)
PR #2 Derrick Williams (6-0, 194, Sr., Eleanor Roosevelt HS, Greenbelt, MD)
PR #7 Anthony Scirrotto (6-0, 192, Sr., West Deptford HS, West Deptford, NJ)
KR #1 A.J. Wallace (6-1, 188, Jr., McDonough HS, Waldorf, MD)
LS #40 Andrew Pitz (6-3, 235, Jr., Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, IA)
The Penn State Special Teams are not only good, but experienced as well. Their main returner, punter and kicker are back from last year. And again, save for Kickoff Return defense, they rank among the leaders in the Nation. Punter Boone would be arounnd 48th in the Nation, if he had enough punts to qualify. Kicker Kelly is 14th in the Nation in scoring and is perfect (43 of 43) in PATs. Derrick Williams wrecks havoc on the return teams. He excels equally at punt returns and kickoff returns as he averages over 10 yards per punt return and over 32 yards (with 2 TDs) on kickoff returns.
ST Rating: A-
Head-to-Head: Derrick Williams versus OSU STs
The Buckeyes must contain Williams to win the field position battle. Williams is a dangerous returner in both the kickoff and punt return games. If he has a big day, the Buckeye defense will be put in a tough situation trying to bottle up the Nittany Lion offense. On defense, the Lions excel in punt return defense, but are suspect kickoff returns. While the Buckeyes continue to improve, they still have not made it to the level where coach Tressel wants them. This will be a crucial game-within-the-game.
Edge: Penn State
Head-to-Head: Ohio State return teams vs PSU STs
Again, this is not a great match up for the Buckeyes. Penn State's punt return defense is 8th in the Nation. While the kickoff return defense does not have great stats, they are much improved from last year and have not given up any scores. The Buckeye kickoff team continues to struggle, averaging only 18.94 yds per return, only 107th in the country. The Buckeyes have the athletes, but have yet to prove it on the field. The Lions have.
Edge: Penn State
PredictionsPunting: Jeremy Boone 59 for 2538, 43.02 avg, 19th in the Nation
Kicking: Kevin Kelly, 20 of 26 (76.9%) FGs, 44 of 45 FGs (97.7%), 16th in the Nation
Punt Returns: Derrick Williams 23 for 254 yds, 11.04 avg, 1 TD, 19th in the Nation
Punt return Defense: 20 for 107 yds, 5.35 avg 10th in the Nation
Kickoff returns: A.J. Wallace 22 for 581 yds, 26.41 avg 1 TD, 26th in the Nation
Kickoff return defense: 56 for 1476 yds, 26.36 avg, 2 TDs, 116th in the Nation
2008
Punting: Jeremy Boone, 16 for 648 yds, 41.0 avg (doesn't qualify for rankings, need 3.6 punts per game)
Kicking: Kevin Kelly, 12 of 14 FGs (85.7%), 43 of 43 PATs (100%)
Punt returns: Derrick Williams 12 for 124 yds, 10.33 avg, 35th in the Nation, Anthony Scirrotto, 4 for 57 yds, 14.2 avg
Punt return defense: 7 for 24 yds, 3.43 avg, 8th in the Nation
Kickoff returns: Derrick Williams 11 for 354 yds, 32.2 avg, 2 TDs, 5th in the Nation, A.J. Wallace, 6 for 119 yds, 19.8 avg, Chaz Powell, 5 for 176 yds, 35.2 avg
Kickoff return defense: 52 for 1155 yds, 22.2 avg, 76th in the Nation
Except for one glaring weakness (kickoff return defense), the Nittany Lions bring potent Special Teams play into the Shoe this weekend. Penn State ranks among the leaders in the country in every Special Teams category save for Kickoff Return defense, ranking only 76th in the Nation (although up from 116th last year). This will be a real battle that the Buckeyes cannot afford to lose.
Special Teams
P #41 Jeremy Boone (5-9, 184, Jr., Mechanicsburgh Area HS, Mechanicsburg, PA)
PK #23 Kevin Kelly (5-7, 164, Sr., Neshaminy HS, Langhorne, PA)
PR #2 Derrick Williams (6-0, 194, Sr., Eleanor Roosevelt HS, Greenbelt, MD)
PR #7 Anthony Scirrotto (6-0, 192, Sr., West Deptford HS, West Deptford, NJ)
KR #1 A.J. Wallace (6-1, 188, Jr., McDonough HS, Waldorf, MD)
LS #40 Andrew Pitz (6-3, 235, Jr., Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, IA)
The Penn State Special Teams are not only good, but experienced as well. Their main returner, punter and kicker are back from last year. And again, save for Kickoff Return defense, they rank among the leaders in the Nation. Punter Boone would be arounnd 48th in the Nation, if he had enough punts to qualify. Kicker Kelly is 14th in the Nation in scoring and is perfect (43 of 43) in PATs. Derrick Williams wrecks havoc on the return teams. He excels equally at punt returns and kickoff returns as he averages over 10 yards per punt return and over 32 yards (with 2 TDs) on kickoff returns.
ST Rating: A-
Head-to-Head: Derrick Williams versus OSU STs
The Buckeyes must contain Williams to win the field position battle. Williams is a dangerous returner in both the kickoff and punt return games. If he has a big day, the Buckeye defense will be put in a tough situation trying to bottle up the Nittany Lion offense. On defense, the Lions excel in punt return defense, but are suspect kickoff returns. While the Buckeyes continue to improve, they still have not made it to the level where coach Tressel wants them. This will be a crucial game-within-the-game.
Edge: Penn State
Head-to-Head: Ohio State return teams vs PSU STs
Again, this is not a great match up for the Buckeyes. Penn State's punt return defense is 8th in the Nation. While the kickoff return defense does not have great stats, they are much improved from last year and have not given up any scores. The Buckeye kickoff team continues to struggle, averaging only 18.94 yds per return, only 107th in the country. The Buckeyes have the athletes, but have yet to prove it on the field. The Lions have.
Edge: Penn State
BB73's prediction: 34-17, Ohio State
BuckeyeRyn's prediction: ??-??, Ohio State
Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 34-17, Ohio State
Bucklion's prediction: 28-27, Ohio State
DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 27-23, Penn State
jwinslow's prediction: 27-17, Ohio State
JCOSU's Prediction: 27-20, Ohio State
3yardsandacloud's prediction: 23-20, Ohio State
Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 34-17, Ohio State
Bucklion's prediction: 28-27, Ohio State
DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 27-23, Penn State
jwinslow's prediction: 27-17, Ohio State
JCOSU's Prediction: 27-20, Ohio State
3yardsandacloud's prediction: 23-20, Ohio State
Previous Game's Results (OSU 45 - Michigan St. 7)
Low score wins the year long battle of prediction supremacy! (Difference of actual score versus predicted score. 10 point penalty for picking the losing team.)
(125) Bucklion's prediction: 24-16, Ohio State (30 + 95 last week = 125)
(158) DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 22-20, Ohio State (36 + 122 last week = 158)
(160) jwinslow's prediction: 24-21, Ohio State (35 + 125 last week = 160)
(165) JCOSU86's prediction: 24-14, Ohio State (28 + 137 last week = 165)
(172) BB73's prediction: 27-17, Ohio State (28 + 144 last week = 172)
(174) BuckeyeRyn's prediction: 21-10, Ohio State (36 + 138 last week = 174)
(182) Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 24-17, Ohio State (31 + 151 last week = 182)
(188) 3yardsandacloud's prediction: 24-17, Ohio State (31 + 157 last week = 188)
Adjusted scores for weeks missed. Participant must take the highest score from the week they missed.
Low score wins the year long battle of prediction supremacy! (Difference of actual score versus predicted score. 10 point penalty for picking the losing team.)
(125) Bucklion's prediction: 24-16, Ohio State (30 + 95 last week = 125)
(158) DaddyBigBucks's prediction: 22-20, Ohio State (36 + 122 last week = 158)
(160) jwinslow's prediction: 24-21, Ohio State (35 + 125 last week = 160)
(165) JCOSU86's prediction: 24-14, Ohio State (28 + 137 last week = 165)
(172) BB73's prediction: 27-17, Ohio State (28 + 144 last week = 172)
(174) BuckeyeRyn's prediction: 21-10, Ohio State (36 + 138 last week = 174)
(182) Buckeyeskickbuttocks' prediction: 24-17, Ohio State (31 + 151 last week = 182)
(188) 3yardsandacloud's prediction: 24-17, Ohio State (31 + 157 last week = 188)
Adjusted scores for weeks missed. Participant must take the highest score from the week they missed.
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