COLUMBUS – The round-robin matchups between the Beasts of the East in the Big Ten begin this weekend with the Buckeyes playing host to Penn State.
(3) OHIO STATE (6-0, 3-0) vs. (7) Penn State (6-0, 3-0); Ohio Stadium
Saturday, Oct. 21 (Noon/FOX)
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day wants fans to disrupt the Nittany Lions by making as much noise as possible.
“Doesn’t matter whether it’s third down, redzone or short yardage, it they’re operating and they’re on the field, the louder we can be, the more hostile that we can be: advantage Buckeyes,” he said.
Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan will all play one another over the next month and a half and those games will likely decide the Big Ten East, the conference title and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
“When you’re in games like this, as we know, it can come down to one play so everything is amped up, the consequences are higher, the stakes are higher,” Day told reporters earlier this week.
The Nittany Lions carry an 11-game win streak to Columbus, but they haven’t won here since 2011.
Ohio State has outscored its last two opponents 78-24 despite being short-handed at running back.
The Buckeyes are 4 1/2-point favorites.
Penn State comes in No. 1 in the country in total defense and No. 2 in scoring defense and Ohio State isn’t far behind in either category.
The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes are 1-2 in the Big Ten in offense.