No. 13 Penn State held a 14-13 lead vs. No. 2 Ohio State at halftime Saturday in Happy Valley in what is recognized each season as one of the more pivotal contests in the Big Ten East race. Though this could prove to be the stiffest test yet for the Buckeyes, this is also a matchup that has seen Ohio State come out on the better end more often than not in recent years.
Ohio State has won five straight and 16 of the last 20 meetings, including a 33-24 win at Ohio Stadium last season. This season the Buckeyes enter with an undefeated record in Big Ten play and some first-place votes in the AP Top 25. Meanwhile, this game is already a must-win for the Nittany Lions. They rebounded nicely last week with a 45-17 win over Minnesota, but the 41-17 loss to Michigan removed any room for error if Penn State wants to win the Big Ten. A loss here would not only give the Lions two losses, but Michigan and Ohio State — the two teams it would be chasing — would have the tiebreaker.
It’s a massive showdown with Big Ten title and College Football Playoff implications.
Check out LIVE updates from Ohio State vs. Penn State here
How to watch Ohio State vs. Penn State live
Date: Saturday, October 29 | Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Beaver Stadium — University Park, Pennsylvania
TV: Fox | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Ohio State vs. Penn State: Need to know
Penn State plays Ohio State tougher than most: While the Buckeyes have dominated the series for the last couple of decades, that’s the case for Ohio State against most other Big Ten teams. The difference in this series is that the Buckeyes rarely blow out the Nittany Lions. While it’s not the best way to measure things, it does say a lot that Penn State has covered the spread in five of the last six meetings, and one of those five was Penn State’s 24-21 win in 2016. Ohio State’s five wins since that game have been by an average of only seven points each, including one-point wins in 2017 and 2018.
Ohio State’s defense has taken a step forward: The Buckeyes offense gets plenty of attention for good reason, but the biggest difference in Ohio State this season has been on the defensive side of the ball. After struggling in that area over the last few seasons, the Buckeyes defense ranks second nationally in total defense, fifth in points allowed per game, sixth in success rate and second in pressure rate. It’s hard to argue that…
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