Analysis: Top-five matchup between Ohio State and Penn State carries added weight

COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | RANDY JOHNSON

Penn State last won the Big Ten football championship in 2016. Ohio State last won it in 2020. That’s an eternity for the impatient fan bases of both the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes, two programs where conference titles are demanded.

At 11 a.m. Saturday, No. 4 Ohio State visits No. 3 Penn State in a matchup filled with Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff implications. ESPN’s “College GameDay” and FOX’s “Big Noon Kickoff” both will be headquartered at Beaver Stadium, where nearly 107,000 will pack the fourth-largest stadium in the world.

Both coaches in this game — Ohio State’s Ryan Day and Penn State’s James Franklin — could use a victory in the worst way to at least lower the volume of their critics. Day’s transgression is losing to Michigan three years running, ending the Buckeyes’ five-year hold on the Big Ten title. Franklin’s wrongdoing: failing to advance to the Big Ten title game the past seven years.

Day, who has as 2-6 record against teams in the top five of the Associated Press poll, on Monday didn’t sound like a coach who’s feeling any heat.

“What an unbelievable opportunity right here,” Day said. “I mean, a chance to go to Indianapolis is on the line, and our guys are excited about playing in this game.”

Franklin wants the excitement to come from the atmosphere in Happy Valley.

“Home-field advantage is going to be something that is going to be very, very important for us,” Franklin said. “So, we need this place rocking no matter what time the game is. … This is going to be an all-hands-on-deck game.”

The Buckeyes (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) were the preseason pick to win the Big Ten, and their only blemish is a 32-31 loss at No. 1 Oregon, a team they could meet again in the conference championship game. The Nittany Lions (7-0, 4-0) would remain on track to reach Indianapolis if they can get past Ohio State for the first time since 2016.

Ohio State has more to lose in this game because a second loss would damage its chances of getting into the 12-team playoff. Penn State could absorb a loss and still get in. Both teams figure to be battling with pair of unbeatens, Oregon and Indiana, to advance to Indianapolis.

“Our guys have been in this situation before,” Day said. “So, now it’s time to go win this game and get a top-five victory.”

To accomplish that, the Buckeyes will need to be sharper than last week in a 21-17 victory to Nebraska. The Cornhuskers, who were thrashed 56-7 at Indiana a week earlier, took a 17-14 lead with 10:47 left in the fourth quarter before Ohio State won the game on Will Howard’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Quinshon Judkins with 6:07 to play. The Buckeyes went 1-for-10 on third-down conversions and saw Nebraska amass 35:07 in time of possession.

Penn State also faced a stiff test from a former West Division member last week in a 28-13 victory at Wisconsin. The Badgers led 10-7 in the third quarter before Jaylen Reed’s 19-yard interception return for a touchdown put the Nittany Lions up 14-10. Backup quarterback Beau Pribula, replacing Drew Allar (leg injury), threw a fourth-quarter TD pass and Kaytron Allen added a late TD run.

Franklin said he likely wouldn’t know until just before game time if Allar will start. Pribula is more of a runner than Allar, so the Buckeyes must account for that.

“Obviously, the threat of the quarterback run impacts the defense,” Franklin said. “… It’s another kind of level of concern that it creates for the defense.”

Big Ten bowl projections

Here’s a weekly look at how the Big Ten bowl picture might shake out:

College Football Playoff: Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Indiana

Citrus Bowl (Dec. 31, Orlando): Illinois

ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31, Tampa): Iowa

Music City Bowl (Dec. 30, Nashville): Michigan

Duke’s Mayo (Jan. 3, Charlotte): Gophers

Pinstripe Bowl (Dec. 28, New York): Wisconsin

Rate Bowl (Dec. 26, Phoenix): Nebraska

GameAbove Sports Bowl (Dec. 26, Detroit): Michigan State

Sun Bowl (Dec. 31, El Paso): USC