It’s been a busy week in the Ohio State world, but don’t fret. BSB has you covered for everything you may have missed in the last seven days, from Ryan Day’s weekly press conference to the latest AP Poll.
After Penn State’s nine-overtime loss to Illinois last week, James Franklin’s name circulated in the discussion for Southern California’s head coaching vacancy. Franklin received some uncomfortable questions about his future with the Nittany Lions during his weekly press conference. Unfortunately, his answers were even more unbearable.
Ohio State is going to get a fully operational Penn State offense, at least if head coach James Franklin is to be believed. The Penn State head man told media that he expects starting quarterback Sean Clifford to be fully healthy against the Buckeyes, after he was knocked out of Penn State’s loss to Iowa on Oct. 9, and played at less-than-full-strength in the Nittany Lion loss to Illinois on Oct. 23.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day spoke with Paul Keels and Jim Lachey on 97.1 The Fan’s Ryan Day Radio Show on Thursday afternoon. He talked about Ohio State’s performance against Indiana and how he feels about the matchup with Penn State. The Buckeyes will host the Nittany Lions at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
It’s a very serious Penn State preview, a team that we don’t definitely think Ohio State is blowing out (for sure, absolutely not, totally not sarcasm). If you’re interested in subscribing to Buckeye Sports Bulletin, give BSB a call at 614-486-2202 and say that the podcast sent you. Ask for four free issues if you’d like to give it a sample first.
Ohio State’s offense has looked completely untouchable in four consecutive games. Since the difficulties of the Tulsa game that saw the Buckeyes seriously challenged into the fourth quarter, a switch has been flipped and, with a resurgent C.J. Stroud at the helm, Ohio State’s offense has ascended to a level that feels historically good, both at Ohio State and in the larger college football world.
Rivalry games rarely get out of hand. Ten of the last 20 meetings between Ohio State and Penn State were one-possession games, including three decided by one point. Only one of those 20 games was a true blowout – the Buckeyes’ 63-14 win in 2013. With how porous Penn State looked in a loss to Illinois last week and how unstoppable Ohio State’s offense has been since its loss to Oregon on Sept. 11, I think we are going to see another lopsided game in Columbus on Saturday night.
After missing last week’s game against Indiana, Ohio State running back Master Teague will be unavailable tonight, limiting the Buckeye backfield to TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams and Evan Pryor.
C.J. Stroud passed for 305 yards and a touchdown and TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 152 yards and a score when No. 5 Ohio State defeated No. 20 Penn State 33-24 at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
Chase Brown, BSB: Noah Ruggles is an unstoppable kicking machine. When he came to Columbus in the spring, the Buckeyes already had Jake Seibert. Still, the two kickers competed throughout fall camp and Ruggles won the starting job. In Ohio State’s eight games, Ruggles has yet to miss a kick — he is a perfect 11 for 11 when attempting field goals and 47 for 47 in his point-after attempts this season, including four field goals and three extra points against Penn State.
After a 33-24 win over Penn State on Oct. 30, Ohio State dropped to No. 6 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Buckeyes, the fifth-ranked team last week, sit behind a Michigan State team that beat then-No. 6 Michigan, 37-33, on Saturday evening. The Wolverines dropped three spots to No. 9 after the loss — their first of the season.
