Ohio State Football: Could Penn State become Ohio State’s rival?

Ohio State does not consider Penn State a rival, but that could change in the coming years if the annual matchup continues to be for the Big Ten East Championship.

Yesterday, I discussed why Penn State is not a rival of Ohio State. I still agree with this statement, but today I want to see if the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes could ever be considered rivals.

A lot of how this turns out will depend on the on-field product. Ohio State has had back-to-back fourth quarter come backs against Penn State. A few years ago, the Nittany Lions beat the Buckeyes to end their shot at a Big Ten title.

However, for a rivalry to occur these results need to continue over a longer period of time. Having a decade or two where the winner of this game usually decides the Big Ten East would go a long way in turning this series into a rivalry.

The other big factor is the difference of generations. For fans who are 30 or younger there is probably not a whole lot of first hand memory of the John Cooper era. My first memories of the Buckeyes are with Jim Tressel.

The point being, younger fans have no recollection of a time where TTUN and Ohio State went back and forth. It is even harder to imagine a time where TTUN dominated the rivalry. Ohio State has won almost every year I have been watching football when we play “The Game.”

So if the two things above combine, there is a shot this could become a rivalry. If we go another decade when the Penn State game decides who goes to Indianapolis AND Ohio State continues to dominate TTUN, I think the perceptions about these two great rivalries will begin to shift.

Now, I do not think that TTUN will ever lose its intensity. There is too much history, bad blood and animosity for the Wolverines to not be the biggest rival of the Buckeyes. But rivalries can also be built based on current results.

Both Ohio State and Penn State are big-time programs with plenty of firepower on the recruiting trail to keep the talent gap close. Currently, both programs have up-and-coming head coaches that could stay for a long time. And both of these schools have on-field results recently.

I think if Penn State wins 3-4 of the next 10 games against Ohio State, a new rivalry could be born, especially if the Buckeyes have some special seasons dashed because of the Nittany Lions.

With all that being said, I expect Ohio State to win, and win big this weekend. But if they don’t, a new seed of hatred will be planted for Penn State. And that could be the beginning of a great rivalry.