Ohio State vs. Penn State: Start time, live stream, TV, info and more
By Coop Ledford
The #3 Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0) travel to State College, PA, to take on the #18 Penn State Nittany Lions (0-1) on Halloween night.
The Buckeyes are looking to pick up an impressive road victory and improve to 2-0, while the Nittany Lions are looking to pick up their first win of the season after being upset by Indiana in overtime last weekend. PSU has not started a season 0-2 since 2012.
Viewing Information:
Date: Saturday, Oct. 31 | Time: 7:30 PM ET
Location: Beaver Stadium, State College, PA
TV: ABC | Live Stream: ESPN App, fuboTV https://www.fubo.tv/lp/collegefootball/?irad=399332&irmp=374356
Announcers: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, and Maria Taylor
Weather: 36 degrees, 3% chance of rain/snow.
Storylines:
Three of the last four games between Ohio State and Penn State have been decided by three points or less, however, the Buckeyes currently sit at 11.5 point favorites against the Nittany Lions.
Ohio State beat Nebraska soundly, 52-17, in week one, but according to head coach Ryan Day, several players were not pleased. “What happened?” the players would ask as if they had lost the game. “52-17 guys, that’s pretty good,” said Day. Despite the 35-point win, the Buckeyes know improvements need to be made to beat Penn State.
Ohio State’s biggest question mark after the Nebraska game was regarding the running back situation. Master Teague and Trey Sermon split carries for the majority of the game, but neither were able to find much rhythm.
This is certainly a concern considering the fact that PSU allowed just 41 rushing yards against Indiana. Could Steele Chambers see more playing time after his impressive work last weekend? Ryan Day said Chambers “could play” but didn’t offer any further comments.
Star WR Chris Olave is listed as “available” against PSU, but that does not mean he will definitely play. Olave was injured in the third quarter against Nebraska and did not return. Fellow WR Garrett Wilson said he’s “very confident” that Chris Olave will be playing against PSU.
If he is unable to suit-up, it will be interesting to see what personnel packages Ohio State uses. Wilson could stay at the slot position or move back to an outside position, with the four freshmen WR’s available Ryan Day and Offensive Coordinator Kevin Wilson would have a plethora of options.
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As previously mentioned, Penn State is trying to avoid starting the season 0-2 for the first time since 2012. Ohio State typically struggles in Happy Valley, but with the absence of a sold-out whiteout crowd, the Buckeyes may feel a bit more comfortable. Former Buckeye Head Coach Urban Meyer has said the whiteout is a “7-10 point advantage.”
Penn State QB Sean Clifford is confident in his team’s ability to pull the upset this weekend, saying “I’m not here to hang with Ohio State, I’m here to beat Ohio State.” Head Coach James Franklin also seems ready. Despite the loss to Indiana, in a game that was poorly-managed, he seems to have moved on, after tweeting the words “Ohio State” 22 times in-a-row.
Series History: Ohio State leads the all-time series 20-14 and has won seven of the last eight match-ups. Three of the last four games in the series have been decided by three points or less. The last three games in State College have all been one-possession games, including PSU’s win over #2 OSU in 2016.
Odds: Ohio State is an 11.5 point favorite against Penn State, with an over/under of 64, according to ESPN.
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Be safe on Halloween, and enjoy what should be Ohio State’s biggest road test of the season.