college football On Saturday, the world will face a fascinating encounter; No. 3 Penn State will host No. 4 Ohio State in a Big Ten battle with epic implications.

Can James Franklin get a signature win after years of falling short against the best teams in the conference?

Or can the Buckeyes keep their conference title hopes alive with a critical road victory?

Let’s dive into the matchup and see who has the advantage.

Ohio State vs. Penn State odds

Ohio State vs. Penn State prediction

(12:00 ET, FOX)

When Ohio State Has the Ball

Will Howard has been a reliable and steady presence at quarterback for the Buckeyes; He completed 73.9% of his passes and threw 17 touchdowns against just four interceptions.

But on the rare occasions when he’s under pressure this season, his efficiency has dropped (18.9% of fumbles, according to Pro Football Focus) – his turnover-worthy play rate climbs to 7.7%, ranking 148th out of 155 qualified quarterbacks. 28.4 PFF passing grade.

The Buckeyes’ offensive line is struggling after left tackle Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending injury.

Zen Michalski replaced him as the starter last week but gave up four pressures in 21 pass blocking before he was also injured.

It’s unclear who will start at left tackle this week, which puts the offensive line at a disadvantage against a fierce Penn State passing attack led by Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton.

Ohio State’s running game also raised concerns last week against Nebraska.

According to Opta Analyst, the Buckeyes averaged an abysmal 1.1 yards before contact and had a run success rate of 21.7%; That would rank last in the FBS this season.

TreyVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins are elite talents.

However, they can’t do much about the underperforming offensive line against a Penn State defense that ranks third in success rate against the run.

When Penn State Has the Ball

Drew Allar, who left the game with an injury last week against Wisconsin, returned to practice Wednesday and did not appear limited.

Franklin will play things close to the vest with his status as the starting point guard.

Still, sophomore Beau Pribula ran the offense seamlessly last week and could offer a different flavor with more mobility than Allar.

It wouldn’t hurt to force the Buckeyes to draft both quarterbacks.

More importantly, this could be the week that Andy Kotelnicki’s playbook is fully unleashed.

The former Kansas offensive coordinator helped Penn State rise from 93rd nationally in yards per play to 10th this year; this was the Lions’ most yards per play in the last 30 years.

He’s probably an innovative game seeker who has a handful of games dedicated specifically to this game.

Ohio State’s defense is loaded with stars but has faltered multiple times against the run.

In games against Oregon and Nebraska, the Buckeyes posted a 0 percent defensive run rate, allowing those teams to average over 4.5 YPC in runs.

Penn State has the nation’s fifth-best game in terms of success rate, and the duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen should make their presence felt.

Ohio State and Penn State selection

Penn State hasn’t defeated Ohio State outright since 2016, and the Buckeyes are 11-1 against the Nittany Lions since 2012.

However, Ryan Day has struggled to consistently appear in these big matchups.

According to Action Network Research Director Evan Abrams, the Buckeyes are 6-14-1 ATS (30%) against top ten teams since 2018.

Betting on College Football?

The Nittany Lions are the more consistent team in the trenches right now and that will make a big difference in this high-profile matchup.

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnciki also brings some chaos to the game, and Swiss Army Knife tight end Tyler Warren could be the ultimate X-factor.

Even though we won’t know Allar’s status until Saturday, I’m still rooting for Penn State in this matchup and hitting the key 3.

I think the Nittany Lions will win this game outright, but I’ll gladly take the points against a Buckeyes team that’s shown some real warts in recent weeks. I also recommend buying Penn State Big Ten tickets with odds of +400 or better; They have a chance to advance to the conference championship game with a win this weekend.

Pick: Penn State +3.5 (-115, bet365) | Play up to +3 (-110)

Why Should You Trust New York Post Betting?

Jacob Wayne covers college football and the NFL for the New York Post. He is ahead by 84.5 units in both sports, with a 6.27% return on investment.