NITTANY LIONS GAME PREVIEW: No. 13/13 Penn State vs. No. 2/2 Ohio State

https://gopsusports.com/documents/2022/10/27/10-29-22_Ohio_State_Notes_Final.pdf

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 13/13 Penn State hosts No. 2/2 Ohio State for the Penn State Stripe Out game on Saturday. Kickoff is set for noon in Beaver Stadium with a broadcast on FOX. The 2022 Penn State football season is presented by PSECU.

SERIES HISTORY: Penn State meets Ohio State for the 38th time in program history and the 21st time where both teams are ranked in the AP Top 25. In 2021, Penn State fell 33-24 at Ohio State. Sean Clifford threw for 361 yards and a touchdown on 35 completions. Jahan Dotson recorded 11 receptions for 127 yards, while Parker Washington tallied nine receptions for 108 yards. Ji’Ayir Brown forced and recovered a fumble and Curtis Jacobs had two tackles for loss.

BIG NOON KICKOFF MAKES HAPPY VALLEY DEBUT: Penn State will host Big Noon Kickoff, FOX’s college football pregame show, live from University Park for the first time ever on Saturday. The broadcast will begin at 10 a.m. and lead up to kickoff between the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes at noon.

SPREAD THE WEALTH: Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Sean Clifford threw for 295 yards and four touchdowns against Minnesota. The four touchdowns were to four different receivers: Tyler Warren (38 yards), Theo Johnson (18), Parker Washington (35) and Mitchell Tinsley (20). Johnson, Warren and Washington all caught their first touchdown receptions of the season, while Johnson finished the game with a career-high 75 yards.

TIG’S TAKEAWAYS: Ji’Ayir “Tig” Brown continues to make big plays for the Nittany Lions. On Saturday against Minnesota, Brown picked off a pass in the third quarter and returned it 35 yards to setup a Penn State touchdown drive. The senior has had a hand in 12 takeaways in his PSU career (nine interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery) and has helped force four takeaways in 2022 with three interceptions and a forced fumble.

THE OPPOSITION: Ohio State is 7-0 this season and 4-0 in Big Ten play after a 54-10 win over Iowa last Saturday. The Buckeyes tallied 360 yards. C.J. Stroud threw for 286 yards and four touchdowns. Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming and Marvin Harrison Jr. each caught one touchdown. Ohio State held Iowa to 158 total yards. The Buckeyes forced six turnovers, including three fumbles and three interceptions.

SCOUTING REPORT

  • Ryan Day became the 25th head football coach at Ohio State on Jan. 2, 2019.
  • Day is in his fourth full season with a career record of 41-4, a 27-1 mark in Big Ten Conference games, and two Big Ten Championships and two College Football Playoff appearances.
  • Ohio State is 7-0 overall and 4-0 in Big Ten play this season.
  • Six of Ohio State’s first seven games have been played at home.
  • The Buckeyes are coming off a 54-10 win over Iowa.
  • On offense, Ohio State ranks second in the nation in scoring (49.6 ppg), fourth in total offense (517.4 ypg), 15th in passing offense (312.6) and 21st in rushing offense (204.9). The Buckeyes are eighth in the country in third down conversion percentage (52.4).
  • QB C.J. Stroud paces the FBS in passing efficiency (203.9) and passing touchdowns (28). He sits 13th in completion percentage (70.0), 17th in passing yards per game (289.0) and 19th in total passing yards (2,023), while holding third in yards per completion (15.21).
  • RB Miyan Williams ranks third in the country averaging 6.97 yards per carry and 14th in rushing touchdowns (9).
  • WR Emeka Egbuka ranks ninth in the FBS in receiving yards per game (105.0), while WR Marvin Harrison Jr. ranks 25th (85.4). Harrison Jr. is second in the country in receiving TDs (10), while Egbuka is eighth (7).
  • On defense, Ohio State is fifth in the FBS in scoring defense (14.9), second in total defense (239.9), third in passing defense (149.0) and eighth in rushing defense (90.9). OSU is also second in the nation in third down conversion percentage defense (24.5).
  • LB Tommy Eichenberg is sixth in the Big Ten averaging 8.1 tackles per game.


BIG NOON KICKOFF

  • Penn State will host Big Noon Kickoff, FOX’s college football pregame show, live from University Park for the first time ever on Saturday.
  • The broadcast will begin at 10 a.m. and lead up to kickoff between the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes at noon.
  • The crew of Rob Stone, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn and Urban Meyer will be live ahead of the meeting, while the in-game crew of Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft will call the action.


STORIED PROGRAMS MEET

  • Penn State and Ohio State both rank among the top-10 programs in winning percentage and total victories in NCAA history.
  • Four of the top-10 winningest programs, by total wins and winning percentage, in NCAA history are from the Big Ten.
  • Penn State sits No. 7 in all-time victories (915) and No. 9 in winning percentage (.687).
  • Ohio State sits tied-second with 949 all-time victories and No. 1 with an all-time winning percentage of .733.
  • The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes are also among the most ranked teams in NCAA history according to the AP poll.
  • Ohio State has spent 105 weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll (2nd all-time) and Penn State has earned the No. 1 ranking by the AP on 21 occasions (T-17th all-time). (Not including preseason rankings).
  • Penn State’s 672 weeks ranked among the AP Top 25 ranks ninth all-time, while Ohio State’s 959 weeks are the most in NCAA history.


MINNESOTA NOTES

  • The Nittany Lions hold an 8-6 record in full-stadium Penn State White Outs. PSU’s 45 points were its most in a White Out game.
  • Penn State is 3-2 when wearing its Generations of Greatness uniforms.
  • Penn State is 73-24-5 in homecoming games, including wins in 14 of the last 17 homecoming contests.
  • Penn State held Minnesota to 2-of-13 (15.3 percent) on third down. The Gophers began the game 0-of-6 after entering the game with an FBS-leading 66.2 conversion percentage.
  • The Nittany Lions allowed completions on 9-of-22 attempts. Penn State has held three teams under a 50 completion percentage this season (Ohio, 42.5; Northwestern, 40.5; Minnesota 40.9).

COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS