Penn State vs Ohio State NCAA Football Handicapping
The fourth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes look to remain perfect under head coach Urban Meyer when they take on a Big Ten rival on Saturday.
Penn State Nittany Lions (1-4) at 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0)
Date: Saturday, October 26, 2013
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Venue: Ohio Stadium
City: Columbus, Ohio
O/U Odds: 56.5
Spread: Ohio State -14.5
Money Line: Ohio State -605, Penn State +475
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Ohio State experienced their second consecutive scare against a Big Ten opponent last weekend when they had trouble getting past Iowa.
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The Hawkeyes took a 17-10 lead into the break in that contest, and even tied the game at 24 late in the third quarter, but the Buckeyes did eventually prevail, 34-24.
The team’s struggles in the game could hardly be blamed on quarterback Braxton Miller or running back Carlos Hyde. Miller completed 22 of 27 passes for 222 yards and a pair of scores, adding 102 yards on the ground. Running back Carlos Hyde turned 24 totes into 149 yards and a pair of scores. In total, Ohio State churned out 495 yards of offense, 273 of which came on the ground, and most importantly, the final 10 points of the game. They also didn’t turn the ball over. Iowa’s defense hadn’t allowed a rushing score prior to this game.
The Ohio State defense had a little more trouble than the offense did. They especially had trouble with Hawkeyes quarterback Jake Rudock. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Rudock completed 19 of 34 passes for 245 yards and three scores with one interception. His favorite target on the night was Jake Duzey, who brought in six balls for 138 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown strike. A notable moment for the unit came in the first quarter when standout cornerback Bradley Roby was ejected from the game for a high hit on a defenseless receiver.
Penn State is coming off a bye week, but prior to that they pulled off a major upset of Michigan. The team’s offense did most of the heavy lifting in a 43-40 win in the fourth overtime session. Quarterback Christian Hackenberg completed 23 of 44 passes for 305 yards and three scores with two interceptions. 305 of the team’s 390 yards of offense came through the air. Hackenberg’s favorite target was Brandon Felder, who brought in six balls for 97 yards and a pair of scores. The biggest score of the day though came with 27 seconds remaining in regulation when Hackenberg scored from a yard out to tie the game.
The Nittany Lion defense had plenty of trouble with Devin Gardner in the game, as he threw for 240 yards and three scores with three interceptions, adding an additional 121 yards on the ground.
With a win, the Buckeyes would improve to 20-0 under head coach Urban Meyer with a win on the weekend, but building up a comfortable margin has been difficult for the team in recent weeks. Don’t be surprised if Penn State gives Ohio State a run for their money.
The Nittany Lions are 12-4-1 ATS in their last 17 games overall.
The play: Penn State +14.5
