Free NCAA Football Prediction: Penn State vs. Ohio State Odds
Looking for Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Ohio State Buckeyes free picks? College football betting sees the Nittany Lions taking on the Buckeyes on Saturday, October 29th, 2022, at Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football game predictions like this Nittany Lions Buckeyes free pick.
College Football Handicapping Analysis: Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1) vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0)
Date: Saturday, October 29th, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm EST
Venue: Beaver Stadium
NCAA Football ATS Spread Odds: Nittany Lions +15.5 / Buckeyes -15.5 (Bet Now!)
NCAA Football Moneyline Odds: Penn State +470 / Ohio State -699
NCAA Betting Total Odds: O/U 61.0
An annual matchup of Big Ten East opponents brings College Football Playoff implications.
Alright, so hear me out. If Penn State and James Franklin were able to shed their big game woes and defeat Ohio State, it would make a one loss Buckeyes team. And let’s say that Ohio State stays undefeated from there and beats Michigan in their final game. Let’s also just say Penn State wins out and Michigan’s only loss is Ohio State.
With all of the particulars, there would be 3 teams in the Big Ten East with one loss. BUT, there is a no tiebreaker edict that exists this season. So Levi, how would they decide who goes to the conference title game? Great question, the East representative would be decided by A COIN FLIP.
In 2022, with millions of dollars on the line they are going to send the East rep to the title game with a coin flip. Granted, it’s a far-fetched scenario, but it still exists. As long as Ohio State takes care of business, which they should as 15.5 point favorites, this scenario becomes moot, but could you imagine?
Penn State Nittany Lions
Sean Clifford was a gametime decision last week against Minnesota with Drew Allar ready to step in if he wasn’t able to go. Penn State easily dispatched the Gophers without Tanner Morgan. Clifford threw for 295 yards and 4 scores in a 45-17 blowout in a game where they were 4 point favorites.
RB Nicholas Singleton performed well, adding 79 yards and two touchdowns. Minnesota is an absolute snail, so it’s unsurprising to see that they couldn’t keep pace with the Nittany Lions offense. Penn State still doesn’t look great on paper. Success rates are unimpressive, including 112th in rushing, though they do show explosiveness on the ground (9th).
Parker Washington is the first name out of your mouth when discussing Penn State’s passing game. He, along with three other wideouts shared the Clifford touchdown barrage, each recording one score. They’ll face an incredibly tough Ohio State secondary that has produced the 2nd best defensive passing success rate.
Clifford has done a nice job this year limiting his turnovers; interceptions plagued Clifford’s games and ultimately sunk Penn State in the past. The Buckeyes generate a top-20 mark in havoc generated, so it’s possible we see that streak end this week.
The Penn State defense was able to limit Minnesota to just 165 rushing yards on 3.6 yards per carry. It was a giant turnaround performance from their visit to Ann Arbor where Michigan ran for 418 yards. It’s an important development as they take on an Ohio State squad that has committed themselves to running the ball this season. The Nittany Lions are just average in success rate against the run and allow a lot of explosiveness (90th).
Ohio State Buckeyes
Iowa represented one of the tougher defenses the Buckeyes have seen this season and they easily drubbed the Hawkeyes in Columbus, 52-10. Ohio State uncharacteristically struggled in the red zone in the first half, settling for field goals after Iowa made stands.
CJ Stroud turned it on in the second half and never looked back. The Heisman favorite finished with 286 yards passing with 4 touchdowns, though he did throw an interception. Four different receivers caught a touchdown, showing Ohio State has the versatility that when the run isn’t working, they can easily throw over the top.
It’s not like they just rely on deep throws and explosiveness, either. Ohio State is the nation’s 3rd best pass efficient offense, staying on schedule and moving down the field. This is all without their best receiver! Jaxson Smith-Njigba has missed most of the year with nagging injuries, but the depth chart has stepped up in a big way.
When the run is working, Ohio State swaps between TreVeyon Henderson and 2022 breakout, Miyan Williams. Behind an offensive line 5th in line yards, they’ll look to take advantage of a Penn State front that has been abused in the run game (63rd) but had a bounceback performance against Minnesota’s run-heavy approach.
Jim Knowles has improved the defense immensely over last year’s squad that was highly vulnerable to the run. Ohio State now sits 3rd in defensive rushing success rate though they have been somewhat vulnerable to explosive plays (48th). Knowles plays an aggressive front, so time to time you’ll get caught with a hand in the cookie jar.
They’ll key Washington in the passing game, which should force someone else to step up. Penn State is 40th in allowing havoc in the secondary, yet another sign that we could finally see some Clifford turnovers. Knowles likes to dial up pressure, and pressure bursts pipes as they like to say.
NCAA Football Handicapping Trends
- Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Penn State
- Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- Penn State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
- Penn State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
4* Free Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Ohio State Buckeyes NCAA Betting Final Analysis:
Ohio State has traditionally dominated this matchup, but being on the road is always at least a consideration. Most would have expected Ohio State to have a dominant offense with their personnel, which has been true, but the defense has also been a revelation, coming in at 5th by SP+.
Penn State will look to exact revenge, but their options in this game will be limited. They aren’t a highly successful offense, so they’ll need to hit some homeruns to keep the game close. The question then becomes, can they keep up? Ohio State can hang points in a hurry.
I’m going with Ohio State here. The only real concern they present is a poor mark in special teams, but they were unaffected last week against Iowa. Though Iowa’s offense is another level of awful, Penn State will similarly struggle against the Bucks, and I expect Clifford to turn back into a pumpkin at some point.
4* Free Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Ohio State Buckeyes NCAA Betting Pick: Ohio State -15.5
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Free Score Prediction: Nittany Lions 17 – Buckeyes 48 (Bet Now!)If you’re looking for more picks like this Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Ohio State Buckeyes matchup we’ll be providing 4* free College football game predictions on the blog all season long, and check out our Experts for guaranteed premium & free CFB Football picks!
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