On Saturday the 4th ranked 6-1 Ohio State Buckeyes will travel to Happy Valley Pennsylvania to take on the 3rd ranked 7-0 Penn State Nittany Lions.  Going into this game Penn State is a 3.5-point favorite. And this is the second time in the last 4 weeks Ohio State goes on the road to play a top 5 ranked team. The Buckeyes lost a one-point heartbreaker in Oregon on October 12th 32-31. This is the opportunity for Ohio State to make up for that loss.

Last week after coming off a bye, Ohio State struggled against the unranked Nebraska Cornhuskers. Regardless of struggling against an inferior opponent, Ohio State did win the game 21-17. Plays were made when they needed to be made by the Buckeyes. The major concern coming out of last week was the Ohio State offense’s inability to run the ball. This was attributed to injuries on the offensive line and specifically at left tackle. This can be a challenge for the Buckeyes facing Penn State.

The Penn State defense is ranked 8th against the run. They average giving up 93 rushing yards a game and 3.18 yards per rush. This will be the most deciding factor come Saturday afternoon. If Ohio State can manage to run the ball effectively, then this game can be won by the Buckeyes. If they can’t do that, Buckeyes fans could be in for a long afternoon in Happy Valley. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has been criticized for not winning big games against top ranked opponents. That criticism is fair because it’s true. The narrative for Ohio State and Ryan Day can be changed. And that change in narrative can start this Saturday in Happy Valley Pennsylvania.