Blue White Illustrated

impressive, the running backs, the wide re- ceivers, and probably the best offensive line that we've seen at Ohio State in the last four years." Because Haskins has only started four games in his career, some might wonder how he will fare when he's trapped in the middle of the maelstrom that Penn State and its deafening crowd are planning to conjure up this weekend. Meyer called Beaver Stadium "certainly one of the top five stadiums to play in," and he's seen the storm at its most intense, as all three of his visits to Penn State since taking over the Buckeyes program have been prime time White Outs. But Haskins has already been in a hostile road environment against a tough Big Ten opponent, and he was great in that game, too. Last year at Michigan, Barrett suffered a knee injury in the third quarter, forcing the Buckeyes to turn their offense over to the then-freshman in the Big House. The Wolverines were up by six when Haskins entered the game, but he responded by hit- ting 6 of 7 passes for 94 yards and leading the Buckeyes to a touchdown. They went on to win, 31-20, their sixth consecutive victory over their archrival. Penn State is not Ohio State's archrival and never will be, but the game between these two perennial powers has played a huge role in determining the past two Big Ten East Division championships. The Lions upset the second-ranked Buckeyes two years ago at Beaver Stadium, 24-21, and went on to win the division title and eventually the league championship. Last year, the Buckeyes rallied for a 39-38 vic- tory in Columbus, and it helped propel them to the Big Ten crown, even though they stumbled badly the following week in a 55-24 loss at Iowa. Penn State is eager to get back to the title game this year. To do so, it will likely need to come away with a victory this week over Haskins and his Ohio State teammates. This could end up being the quarterback's only visit to Beaver Stadium, as there's al- ready been speculation in the Ohio media about the possibility that he will leave school early, maybe as soon as this coming January. But until then, Haskins is a problem that the Nittany Lions will have to confront. "He's able to make you account for all 53- and-a-third of the field because of his arm strength and because of the athleticism that they have," Franklin said. "So that helps their running game. That helps their passing game. He's able to really distribute the ball to so many of the weapons that they've been able to recruit and develop. So I think that's what makes them different. In the past, they probably had more of a heavy running game, as well as a quarter- back running game that was such a big part of what they did. … [But] obviously, a quarterback who is able to distribute the ball all over the field and is accurate enough that receivers are able to run after the catch is challenging." S E P T E M B E R   2 6 ,   2 0 1 8 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 3 NATE BAUER 4-0 | For all of the spectacular plays made between Ohio State and Penn State last year at the Horseshoe, in my mind, the game swung dramatically on the injuries the Nittany Lions sustained to defensive end Ryan Buchholz and leB tackle Ryan Bates. In their absence, Penn State couldn't deliver as much of a pass rush and, more important, struggled to even approximate the offensive firepower it showed in a first half that saw the Lions take a 28-17 lead. Granting that teams obviously change year to year, I think these two groups are more similar to themselves from a season ago than they are different. Which is why, in taking Penn State's ultimate 39-38 loss on the road into account, I can't help but think the Nittany Lions are plenty capable of doing the same to the Buckeyes back at Beaver Stadium on Saturday night. For as dynamic as Dwayne Haskins and the Buckeyes have been this season, give me a fiBh-year senior in Trace McSorley in his own building. | PENN STATE 42, OHIO STATE 41 PHIL GROSZ 4-0 | Penn State's White Out game against Ohio State could end up being a offensive explosion. The Buckeyes and Nittany Lions enter the game with the Nos. 1 and 2 offenses in the Big Ten. Ohio State is averaging 599 yards of total offense per game, and starting QB Dwayne Haskins has posted Heisman-worthy statistics so far, with a 75.7 percent completion rate and 16 touchdowns. Meanwhile, running backs Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins have combined to average close to 160 yards per game on the ground. Penn State is the highest-scoring team in the country, averaging 55.5 points per game. The Lions have the top rushing offense in the Big Ten at 275 yards per game and are second in the Big Ten behind Ohio State with an average of 514.5 yards of total offense per game. Both teams have real problems at their linebacker positions. The stage is set for an offen- sive outburst on Saturday night. | OHIO STATE 42, PENN STATE 39 MATT HERB 4-0 | We've heard a lot in recent years about how time of possession has become an antiquated stat, a remnant of a time when the best defense was a good of- fense. These days, coaches worry less about playing keep-away and instead aim to gen- erate more explosive plays than the other guy. But this week's matchup with Ohio State feels like one of those games in which time of possession might actually matter a lot. Right now, the Nittany Lions have a very good offense. Better yet, they have an offense that can move the ball as effectively on the ground as it can through the air, which means that they are better equipped to control the clock than they were in 2016 and '17. That's a useful attribute, because the defense is enduring some growing pains in its front seven. Ohio State is averaging close to 600 yards per game, so the less that Penn State's defense sees of Dwayne Haskins, J.K. Dobbins and company, the better it will be for the home team. The White Out atmospherics will probably help, especially if it's a close game in the fourth quarter. But I still think Ohio State leaves Beaver Stadium with a narrow win. | OHIO STATE 42, PENN STATE 34 TIM OWEN 4-0 | Ohio State has plenty of strengths, but so far this season its run de- fense hasn't been one of them. Look for Miles Sanders to hit 200 yards again, this time back in the comfy confines of Beaver Stadium. | PENN STATE 54, OHIO STATE 44 RYAN SNYDER 4-0 | Penn State's defense has put up some decent numbers this season, but stats don't always tell the story. Throughout the first four games, I watched Ap- palachian State, Pitt and Illinois all have success against this front seven for at least one half. Pitt ultimately beat itself with penalties and mistakes. Illinois didn't have the horses to keep up. That's not the case at Ohio State. | OHIO STATE 45, PENN STATE 35 S T A F F P R E D I C T I O N S

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