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KEY MATCHUPS P E N N   S T A T E   V S .   O H I O   S T A T E | B Y   P H I L   G R O S Z W H E N P E N N S T A T E H A S T H E B A L L PENN STATE RUNNING GAME 275.0 YPG, 6.4 YPC // OHIO STATE RUN DEFENSE142.0 YPG, 3.8 YPC THE LOWDOWNPenn State has surpassed 200 yards rushing in its past seven games. Going into their matchup against Ohio State on Saturday, the Nittany Lions rank No. 1 in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game, a total that was bolstered considerably by the team's 387-yard effort last Friday at Illinois. RB Miles Sanders is the Big Ten's second-leading rusher with 495 yards on 71 carries (7.0 ypc). QB Trace McSorley is second on the team with 235 yards on 41 carries (5.7 ypc) and six TDs. Sanders' backup will be freshman Ricky Slade following a season-ending injury to senior Mark Allen. The Buckeyes are ninth in the Big Ten against the run, and they will be without All- America DE Nick Bosa, who will not play on Saturday due to an abdominal injury. FS Jahsen Wint is Ohio State's leading tackler with 15 stops, while SS Jordan Fuller and DT Dre'Mont Jones are tied with Bosa for second with 14 tackles apiece. As a team, Ohio State ranks near the top of the Big Ten with 33 tackles for loss, including a team- high five by Jones. DE Chase Young and OLB Dante Booker are next with three apiece. // KEY MATCHUP Penn State guards Connor McGovern and Steven Gonzalez will face Jones, while LT Ryan Bates will try to contain Young. Even with Bosa out of action, PSU has to control Jones if its inside power zone running game is going to have success. We're about to find out just how good Penn State's offensive line is. // EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME 239.5 YPG, 15.5 YPC // OHIO STATE PASS DEFENSE 181.3 YPG, 12.3 YPC THE LOWDOWNMcSorley has completed only 53.8 percent of his passes for 763 yards with eight passing touch- downs, but Penn State still has the No. 2 offense in the Big Ten at 514.5 yards per game. Backup Tommy Stevens hasn't played yet this season due to a foot injury, but Sean Clifford has completed all five of his pass attempts for 195 yards and two TDs. WR Juwan Johnson is the Lions' top receiver with 12 catches for 141 yards and one TD. K.J. Hamler is next with nine receptions for 170 yards and three TDs. Between them, McSorley and Clifford have com- pleted passes to 12 receivers. Dropped passes have been a big problem for the Lions, as the team has averaged about four drops per game. Ohio State has struggled a bit against the pass, ranking seventh in the Big Ten. Four of the Buckeyes' top six tacklers are defensive backs. In addition to Wint and Fuller, CB Damon Arnette has 13 stops, while FS Isaiah Pryor has 12. Only two of Ohio State's four interceptions have been by defensive backs, as corner- backs Kendall Sheffield and Shaun Wade have one interception apiece. Ohio State leads the Big Ten with 15 sacks, but four were by Bosa. Jones is next with three. // KEY MATCHUP McGovern will take on Jones up front, while Bates will battle Young. Ohio State has the best defensive line in the Big Ten, but the Buckeyes have given up some big plays in the passing game. The matchup between Hamler and Pryor in the defensive backfield could be key. EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME VS. OHIO STATE PASS DEFENSE OHIO STATE RUNNING GAME 233.3 YPG, 5.4 YPC // PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE 172.5 YPG, 4.0 YPC THE LOWDOWNOhio State has been all but unstoppable so far this season. The Buckeyes are leading the Football Bowl Subdivision with an average of 599 total yards per game and 7.6 yards per play. Their running game ranks fifth in the Big Ten, with sophomore RB J.K. Dobbins having gained a team-best 323 yards on 56 carries (5.8 ypc) and two touchdowns. Junior RB Mike Weber is next with 299 yards on 52 carries and three TDs. Dobbins and Weber have been hailed as the Big Ten's best running back tandem, and maybe even the best in the country. Backup QB Tate Martell is the Buckeyes' third-leading rusher with 121 yards and two TDs on 18 carries. Penn State has strug- gled against the run, ranking 10th in the Big Ten, but it has given up only four rushing TDs. MLB Jan Johnson is the Lions' leading tackler with 24 stops. SS Garrett Taylor is next with 23 tackles, followed by OLB Micah Parsons with 22. Expect the Buckeyes to have success running against PSU's front seven. // KEY MATCHUP Ohio State guards Malcolm Pridgeon and Demetrius Knox will face defensive tackles Kevin Givens and Robert Windsor. The Buckeyes' offensive line averages 6-foot-6, 312 pounds per man and just might be the second-most-physical line in the Big Ten behind Wisconsin. This will be a tough matchup for Givens and Windsor. // EDGE Ohio State OHIO STATE RUNNING GAME VS. PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE OHIO STATE PASSING GAME VS. PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE W H E N O H I O S T A T E H A S T H E B A L L PENN STATE RUNNING GAME VS. OHIO STATE RUN DEFENSE 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 4 OHIO STATE PASSING GAME 365.8 YPG, 13.3 YPC // PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE 173.3 YPG, 9.4 YPC THE LOWDOWNOhio State's passing game is ranked first in the Big Ten, and QB Dwayne Haskins is looking like a Heis- man Trophy contender. The sophomore has completed 75.7 percent of his passes for 1,194 yards, with 16 touchdowns and only one interception. Haskins' backup, Martell, has also looked good, completing 23 of 28 passes (82.1 percent) for 269 yards and one TD. Haskins and Martell have completed passes to 18 receivers in four games. HB Parris Campbell is the Buckeyes' leading receiver with 19 catches for 299 yards and five TDs. WR K.J. Hill is next with 21 catches for 259

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