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minutes, 59 seconds. Cliord was under heavy pressure all night and was sacked ve times. Penn State can't expect to beat the Buckeyes without a credible rushing threat that can produce 100 or more yards. The oensive line must control the line of scrimmage and help provide the Lions with a balanced oensive attack. 3. Penn State's pass catchers will have to perform beyond what they did against Ohio State in 2020. Both Jahan Dotson (eight catches, 144 yards, three touchdowns) and Parker Washington (four catches, 73 yards) had outstanding performances against the Buckeyes, and Pat Freiermuth added three receptions for 46 yards. Even with Freiermuth now gone, the potential exists for the passing game to have a big night. But it would really help if PSU can get a third wide receiver – ei- ther KeAndre Lambert-Smith or Cam Sullivan-Brown – to come up big. If the Lions can do that, and if they can get their running backs involved in the passing game, I'm convinced they have the ability to pass for 300-plus yards against a Buckeyes defense that will have three new starters at linebacker and two new starters in the secondary. Re- member, Ohio State had the worst pass defense in the Big Ten in 2020. Penn State will need yards and points, because the Buckeyes have the potential to make any defense look bad. Last year, they totaled 526 yards of oense against Penn State, passing for 318 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for 208 yards and a TD. Fields and Sermon have since moved on, but the Buckeyes have seven starters returning on oense, including Olave, Wilson, Ruckert and preseason All-America tackle Thayer Munford. No matter who starts for Penn State on the defensive side of the ball, it's going to be extremely di?cult to hold the Buckeyes under 30 points. But even tak- ing that into account, Penn State needs to keep Ohio State from amassing a huge advantage in time of possession. The Buckeyes held the ball for 37 minutes in last year's game, converting 10 of 18 third-down opportunities. The only way the Lions will have a chance of upsetting Ohio State this fall is if their oense, led by new coordinator Mike Yurcich, nds a way to outscore a Buckeyes oense that averaged 519.4 yards and 41.0 points in 2020. That's obviously a tall order, but if it doesn't happen, the Nittany Lions will once again fall short of the Big Ten East Divi- sion title and the Big Ten Championship Game, and they most likely will have to wait until 2023, by which time the play- o eld may have been expanded to 12 teams. ■ TOUGH YARDS Devyn Ford couldn't find much running room against Ohio State last season, finishing with 36 yards on eight carries. As a team, Penn State to- taled a sea- son-low 44 rushing yards. Photo by Mark Selders/Penn State Athletics

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