Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1472993
A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 8 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M S C H E D U L E S U P E R L A T I V E S B E S T H O M E O P P O N E N T Ohio State The Buckeyes have lost just one con- ference game in Ryan Day's tenure as head coach and may not lose any this year if their Rose Bowl performance against Utah in January is indicative of their offensive potential. B E S T R O A D O P P O N E N T Michigan Penn State defeated the Wolverines 27-17 in its most recent trip to Michi- gan Stadium two years ago, but that win was a rarity. Since appearing in the Big House for the first time in 1994, the Nittany Lions are 4-8 when facing Michigan on the road, and they've won only twice in Ann Arbor since 1998. B E S T O P P O S I N G O F F E N S I V E P L A Y E R C.J. Stroud The good news is that Ohio State's redshirt sophomore quarterback is already being hailed as a surefire first- round pick in next year's NFL Draft, maybe even the top overall choice, so this could be the last time the Nittany Lions face him. One of Stroud's team- mates, receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, gets a runner-up nod here. B E S T O P P O S I N G D E F E N S I V E P L A Y E R Zach Harrison If he fulfills his five-star potential with the Buckeyes this year, Harrison will be a handful. Pro Football Focus rates him as the nation's seventh-best edge rusher heading into the 2022 sea- son. Also deserving of a shout out is Indiana cornerback Tiawan Mullen, an eraser in the secondary when healthy. B E S T R O A D T R I P Auburn The Nittany Lions have never played in Jordan-Hare Stadium, one of the country's great college football venues. In fact, since the start of the Big Ten era in 1993, the Lions have played just one road game against an SEC oppo- nent, losing 24-3 at Alabama in 2010. They'll be looking to fare better in Sep- tember against the Tide's archrivals.