Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
A U G U S T 2 0 2 4 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 Dismayed by their three consecutive losses to Michigan, the Buckeyes went on an NIL spending spree during the offseason. That may or may not be bad news for the Wolverines, but it's definitely bad news for the Nittany Lions, who were struggling against Ohio State even before it be- gan flinging money at some the nation's most impactful transfers. This year's game will take place at Beaver Stadium on Nov. 2. That's always a plus, but it must be noted the Buckeyes have won seven of their past eight games in State College. B E S T R O A D O P P O N E N T USC The sample size is admittedly small, but the Nittany Lions have never beaten the Trojans in California — not during the regular season (0-2) and not in the Rose Bowl (0-3). Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams is gone, but coach Lincoln Riley's teams have always been able to score. Maybe this year they'll be able to defend, too, having hired former Nittany Lion cornerback D'Anton Lynn as their defensive coordinator while hitting the transfer portal hard in hope of upgrading a secondary that allowed 246.4 yards per game last fall. 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 Emeka Egbuka | WR | Ohio State A lot of people likely assumed Egbuka would be in the NFL by now. But an injury forced him to miss three games last year, including the Buckeyes' matchup against Penn State. He's back this fall, and he's within reach of the Ohio State career records for most catches and re- ceiving yards. Even with last year's struggles, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior has still caught 124 passes for 1,857 yards and 14 touchdowns as part of the Buckeyes' peerless wide receiver factory for the past three seasons. 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 Denzel Burke | CB | Ohio State It's tough to pass up Wisconsin defensive backs Hunter Wohler (120 tackles) and Ricardo Hallman (7 interceptions), but when the NFL Draft takes place next year, Burke will be one of the first cornerbacks off the board. The 6-foot-1, 193-pounder has made 35 starts and ranks sixth in school history with 26 career pass breakups. If you're looking for rea- sons why the Buckeyes finished first in the FBS in pass defense last year (145.9 yards allowed per game) look no further than their second-team All-America cornerback. B E S T O P P O S I N G S P E C I A L I S T Zachariah Branch | PR/KR | USC Last year, Branch became the first true freshman in USC history to be named a first-team All-American, earning nods from USA Today, Pro Football Focus and Sporting News as a return specialist. The recogni- tion was well-deserved. Branch averaged a remarkable 30.8 yards on 16 punt returns, including a 75-yard touchdown against Stanford. The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder from Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas also av- eraged 18.4 yards on kickoff returns, with a 96-yard touchdown against San Jose State. Virginia, Bowling Green, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Washington, Minnesota and Maryland. Washington is coming off an appearance in the CFP cham- pionship game, which ordinarily would give pause, but the Huskies are going to be an entirely different team this fall, with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and receiver Rome Odunze both having been drafted in the first round, 18 other starters exiting and coach Kalen DeBoer now at Alabama. It also figures to help PSU that the game will take place in Beaver Stadium, a venue that Washington has never visited. The Lions will be hoping to fare better in their first West Coast conference game than they did the last time they traveled to Los Angeles. Ranked fifth in the Associated Press poll after beating Georgia Tech and Cincinnati to open the 1991 season, Joe Paterno's team stumbled through a disastrous night against the Trojans. The Lions fumbled 7 times, while Tony Sacca threw 2 interceptions and was dropped for 5 sacks. The final score — USC 21, Penn State 10 — was surprisingly close given how slop- pily the visitors had performed. "Southern Cal just played good, tough football," Paterno said afterward. "We kicked the ball around and didn't look very good." While the Lions got their payback in the two subsequent games in State College, winning 21-20 and 38-14, USC has pre- vailed in the past three meetings, including Rose Bowl victories to cap the 2008 and 2016 seasons. So, when the Big Ten breaks with its past this fall, the Lions will be looking to do likewise — at least with respect to their recent history with USC. ■