Blue White Illustrated

Ohio State Pregame (10/23/2013)

Penn State Sports Magazine

Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/197730

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 0 of 16

P R E G A M E R E P O R T P E N N STAT E @ O H I O 8 P. M . , O C T. 2 6 STAT E A B C OHIO STATE FACTS COACH Urban Meyer (Cincinnati, '86) COACH'S RECORD 123-23 in 12 years as a head coach, including a 19-0 mark in one and a half seasons at Ohio State. 2013 RECORD 7-0 (3-0 Big Ten) – Ranked No. 4 RECORD VS. PENN STATE Ohio State leads this series, 15-13, but Penn State has won two of the past three in Ohio Stadium. PREVIOUS MEETING The score was tied going into halftime at Beaver Stadium on Oct. 27, 2012, but the Buckeyes outscored PSU 21-3 in the third quarter. Braxton Miller produced 277 yards of total offense and three touchdowns as Ohio State won 35-23. THE GOOD GOING STREAKING Ohio State hasn't lost a game since Meyer was hired as head coach. Nineteen consecutive wins is the second-longest streak in school history and the longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision. COLLISION COURSE Ohio State holds a 15-13 series advantage, but Penn State has won two of the last three in Columbus. John Beale Dream chasers THE BAD YELLOW FLAGS The Buckeyes rank in the top half of almost every statistical category in the Big Ten – except for penalties. OSU is ninth with an average of 45.7 penalty yards per game. THE UGLY PILING ON Ohio State scored 34 firstquarter points in week four against Florida A&M, a 2-5 team from the MidEastern Athletic Conference. The final score was 76-0. DID YOU KNOW? Ohio State is known for being a strong second-half team, especially of late. But when Penn State last won in Columbus on Nov. 19, 2011, it held the Buckeyes scoreless in the final two quarters. OSU hasn't been held without points after halftime since then. With BCS title aspirations on the line, the Buckeyes welcome Penn State TIM  OWEN | OW E N. T I M . B W I @ G M A I L . C O M Bill O'Brien and Urban Meyer might agree on some things, like who's the best high school tight end in the Mid-Atlantic region (see page 9), or that a football Saturday is the best day of the week. But when it comes to other topics, the head coaches are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Christian Hackenberg is a perfect example. Specifically, whether or not the true freshman should be Penn State's starting quarterback. O'Brien's choice to name Hackenberg the day one starter has arguably been the most praised O C T O B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 3 1 coaching decision of Penn State's season, and so far it appears to be paying off, as the 18year-old leads the conference with nearly 280 passing yards per game. But Meyer, who hasn't lost a single game with the Buckeyes, said he would have chosen a different strategy. "I would hesitate to do that, he revealed. "We " did that with Tim Tebow a little bit [at Florida], but he was a part-time player. I'd be hesitant to play a freshman. You want the kid to come in and learn, and then take over. " Tebow did win a Heisman Trophy the very next year. Then again, O'Brien coached Tom B LUE W HI T EON L I N E. COM

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Blue White Illustrated - Ohio State Pregame (10/23/2013)