Blue White Illustrated

O T H E R M A T C H U P S THE LOWDOWNOhio State is always solid in the kicking game, and this year is no exception. The Buckeyes are second in the country in net punting, averaging 46.9 yards per attempt. Only three of Cameron Johnston's attempts this season have been returned. In addition, PK Tyler Durbin is 8 for 8 on field goals and leads the Big Ten in scoring. Like his Penn State counterpart, Tyler Davis, Durbin is a former soccer player who decided he wanted to give football a shot. He had never attempted a field goal, even in practice, before this season. The Buckeyes also rank second in the Big Ten in kickoff return average at 27.4 yards per attempt. Penn State has made some big strides this season, and with any luck, freshman punter Blake Gillikin will be back at full strength aAer playing hurt vs. Maryland and suffering the first block of his young career. But even if he's ready to go, the Buckeyes get the nod here. // EDGE Ohio State SPECIAL TEAMS THE LOWDOWN This will be the second game in a row in which Ohio State's opponent will be coming off a bye week. It will also be the second game in a row in which the Buckeyes have had to venture into one of the Big Ten's most hostile road environments. Urban Meyer can take that up with the league's schedule-makers, but it's not as if his team is easily rattled. Ohio State has won 20 consecutive road games. // EDGEEven THIS 'N' THAT THE LOWDOWN Meyer is the best in the business. He's won big in the Mountain West, the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten. Included in his 34 regular-season Big Ten victories (against only one loss – to Michigan State last year) are four wins over the Nittany Lions. The Buckeyes have outscored Penn State 167-71 in those four games, al- though the last one at Beaver Stadium was the closest, a 31-24 overtime thriller. // EDGE Ohio State COACHING STAFF O C T O B E R 1 9 , 2 0 1 6 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 5 with 16 catches apiece. Brown, however, is a rising star and leads the Buckeyes with six touchdowns, including four against Oklahoma in week three, so he'll have to be keyed on. CB John Reid and SS Malik Golden lead PSU's defense with three passes broken up and will be integral in keeping the WRs in check. If CB Christian Campbell is unable to go aAer getting injured vs. Minnesota, this could be a chance for Jordan Smith to make another splash as he did against the Gophers, or for Garrett Taylor to make his Big Ten debut. // KEY MATCHUP Brown oAen lines up at split end, so it's likely he and Reid will match up against each other oAen. Preventing Brown from making big plays will be important. Also important: Sickels. He helped sway the game against Maryland, and he'll need to be just as pro- ductive on Saturday if PSU is pull off the upset. // EDGE Penn State

• Cover