Blue White Illustrated

KEY MATCHUPS P E N N   S T A T E   V S .   O H I O   S T A T E | B Y P H I L G R O S Z W H E N P E N N S T A T E H A S T H E B A L L PENN STATE RUNNING GAME 173.4 YPG, 5.0 YPC // OHIO STATE RUN DEFENSE109.6 YPG, 2.9 YPC THE LOWDOWNPenn State's running game has been up and down this season, with its performance from week to week largely contingent on the health of the offensive line. The Lions rank fiBh in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game, but their yards-per-carry average remains robust. They certainly put their bye week to good use, gouging Michigan's No. 1-ranked defense for 224 rushing yards and finishing with five touchdowns on the ground, three by QB Trace McSor- ley. Through seven games, Saquon Barkley is the third-leading rusher in the Big Ten with 757 yards and an average of 108.1 yards per game. McSorley is next with 254 yards. Ohio State has, for the most part, been strong against the run all season. The Buckeyes rank fourth in the Big Ten in run defense and second in tackles for loss with 58. Ohio State's leading tackler is FS Damon Webb with 34 stops. SS Jordan Fuller is next with 33, while WLB Jerome Baker has 29 tackles, including four tackles for loss. DE Nick Bosa leads Ohio State with 10 tackles for loss, followed by DE Sam Hubbard with five. DE Tyquan Lewis is credited with only six tackles, but he has four tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. The Buckeyes' defensive line is three-deep at all four positions. // KEY MATCHUP Penn State RT Will Fries will face Bosa, while LT Ryan Bates will try to control Hubbard and Lewis. On the interior, guards Steven Gonzalez and Brendan Mahon will go up against defensive tackles Dre'Mont Jones and Michael Hill. Penn State's ability to run the ball will depend on how well it handles Ohio State's front four. // EDGE Even PENN STATE PASSING GAME 289.9 YPG, 12.8 YPC // OHIO STATE PASS DEFENSE 195.7 YPG, 11.1 YPC THE LOWDOWN Penn State's passing offense ranks second in the Big Ten. McSorley has completed 147 of 220 passes (66.8 percent) for 1,879 yards. The redshirt junior quarterback has 14 touchdown passes and five interceptions. Penn State's leading receiver is Barkley with 32 catches for 448 yards and three TDs. WR DaeSean Hamilton is next with 28 receptions for 481 yards and four TDs. Hamilton is coming off an excellent performance against Michigan that included six catches for 115 yards. Ohio State struggled early in the season against Oklahoma but has improved as the season has progressed. The Buckeyes are seventh in the Big Ten in pass defense and have totaled seven interceptions. Webb leads the way with two picks, while Fuller, SLB Dante Booker and cornerbacks Denzel Ward, Damon Arnette and Amir Riep have one apiece. Surprisingly, Ohio State ranks only fiBh in the Big Ten in sacks with 18. Bosa leads the way with four. // KEY MATCHUP Bates will do battle against Lewis and Hubbard as he looks to keep McSorley out of harm's way. On the opposite side of the line, Fries will have to deal with Bosa. In the secondary, Hamilton and TE Mike Gesicki will be looking to evade Webb and Fuller. Penn State will need to win these matchups to have any hope of replicating its performance against Michigan. // EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME VS. OHIO STATE PASS DEFENSE OHIO STATE RUNNING GAME 250.6 YPG, 6.0 YPC // PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE115.3 YPG, 3.0 YPC THE LOWDOWN The Buckeyes have a terrific ground game that is ranked second in the Big Ten and is spearheaded by running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber and QB J.T. Barrett. Dobbins is the league's second-leading rusher with 775 yards and five touchdowns. Barrett is next with 359 yards and five TDs, while Weber has 227 yards and four TDs. In addition, Ohio State will occasionally use WR Parris Campbell on the jet sweep. Campbell has five carries for 56 yards and one TD. Penn State has struggled against the run at times this season, ranking fiBh in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions' leading tackler is MLB Jason Cabinda with 53 stops including four tackles for loss. FS Marcus Allen is next with 41 total tackles and four tackles for loss. As a team, Penn State leads the Big Ten with 59 tackles for loss, and it has the Big Ten's best turnover margin with a plus-1.71 average. // KEY MATCHUP Ohio State RT Isaiah Prince will be looking to keep DE Shareef Miller from wreaking havoc in the backfield, while LT Jamarco Jones will be facing Shaka Toney and Ryan Buchholz. Ohio State guards Matthew Burrell and Michael Jordan will be facing Cabinda and Allen. For the Buckeyes' running game to excel, Prince and Jones will have to control Miller and Toney, while Burrell and Jordan will have to get to the second level to prevent Cabinda and Allen from getting penetration. // EDGE Ohio State OHIO STATE RUNNING GAME VS. PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE OHIO STATE PASSING GAME VS. PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE W H E N O H I O S T A T E H A S T H E B A L L PENN STATE RUNNING GAME VS. OHIO STATE RUN DEFENSE O C T O B E R 2 5 , 2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 4 OHIO STATE PASSING GAME 326.7 YPG, 13.2 YPC // PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE167.6 YPG, 9.5 YPC THE LOWDOWNUnder new offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, Ohio State's passing game has made huge strides since last year. The Buckeyes are first in the Big Ten in passing, while Barrett ranks second among quarterbacks, having completed 138 of 207 passes (66.7 percent) for 1,838 yards, with an amazing touchdown-interception ratio of 21-1. Campbell is the Buckeyes' leading receiver with 28 catches for 405 yards and two touchdowns. WR K.J. Hill is next with 28 catches for 274 yards and three TDs, while WR Terry McLaurin has 20 receptions for 229 yards and

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