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simple psychological ploy to talk up and then fluster his foes. Either way, Meyer has been full of praise for the Nittany Lions this week. He said the Penn State roster is loaded with pro talent – "It's going to be a good draft day for Penn State," he said – and he added that Michael Mauti has a personality that the Nit- tany Lions' defense exemplifies. His appraisal of McGloin's accuracy was on target, too. So far this season, the fifth-year senior has thrown only two interceptions in 259 pass attempts. It is the premise of Meyer's remark, however, that gives pause. When his Gators faced the Nittany Lions in the 2010 Outback Bowl – the only time he has coached against McGloin – Mc- Gloin threw five interceptions and could have had at least three more passes picked off. He finished that game with just 17 completions in 41 attempts – a 41.5 percent accuracy rating. So, is Meyer strategizing, hoping to get inside McGloin's head? In past years, the quarterback was known for showing a bit too much emotion on the field – up one minute, down the next. But so far this year, he's dis- played a more composed tempera- ment. He is thriving in O'Brien's offense, and that, certainly, has got- ten Meyer's attention. "They did what they wanted against Iowa," Meyer said. "And defensively, they're every bit what they've been in the past." While Meyer is quick to hand out kudos to the Nittany Lions, he's not nearly as effusive about his own team. He has also built a reputation for rarely being satisfied with his team's success, especially eight games into the season. He's been on the job fewer than 12 months, and he is already setting a high standard in Columbus. He used phrases like "poor," "very poor," "inconsistency" and "gotta get a lot better" to describe the Buckeyes' performance in a 29-22 overtime vic- tory over Purdue last Saturday. It was a tough game – the Boilermakers led with three seconds remaining in reg- ulation – but Ohio State won. The team is undefeated, and that's all that matters, right? "The best thing about being 8-0," Meyer said, "is having a chance to go 9-0." Injuries played into Meyer's gloomy appraisal of last week's game. Brax- ton Miller, whom O'Brien said is the best quarterback Penn State will face this season, was on the receiving end of a violent Purdue tackle. He left the field woozy and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was later released after doctors determined he wasn't ex- hibiting concussion symptoms. Meyer said that Miller suffered "whiplash." He is expected to play Saturday, de- spite being "sore" and "rattled" by the hit, Meyer said. Miller's condition might be the most talked-about aspect of the upcoming matchup, but Ohio State has also suf- fered a string of injuries to its line- backer corps. Before last week's game, Meyer moved fullback Zach Boren to linebacker, and the Buck- eyes have also had to rely on a couple of freshmen. Meyer said the sudden lack of depth is "why I'm trying to put as much pressure as I can on the guys who are just eating that sandwich and eating a victory meal but had nothing to do with [the win]. With the great teams, you don't have any of that. Obviously, we're not a great team yet." Meyer's record – two NCAA champi- onships and the second-best winning percentage among all active major- college football coaches – speaks to the success of his coaching. He knows how to motivate his student-athletes. "God bless the ones that are self-dri- ven, self-motivated, but that's very rare," he said. "If you ask what I do for a living, I try to motivate 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds." This week, Meyer will be motivating his squad to enter a hostile environ- ment at Penn State. "I've never been in a game up there," he said, "but I understand, from what our coaches say, that it is the loudest place in the Big Ten to play." O'Brien is hoping Beaver Stadium will be at its rowdiest when the Buck- eyes travel across the state line. He's asked all fans to be in the stadium be- fore kickoff. "Get them out of the tail- gating early and get them into the stadium," the first-year Penn State coach said. "Get 108,000 in there for warm-ups." O C T O B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 2 2 BWI'S FORECAST NATE BAUER RECORD 5-2 Ohio State is better than it was a year ago, but so is Penn State. Playing at Beaver Stadium, the Lions should feel confident about pulling off the upset. PENN STATE 31, OHIO STATE 28 PHIL GROSZ RECORD 5-2 If Braxton Miller is less than 100 percent, I like Penn State's chances. I also think the NASCAR offense can exploit weaknesses that exist in Ohio State's defense. PENN STATE 31, OHIO STATE 24 MATT HERB RECORD 6-1 Penn State has gotten away with a succession of special-teams lapses because the offense and defense have been playing so well. But the margin of error is a lot thinner this week. OHIO STATE 27, PENN STATE 24 TIM OWEN RECORD 5-2 If Penn State can slow Braxton Miller and contain the Buckeyes' kick return units, Ohio State will no longer be undefeated. PENN STATE 28, OHIO STATE 17 RYAN SNYDER RECORD 6-1 I predicted at the beginning of the season that Penn State would beat the Buckeyes. Can't go back now. PENN STATE 28, OHIO STATE 24 ERIC THOMAS RECORD 4-3 Defense keeps Penn State rolling along. PENN STATE 20, OHIO STATE 14 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M

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