Penn State Nittany Lions Coach James Franklin Has 'Coach Crush' On Ohio State Buckeyes Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg

James Franklin gushed about Tommy Eichenberg and the Ohio State defense ahead of their Saturday matchup

The Ohio State Buckeyes are undefeated and ranked No. 3 in the country heading into their showdown in Columbus with the No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions.

The driving force behind that unblemished start has been the defense, which ranks near the top of the Big Ten in every major defensive category. 

And one player on that side of that ball that stands out in particular, is linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, who Penn State Nittany Lions coach James Franklin gushed about during his press conference this week. 

"A guy that I’ve got like a coach crush on, is No. 35, Tommy Eichenberg," Franklin said. "Just a really good football player. He’s fun to watch. Physically he can make the plays. He’s obviously the quarterback of the defense. Everything goes through him. You pick up a lot of stuff off tape watching him as well as TV copies. Just a really smart, instinctive, athletic linebacker who we have a ton of respect for." 

As it stands right now, Eichenberg leads the team in tackles with 46 total - 10 more than the next closest Buckeye - while also bringing two tackles for loss, three QB hurries a sack and a forced fumble to the table. 

That said, Franklin was quick to point out that the Ohio State dense has a whole has taken a major leap forward in 2023. 

"Defensively, Jim Knowles... this year has taken it to a whole other level," Franklin said. They're a 4-2-5 scheme. You're seeing a little bit more of the three-safety look this year that he ran when he was at Oklahoma State. I think they're doing a little bit less than maybe they did the year before, but what they do they do really well. Obviously, I think that has equated to them doing a really good job of limiting explosive plays."

Unsurprisingly, Franklin is right on point there as well, with the Buckeyes improving from No. 24 in the country in scoring defense in 2022 (21 points per game) to No. 3 in the nation in 2023 (9.7 points per game).

The Buckeyes are also giving up a whopping 58 yards less per game this season as opposed to last, ranking No. 7 in the nation in total defense. 

Will that be enough to slow down the explosive Penn State offense on Saturday?

We will find out one way or the other at noon at Ohio Stadium.