How Ohio State Is Preparing for a Trip to Penn State

Penn State's Tyler Warren, Abdul Carter and Andy Kotelnicki have the Buckeyes' attention.

Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly takes the field prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For Penn State, Saturday’s matchup with Ohio State offers an opportunity to shed a narrative that’s shadowed its program on a national level for years — that the Nittany Lions struggle to win big games. In all likelihood, a trip to Indianapolis to face Oregon in the Big Ten Championship is on the line this weekend, but for Nittany Lions coach James Franklin and his program, it’s also about addressing the recent history of this rivalry with some revenge. 

From the Buckeyes’ perspective, this is a game they’re more than familiar with winning (seven straight, 9-1 against Franklin). Head coach Ryan Day has an opportunity to reinforce Ohio State’s annual status as one of the country’s best teams and its dominance over Penn State. Yet Day and his staff are preparing for arguably the most talented and well-coached Nittany Lions team in years, making an eighth-straight victory in this rivalry no guarantee.

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‘They’re extremely sound’

Last year, Penn State’s defense held Ohio State to its second-lowest points total of the regular season but ultimately fell 20-12. The Nittany Lions matched up well with the Buckeyes’ offense, particularly in the run game, allowing just 1.9 yards per carry. While Manny Diaz is no longer in command of Penn State’s defense, that group once again could find success in slowing a Buckeyes ground game that totaled just 64 yards last week against Nebraska.

Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly sees a distinct challenge in preparing for the Nittany Lions’ defense compared to the Cornhuskers. 

“You couldn’t be more drastic in terms of looks than what Nebraska runs and what Penn State runs,” Kelly said. “It's an entirely different thought process as you flip into this week.”

The biggest difficulty in preparing for Penn State’s defense lies in its consistent front-four pressure. The team has generated 14 sacks through seven games, but its disruptiveness has forced quarterbacks to make quick throws and work around a talented defensive line. 

“The one thing I know about this team is that they’re extremely sound. They can generate pressure with just their front four,” Kelly said. “The luxury, when you have a defense where you can generate pressure with just the front four, then you can play a little bit more in coverage, play a little bit closer to receivers.”

Of course, the toughest piece of the Nittany Lions’ defense to neutralize is defensive end Abdul Carter. Over his last five games, Carter has recorded four sacks and a forced fumble, and his versatility and athleticism present a challenge for Ohio State as it prepares to constantly track where Carter is lined up on the field. Kelly compared Carter to a former Penn State and current Dallas Cowboys defender.

“He’s a lot like Micah [Parsons] in terms of what he can do in disrupting the game as a pass rusher,” Kelly said. “Even trying to replicate that in practice, do you have somebody that’s that fast? If you do, he’s probably not the same size as him. It’s that size-speed combination and his ability to really get off on the snap is what’s gonna make him difficult to handle.”

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A new-look Penn State offense

Compared to the recent Penn State-Ohio State games, arguably the biggest difference this season is how effective Penn State’s offense has been. Previously, Franklin’s defense managed to keep Ohio State within reach, but his offense struggled to capitalize. With former Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki in the fold now, Penn State has displayed one of the most creative units in the country.

Jim Knowles, Ohio State’s third-year defensive coordinator, expressed just how challenging it is to plan for Penn State’s offense, which ranks 13th in FBS with its 463.7 total yards per game.

“It’s a lot different. A lot different, “Knowles said. “There are multiple formations and shifts like, all the time. So all of that window dressing to create stress on the defense, that’s really a lot different. Then you add in the quarterback run game.”

The Buckeyes likely won’t which starting quarterback they'll face until Saturday. Drew Allar, who didn’t play in the second half vs. Wisconsin, could be a game-time decision, according to Franklin. Either way, the Buckeyes would have been preparing for Allar and Beau Pribula, who’s been featured often in Kotelnicki’s unique offense as a dual-threat quarterback. 

“When you have a quarterback who can run and hurt you with the run, that really changes the game plan. So you almost have to look at it [as] two different things,” Knowles said. “And [tight end Tyler Warren], you never know where he’s going to be and the things he’s going to do.”

Handling Beaver Stadium

If any matchup has the potential to break Beaver Stadium’s attendance record of 110,889 — set against Ohio State in 2018 — it’s this one. This is the first time Penn State and Ohio State will meet as top-5 opponents since 1996, and both Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” and ESPN’s “College GameDay” crews will be in town adding to the excitement.

The Buckeyes, however, are no strangers to playing huge games in Beaver Stadium. They haven’t lost in Happy Valley since 2016, when Penn State came away with a 24-21 upset thanks to Grant Haley’s memorable blocked field-goal return. Still, Ohio State won’t be rattled by an opposing environment very easily, especially in a high-stakes matchup like this one. Their only loss this season was by one point to No. 1 Oregon in Eugene.

“We know it’s gonna take four quarters in this game, it always does when you go play in this environment. It’s a very difficult environment to play in,” Day said. “But we’ve been in this situation before, our guys have been in this situation before.”

No. 3 Penn State will host No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday. Kickoff is set for noon ET on FOX.

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Daniel Mader, a May 2024 graduate of Penn State, is an Editorial Intern with The Sporting News. As a student journalist with The Daily Collegian, he served as a sports editor and covered Nittany Lions women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and more. He has also covered Penn State football for NBC Sports and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with additional work in the Centre Daily Times, Lancaster Online and more. Follow him on X @DanielMader_    or Instagram @dmadersports.