Penn State Vs. Ohio State: Keys to the Game

Four ways the Nittany Lions can beat Ohio State for the first time since 2016.

Major Big Ten and College Football Playoff implications are on the line Saturday, as No. 7 Penn State takes on No. 3 Ohio State. It has been tough sledding for the Lions in this series of late, with six straight losses to the Buckeyes by varying levels of heartbreak. But this is a more complete roster than Penn State coach James Franklin has had in years, and a few keys will make the difference in finally getting over the hill.

Penn State Needs a Dominant Pass Rush

Penn State's defense has been a known commodity this season in a dominating 6-0 start. More specifically, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz’s pass rush has been lights out, thanks to a defensive end room filled with stars and some unique blitz packages.

According to Sports Info Solutions, the Lions lead the Power Five with a 47.1 percent pressure rate on opponent dropbacks (plays with a hurry, hit or knockdown). They also lead in positive play percentage from the pass rush, defined as the percentage of pass-rushing downs that resulted in a positive offensive play, at 26 percent — the only college football team below 30 percent. That's dominant.

Penn State had just two sacks in the 2022 meeting with Ohio State. After falling behind during the fourth quarter, C.J. Stroud had no problems standing back in the pocket and carving up Diaz’s unit. That can’t — and shouldn’t — happen again.

“I think we've got good players and good coaches. Our scheme helps that we're aggressive. Our scheme helps that we play man coverage,” Franklin said this week. “Typically we can get the quarterback to hold on to the ball a little bit without free access throws. I think [defensive line coach Deion Barnes] has done a really nice job as well. A combination of all those things.”

Individual performances have been notable, as Sports Info Solutions ranks each of Adisa Isaac (first, 13.33), Chop Robinson (fifth, 8.98) and Dani Dennis-Sutton (ninth, 7.85) among the Big Ten’s top 10 pass rushers for points saved. Isaac is the only Big Ten player above 10 points saved.

Those three have added an important wrinkle to Diaz’s plans. A common third-down package this year features all three on the field, with Isaac and Dennis-Sutton at their usual end spot and Robinson lined over the center. It’s just one example of Diaz’s creativity on passing downs.

“It's going good, as you see. I like it. I have fun with it, going against the center or the guard or the tackle so you can line me up wherever you want,” Robinson said. “It's harder for interior o-linemen. They're bigger guys, and it's hard for them to stop somebody with my type of speed and athleticism. So it's an advantage for us.”

Penn State Has to Start Faster

Franklin's teams have had a reputation for being second-half teams. That’s probably still fair to say, as Penn State has outscored opponents 87-0 in the third quarter this season. The first-quarter differential is 43-10.

Opening drives have been a bigger concern, as the Lions have scored just a pair of touchdowns through six games. Penn State's last fast start against Ohio State was in 2017, when Saquon Barkley returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. The past three matchups have featured a Penn State turnover to open the game: interception in 2022, fumble in 2021 and turnover on downs in 2020.

Franklin joked about it this week, saying Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti asked him to keep games interesting until the second half. But seriously, he has addressed it as a point of emphasis multiple times this season. Penn State will need a jolt out of the gates Saturday.

“I think sometimes when you have a young team, you’ve got to be able to make adjustments in between series,” Franklin said. “It sometimes takes getting in the locker room and settling them down and saying, ‘This is what's going on.’ We got to find ways to do it faster and we got to be able to start out fast in practices and games and play at a high level.”

The Lions Can Lean on Their Depth

Penn State has played in major blowouts almost every week this season, allowing for second and third units to play at an extended rate. Starters like Olu Fashanu have barely in second halves, keeping this team healthy as big matchups approach.

Franklin has pointed to his team’s depth since the offseason, recently explaining how much fun the team is having during practice. He credited it to the developmental squad, which received surprisingly high praise.

“We've got some guys that, if we didn't have really good depth and really good health, would be playing for us right now in a top-10 program as true freshmen. The fact that those guys are not full-time on the D squad, but they're rotating back and forth, it's been really good,” Franklin said. “It's been really competitive. There's some guys that maybe weren't ready at the end that the beginning of the season that I think are more ready now, at least physically. And the way they're practicing and competing, it forces our guys to come to work every single day.”

There is a noticeable lack of late-game experience with this roster due to lack of necessity through six games. While it’s a great thing for health purposes, first-year starting quarterback Drew Allar has hardly played in the fourth quarter, for example. Franklin knows he’ll need stars to step up.

“The reality is, confidence comes with preparing well, but it also comes with experience. And those guys have it,” he said. “Our most veteran players, our best leaders, our best players, they need to play well in these types of games. We don't have to play perfect, but we need to play well in these types of games.”

Can Penn State's Kicking Game Win It?

As Franklin expects another one-score game with the Buckeyes, the kicking game could step into the spotlight for the first time this season. Alex Felkins has stabilized the placekicking job since Sander Sahaydak missed two kicks against West Virginia, though he missed from 43 yards against Iowa and was blocked from 52 yards at Illinois.

Felkins is perfect on extra points and has not been busy to this point, but he could be an X-factor Saturday. He said earlier in the season that his range is about 55 yards.

Punting should take center stage as well with Penn State unlikely to score anywhere near the 60-point outbursts it has had earlier. Riley Thompson has pinned teams inside their own 20-yard line just six times on 19 punts and has only one kick of 50-plus yards.

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.