The Penn State-Ohio State Betting Line Favors the Buckeyes Once Again

Oddsmakers install Ohio State as the favorite over the Nittany Lions for the 14th consecutive season.

Penn State has won 11 consecutive football games since its last lost, which happened against its next opponent. The Nittany Lions bring their longest win streak under head coach James Franklin to Ohio State on Saturday for the Big Ten's biggest game of the season, part one.

Ohio State opened as a 4.5-point favorite, according to DraftKings, a marked change since the preseason lines were released. In February, FanDuel installed Ohio State as a 9.5-point favorite, a number that reached 10.5 points in May. Penn State is an underdog for the first time this season.

Where Are Penn State, Ohio State Ranked in the Polls?

The Nittany Lions (6-0) and Buckeyes (6-0) will meet as top-10 teams for the fourth time in Franklin's 10 seasons. Penn State fell one spot in the AP Top 25 to No. 7 following its 63-0 victory over UMass on Saturday. The Buckeyes (6-0) remained at No. 3 after defeating Purdue 41-7.

Penn State and Ohio State both were ranked in the top 10 for their games from 2017-2019. The Buckeyes won all three meetings.

ESPN College GameDay Will Be in Columbus

The Penn State-Ohio State game will draw both major pregame shows to Ohio State. FOX Big Noon Kickoff will originate from Columbus, as will ESPN College GameDay. This marks the second time this season that both shows will air broadcast from the same location. They both originated from Boulder for the Colorado-Colorado State game in September.

When Was the Last Time Penn State Beat Ohio State?

The Nittany Lions haven't won in the series since a legendary 24-21 victory over the No. 2 Buckeyes in 2016. That game produced Grant Haley's iconic touchdown return of Marcus Allen's blocked field goal. The Lions went on to win the Big Ten championship that season.

Since then, Ohio State has won six consecutive games over the Lions, including last year's 44-31 victory at Beaver Stadium. Penn State coach James Franklin is 1-8 against Ohio State and 0-4 at Ohio Stadium. Penn State has lost five consecutive games at Ohio State, last winning in the 2011 matchup between interim head coaches Tom Bradley (Penn State) and Luke Fickell (Ohio State).

The Last Time Penn State Was Favored Over Ohio State

The Buckeyes have been favorites in the series for 14 consecutive games. According to OddsShark, Ohio State has favored in every game against Penn State since 2010. Penn State last was favored over the Buckeyes in 2009. The Lions were a 4.5-point home favorite but lost that game 24-7. 

However, Penn State has been a pretty good bet against the spread vs. the Buckeyes. According to OddsShark, the Lions have won against the spread in six of the last seven games, including the last two. Ohio State was a double-digit favorite over Penn State for the past four seasons but covered only once, as a 10-point favorite in 2020.  

What Time Is the Penn State-Ohio State Game?

Kickoff is at noon ET from Ohio Stadium. FOX will broadcast the game in its Big Noon time slot.

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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.