Week 9: Ohio State at Penn State

The Big Ten’s game of the week could also be the nation’s surprise shocker of Saturday. Penn State enters this contest very confident after wiping the floor with Iowa and Wisconsin, and then keeping pace with Indiana’s explosive offense. The Nittany Lions are not the same team that stumbled earlier in the year, and it’s a fair reminder that even in those two losses, Penn State was in the game throughout.

Ohio State, meanwhile, has yet to be tested. Sure, it sits atop the national rankings, but mostly due to the fact that it is the most prestigious program in the country not to have lost a game yet. Too harsh? Look at the data: its only commendable wins in eight games have been its road victories over Washington and Purdue (yawn).

To win in Happy Valley, though, against a Penn State team clawing to stay in the thick of the Big Ten hunt … this game can finally give Jim Tressell’s club some much needed style points.

The two schools rank one and two in scoring defense (Ohio State leads all schools, allowing just 7.9 points per game) and they rank the same in pass defense. Somehow, though, we think this game will include a lot of passing and a fair amount of scoring. How’s that for irony?

Both Penn State’s Anthony Morelli and Ohio State’s Todd Boeckman are hot for their respective teams right now. Morelli completed 68.8 percent of his throws against Indiana last week, and he has kept his cool in pressure situations – something he was unable to do in previous years. Boeckman is 28-of-39 in the past two games with four touchdowns and one interception.

In terms of running the football, Chris Wells showed last week that he is fully healthy for Ohio State (221 yards). Fact is, though, Wells has had his off days this year, and although he is more explosive than either Rodney Kinlaw or Evan Royster, the Penn State backfield is probably more reliable.

With both teams matched up evenly on offense, and both defenses presenting a strong front pressure and talented secondary, this game will be decided by the intangibles – special teams, turnovers, clock management – and you have to like Tressel’s track record in winning those little battles.

Another thing to watch: the Penn State pass rush leads the Big Ten with 35 sacks. Ohio State’s offensive line, though, has done a masterful job of keeping defenders off of Boeckman, having allowed only nine sacks all season.

Ohio State by 2