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.
“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 has done a really nice job as well. A combination of all those things.”
“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.”Franklin's teams have had a reputation for being second-half teams.
“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.”Penn State has played in major blowouts almost every week this season, allowing for second and third units to play at an extended rate.
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.
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