Ohio State will take on the best team it’s played this season as it hits the road for just the second time this year to face the 13th-ranked Nittany Lions in Happy Valley.
Penn State is ranked 13th in both major polls whereas none of Ohio State’s first seven opponents are currently ranked in the top 25 of either poll. And the Nittany Lions have a reputation for playing Ohio State tough, as each of the last six games between the two teams has been decided by 13 points or fewer, though Penn State hasn’t actually beaten the Buckeyes since 2016.
“If you psych yourself up, you turn it into something that it isn't,” Ohio State left guard Donovan Jackson said. “They're a very, very talented team, very aggressive team. But at the end of the day, you just got to play Ohio State football.”By the numbers, Penn State will be the best team plays in the first two months of the season.
That said, the Nittany Lions have the talent to make life more difficult than it’s been for Ohio State on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Ryan Day says their combination of Sean Clifford at quarterback and a talented wide receiver corps will be “the biggest challenge” Ohio State’s pass defense has faced so far.
“I feel like we just didn't execute the way we wanted to. There are some things that we felt like we just didn't play the way that we should,” Jackson said. “So we're just trying to get back to what we did before.” C.J. Stroud’s response when asked Wednesday about Smith-Njigba’s status also cast doubt on the receiver’s availability this week, as Stroud said “I don't want to really disclose his personal information or how he feels, but I could imagine that it's not good.”
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