Ohio State Football has another major test this weekend, as the No. 6 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions come to Columbus.
You know it’s a major game when ESPN College GameDay with special guest picker C.J. Stroud and Fox Sports Big Noon Kickoff are both on hand, but you didn’t need those pregame shows presence to know this contest will have all eyes on it. This is the only top-10 matchup on Saturday.
For the Buckeyes every week, there are new questions they must answer in order to come out with a victory. Here are the biggest questions, in my eyes, that Ohio State needs to answer to defeat Penn State, and continue it’s unbeaten season.
Can Ohio State run the ball?
The run game looked much better last week against Purdue, but that very well could have been due to Dallan Hayden getting more playing time. Does Ryan Day retreat on his comments regarding his redshirt? After last week maybe he should, even if TreVeyon Henderson and Chip Trayanum are ready to go. Penn State has a very good front seven and Ohio State can’t have a one-dimensional offense.
Can the Buckeye defense confuse Drew Allar?
The first-year starter has yet to throw an interception this year, but there should be some chances for the Ohio State secondary to make some plays. Just one receiver, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, has made enough noise to be fearful of a big play. However, the key will be making the young quarterback Allar see the wrong coverages and make mistakes. If the Buckeyes can do that, they’ll be in good shape.
Can the backups step up?
Piggy-backing off some of the questions above, there are more than a few Buckeyes that might not be available. Already mentioned a few running backs, but Denzel Burke might be out as well. Emeka Egbuka missed last week and could miss this one too. For the Buckeyes to come out victorious, some of the backups will need to step up.
Can Ohio State’s linebackers do their job?
This unit hasn’t played very well of the past few games and will get tested against Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. They not only are good runners, but are Allar’s outlet valves when he can’t find open receivers down the field. This could be a game where we see Sonny Styles get a lot of playing time. Either way, the Ohio State linebackers need to have a good — if not spectacular — game.
Can Kyle McCord control the offense?
Ohio State has seen McCord grow and develop since he was named the unquestioned starter, and in big moments as well. The final drive against Notre Dame featured multiple clutch plays by him, his confidence increasing with that experience under his belt. We need to see the continued solid play from McCord, and this is another big test for the first-year starter.
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