Being the Buckeye beat’s black sheep blog, we here at Land-Grant Holy Land like to pat ourselves on the back. So, throughout the season, members of our staff will be making predictions about that day’s
game. They will go on the record with what they think the final score will be, who the game’s MVP will be, and what the major storyline will be coming out of the day.
Today, at 12 noon ET, the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes will host the Penn State Nittany Lions. As of the writing of this article, the Buckeyes are 18.5-point favorites, with the total points mark set at 44.5 points. So that means that the Vegas oddsmakers see the game as finishing somewhere in the ballpark of 32-12 in favor of OSU.
Check out what our staff members think and then let us know your thoughts on the game in the comments below. As we move forward with the season, you will be able to keep up with just how well our prognosticators do on a weekly basis HERE.
Alex Frank
Score Prediction: Ohio State 30, Penn State 14
Game MVP: Jeremiah Smith will have a big game, particularly in the second half to break the game open.
Major Storyline: Ohio State will make Jim Knowles question why he left for Penn State.
Joey Gertz
Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Penn State 10
Game MVP: Bo Jackson will rush for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
Major Storyline: The Buckeyes’ run game gets figured out, and this is the most balanced offensive game we’ve had thus far.
Justin Golba
Score Prediction: Ohio State 34, Penn State 14
Game MVP: Julian Sayin will continue to work his way to the front of the Heisman Trophy conversation.
Major Storyline: Julian Sayin will throw for four touchdowns to four different receivers to solidify his case for the Heisman Trophy.
Caleb Houser
Score Prediction: Ohio State 34, Penn State 14
Game MVP: Julian Sayin will continue his Heisman campaign with 325 yards passing and three touchdowns.
Major Storyline: The OSU offense will use Jeremiah Smith more than ever, as Carnell Tate continues to demand more and more attention.
Connor Lemons
Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Penn State 13
Game MVP: Julian Sayin is a boring answer, but I think he throws for at least three touchdowns and becomes the next in a long line of Ohio State quarterbacks to put up heroic performances against Penn State.
Major Storyline: Not looking ahead to Michigan, taking care of business over the next 3 weeks. Ohio State’s biggest challenges are in the rearview mirror, except for The Game.
Brett Ludwiczak
Score Prediction: Ohio State 33, Penn State 7
Game MVP: Ohio State defensive end Caden Curry will make life miserable for Penn State’s backup quarterback, registering two sacks.
Major Storyline: The Buckeye defense smothers another opponent, kicking off a five-game November schedule with an easy win.
Gene Ross
Score Prediction: Ohio State 31, Penn State 10
Game MVP: Buckeyes will look to set up the run with the pass, and with Penn State doing everything it can to slow down Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate will feast.
Major Storyline: Julian Sayin makes a serious push in the Heisman race with a 400+ yard and at least three-touchdown performance.
Matt Tamanini
Score Prediction: Ohio State 38, Penn State 6
Game MVP: Julian Sayin will have another electrically efficient day, more than doubling PSU’s season average of yards allowed per game. He goes for 315 yards and three touchdowns through the air, but also adds in 35 yards rushing as he is allowed to keep the ball more in the Buckeyes’ burgeoning RPO game.
Major Storyline: Given that both teams are coming off a bye, I think that both coaching staffs will have used the off week to install new wrinkles into their respective game plans. Penn State will try to kick-start its offense with more downfield shots that often end disasterously, and Ohio State will employ a slightly new offensive strategy, relying far more heavily on the pass than they have the majority of the season.
Ryan Weckstein
Score Prediction: Ohio State 38, Penn State 21
Game MVP: I’m going with Carnell Tate. Penn State will put two or three guys on Jeremiah Smith on every play, as they don’t want to get beaten by the best offensive player in the country. That should give Tate plenty of opportunities to get the offense rolling with eight catches for 125 yards and a touchdown.
Major Storyline: Penn State will show up for this game as if it’s their Super Bowl. Ohio State will weather the storm, and even though Penn State will score more points on this defense than usual, OSU will still win by multiple scores.
