The Ohio State Buckeyes will play the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday afternoon. This renewal of a Big Ten rivalry will have big implications for the Big Ten Championship Game in December in Indianapolis. It could also have College Football Playoff implications, with the first set of rankings due next week. Head coach Ryan Day has been here before and hopes to lead Ohio State to victory over Penn State again.
Day and Ohio State have had their well-documented struggles against AP Top 5 teams. The 3rd-ranked Nittany Lions pose a threat to Ohio State, but the Buckeyes have tamed them in the past. James Franklin, Penn State’s head coach, has had trouble defeating both Ohio State and Michigan in the past. So something’s gotta give.
Heading into Saturday, Day had good things to say about one of Penn State’s star defensive players. Abdul Carter is one of the best linebackers in the country. Ohio State’s head coach had plenty of compliments for the Nittany Lions star on Tuesday.
“He’s excellent,” Day told reporters. “It’s not just him, I think they have a lot of good players on the defensive line and defense in general. Certainly have to know where 11 is on the field, he’s dynamic as a player.”
Day emphasized that it takes a “really good job” to take Carter down, whether it be in the run or the passing game.
4th-ranked Ohio State will play 3rd-ranked Penn State in one of the biggest games of the college football season this Saturday in State College. Big Noon Kickoff on Fox will hook you up.
