Ohio State vs. Penn State 2020 Football Preview And Prediction

Ohio State travels to Happy Valley to face the Nittany Lions for a prime time matchup on Halloween night. Here’s your preview and prediction.

Ohio State game plan for victory

Justin Fields looked like he was in midseason form against Nebraska, missing on one pass all day. It was fun to watch. However, the offensive line didn’t seem to open many holes for the running game. To be fair, the Black Shirt defense was stacking the line and playing the run, often sending more defenders than Ohio State had blockers for. Still, we’d like to see more space made for the running backs to operate.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Cornhuskers gashed the Buckeye D, scoring on the opening drive in under two minutes. The secondary looked sharp, and the line started getting some pressure in the backfield in the second half.

Penn State is not the same team we thought they were going to be coming into the season. Preseason All-American, Micah Parsons, decided to opt out amid COVID concerns, and running back Journey Brown could miss the season with an undisclosed injury. That leaves a lot of weight on the shoulders of quarterback Sean Clifford and All-American tight end Pat Freiermuth. Clifford is a more than capable runner when flushed from the pocket and loves finding his favorite target Freiermuth.

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Next … The key players for Ohio State

Two Key Players For Ohio State

Garrett Wison – Wide Receiver. Wilson picked up right where he left off from the Fiesta Bowl, hauling in 7 receptions for 129 yards and a score. He’s quickly becoming a go-to target for Justin Fields, although the Buckeye QB does an excellent job of spreading the wealth. Wilson lined up in the slot quite often against Nebraska, a spot where K.J. Hill made a living for the Scarlet and Gray. Wilson will again be very involved in the game plan,  especially with Chris Olave’s injury being unclear.

Haskell Garrett – Defensive Line: Can we give a round of applause for a guy who took a bullet through the cheek just two months ago and still suited up for his teammates? Garrett didn’t have eye-popping stats, but he made his presence known disrupting plays all day. Keeping Nittany Lion quarterback Sean Clifford uncomfortable will make life much easier on the entire Buckeye defense.

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Next … How it’ll all do down