After reading the headline to this article, Penn State fans will be hard-pressed not to ask, “where to start”? From where this game started in people’s minds in the preseason to now, everything concerning the Nittany Lions has gone downhill, while everything concerning Ohio State is coming up aces. They are the No.1 team in the country with most of their units and players ranked first nationally in every statistic. Meanwhile, there are not many positive vibes coming from Happy Valley. Thus, it will be a rough mountain to climb for the Nittany Lions on the road in the Shoe.
Here are the top five(out of many) reasons for concern for the Nittany Lions headed into their matchup with the vaunted Buckeyes.
Julian Sayin’s absurd completion percentage
For any freshman quarterback, some might say a 65% completion rate is a steady goal to have. It means that they are on track, but have something to improve upon. Say that to Julian Sayin, because he’s unlike any freshman QB ever. While some will point to the elite weapons around him, no one expected he would be completing a quite frankly absurd 80 percent of his passes. Some will also say that most of those have come on quick throws to the flats rather than any explosive throws. Still, it’s mighty impressive, and with that receiving corps, any throw is possible to make. Penn State will have to decide whether it wants to blitz at a high rate or try its best to hold up coverage. Both of those ideas could work if Sayin weren’t ambitious enough to throw the deep ball. Unfortunately for the Blue and White, he absolutely is.
Carnell Tate’s emergence
Speaking of Julian Sayin’s weapons, Carnell Tate might be the most dangerous one. Not only is he emerging as the true WR1 for this offense, but he’s making people forget about Jeremiah Smith as well, which is perhaps the scary prospect. On just 34 receptions, he has 587 yards and 6 touchdowns, averaging an astounding 17.3 yards per catch. He’s not just matching Jeremiah Smith’s output, in many ways, he could be exceeding it. For a Penn State secondary that, while it is one of the best in the nation, hasn’t been tested much, it is a daunting proposition. No defensive scheme can prepare you for Carnell Tate.
Ohio State’s record against Penn State…especially at home
This one hits harder because the Buckeyes have been tormenting the Nittany Lions even before they were a Big Ten team. Ohio State has an impressive record of 26-14 all-time against the Nittany Lions, but it’s their home record that’s so demoralizing for Penn State fans. They are 14-7 in the confines of Columbus, and to make matters worse, Penn State has only won twice in the Shoe since they became Big Ten members. It definitely hits home when you see former head coach James Franklin’s putrid resume as well. If there’s any team the Nittany Lions shouldn’t want to face in a time of crisis, it’s the Buckeyes.
Huge coaching disparity
It’s one thing to go on the road in a place you don’t often win with relatively green personnel in key areas. It’s quite another when the coach on the opposite sideline has the best all-time winning percentage in college football. Ryan Day has become the epitome of winning in college football and now has the national championship to prove it. While everyone thought there would be some growing pains with Sayin taking the reins of the offense and a high turnover on the defensive side of the football, it has been anything but, with Day really doing an exceptional job of understanding the ebbs and flows of his squad. On the other side of the spectrum, you have Terry Smith going into his second career game as head coach with a freshman QB playing in his second-ever start. Not necessarily the best of situations.
1 word: defense
This is perhaps the thing that should scare Penn State fans the most: Ethan Grunkemeyer facing this defense. In every single statistical category that matters, Ohio State is the undisputed leader. At every single level, you have elite NFL-caliber talents who get the job done no matter the team or where they’re at in the season. Players like Arvell Reese and Kenyatta Jackson sprang out of the woodwork while established vets such as Caleb Downs almost feel like they’re already playing with an NFL mentality. Ethan Grunkemeyer won’t know what’s coming to him on Saturday….even with a bye week to try and prepare.
