As expected, Ohio State is a heavy favorite in its matchup against Penn State at Beaver Stadium scheduled for this coming Saturday, Oct. 29.
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According to Circa Sports, No. 2 Ohio State is a 15-point road favorite over the No. 13 Nittany Lions. Ohio State is 7-0 overall, 4-0 in the Big Ten and is coming off a 54-10 domination of Iowa.
Penn State is 6-1 overall, 3-1 in conference play and just got a big bounce-back win over Minnesota, 45-17. Penn State needed a W bad after it’s 24-point loss at Michigan the week before.
Ohio State’s seven wins are all by double digits, and only its 21-10 season-opener against Notre Dame was decided by less than 29 points. In its last six games, Ohio State has scored 45, 77, 52, 49, 49 and 54 points.
James Franklin is 1-7 against Ohio State in his tenure at Penn State. The only win, of course, came Oct. 22, 2016, when unranked Penn State stunned the No. 2 Buckeyes 24-21 at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State ended up winning the Big Ten that season, but it was Ohio State who ended up going to the College Football Playoff, finishing the year with one loss to Penn State’s two.
Although Franklin’s Penn State teams have almost always lost to the Buckeyes, they’ve almost always played them close. Five of Penn State’s eight Franklin-era games with Ohio State have been decided by single digits, and seven have been by fewer than 14 points.
The Buckeyes lead the all-time series 22-14, with the first meeting coming in 1912. Penn State won that game, 37-0.
Saturday will also be the first time Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” show has come to Happy Valley.
