No. 3 PSU hosts No. 4 Ohio State in arguably the biggest game of the Big Ten and college football regular season Saturday in Happy Valley.
Everyone is taking note of the matchup, drawing ESPN’s College GameDay and Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff to preview the showdown at Beaver Stadium. It’s the biggest test of Penn State’s season (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) and a chance to clinch a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game if Penn State doesn’t slip up in games they are likely favored to win in November.
While all eyes are on the two teams, Ohio State (6-1, 3-1) head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly are preparing their offensive game plan with star defensive lineman/linebacker Abdul Carter in mind.
“You got to know where No. 11 is on the field,” Day said. “He’s a dynamic player. Whether it’s run game, pass game, you got to really do a good job with him.”
For a while I thought Travis Hunter would be my only blue-chip player in this class, but I can no longer deny the greatness of Abdul Carter. 1st year playing edge btw pic.twitter.com/eKtwBNGooG
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) October 22, 2024
In his first season at Ohio State, Kelly’s offense is 11th in the country in points per game (40.3), 14th in total yards per game (478.4), and 31st in passing yards (283.9). The Buckeyes also run for nearly 190 yards per contest and convert 44% on third down under transfer and PA native Will Howard’s direction. Kelly compared Carter to former star No. 11 capable of wreaking havoc in the backfield.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“He’s a lot like Micah (Parsons) in terms of what he can do in disrupting the game as a pass rusher,” Kelly said. “You probably don’t see that athleticism usually in defensive linemen that you get from him.”
Carter leads Penn State with four sacks and is third in the Big Ten with 9.5 tackles for loss. He owns 30 tackles, three passes defended, and a forced fumble while bouncing between the defensive line and linebacker spots.
A projected first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Carter owns 134 career tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, and four forced fumbles in 33 games. Carter registered a sack against the Buckeyes two seasons ago and made a season-best nine stops in Columbus a year ago.
The first-team All-Big Ten honoree is one of only two freshman in Penn State history to record 10 tackles for loss and six sacks during his freshman season. A preseason AP All-American in his junior campaign, Carter has a chance to solidify his standing as one of the best pass rushers in football against a beat up Ohio State offensive line. The Buckeyes only converted 1 of 10 third downs in a 21-17 win against Nebraska.
Penn State’s defense ranks 12th in total yards (282.6), 13th in rushing yards (92.9), and 42st in passing yards (174.6). Both defenses allow around a 32% conversion rate and third down and below 15 points per game. The matchup, which feels like a playoff game, kicks off at noon on Fox from Happy Valley.
