Ohio State Buckeyes

Penn State Football: Nittany Lions Big Home Underdogs to Ohio State

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Penn State enters this week’s matchup with Ohio State as a big home underdog.

After receiving some much-needed rest over the bye week, Penn State remains at home for the third-straight game this week. Despite riding a two-game win streak, the Nittany Lions are big underdogs against visiting Ohio State.

The Buckeyes start the week as double-digit favorites. Current lines in Vegas have Ohio State favored by 20 points over the Nittany Lions.

Penn State struggled to start the season and suffered a demoralizing 49-10 defeat against Michigan on September 24. However, after that poor performance, the Nittany Lions turned a corner.

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It starter with a gritty comeback win in overtime against undefeated Minnesota. Penn State showed the type of heart that helps teams to be successful. The good vibes continued the following week in a dominating upset of undefeated Maryland.

The offense, led by quarterback Trace McSorley has started to ramp up its production and is finally showing signs of life under offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead. Running back Saquon Barkley finally found some running room and went for over 200 yards against the Terrapins.

Defense has been the problem for much of the year so far in Happy Valley. A unit that was already young got even younger thanks to major injuries, particularly at linebacker. However, with valuable game experience behind them, the unit has started to play much better.

Ohio State enters the game at Beaver Stadium undefeated after a huge overtime win in Madison. The Buckeyes are one of the best teams in the country and present a huge challenge to Penn State. Ohio State is ranked fourth in rushing yards per game, something that the Nittany Lions struggle with on defense.

On paper, this game looks like a pretty big mismatch. However, college football doesn’t always play out the way that it should. Happy Valley presents a touch environment for the Buckeyes, especially for a night game. Throw in the fact that it’s the annual White Out, and virtually anything could happen when the game finally kicks off.

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