Penn State and Ohio State have only met 34 times in a series that dates all the way back to 1912. However, they had only met eight times before 1993, when Penn State ended their long-time status as a college football independent and joined the Big Ten. At that time, they joined the same division as Ohio State, and the two teams have played each year since then. Ohio State has won 19 of the first 34 meetings, including two in a row and six of the last seven. The Buckeyes come in as heavy favorites despite the fact that Penn State is also ranked in the top ten in the nation. Can Penn State post a stunning Big Ten upset? Or will Ohio State steamroll another foe on the way to the College Football Playoff? Don’t miss our sports betting preview of this key game for CFP implications.
Penn State vs Ohio State 2019 College Football Week 13 Lines & Preview
🎙️ #PSUvsOSU Press Conference ft. @coachjfranklin, @SackA_Toney & @pat_fry5 kicks off at 12:30 PM. Tune in on Facebook Live or LionVision. Facebook Live: https://t.co/QSNCmFjy2l LionVision: https://t.co/gEcO807b0w#WeAre pic.twitter.com/rM77CILEU1
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) November 19, 2019
- When: Saturday, November 23, 2019, 12:00 pm ET
- Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
- TV: FOX
- Radio: Penn State Radio Network / Ohio State IMG Sports Network
- Live Stream: FOX Sports GO
- College Football Week 13 Odds: Ohio State -18 / O/U 56.5
Why should you bet on the Nittany Lions?
Penn State has developed a worrisome habit of playing down to their opposition. They were not able to overcome that in their loss to Minnesota, and it almost cost them again against Indiana, as the Penn State secondary gave up way too many passing plays to Indiana. If the Hoosiers had not muffed a punt in the early going and then had a fake punt go awry early in the third quarter, things might have gone quite differently.
With that said, a win is a win is a win. The problem is that Ohio State is playing at an entirely different level than the rest of the Big Ten right now. Penn State beat Indiana by seven points; Ohio State beat Indiana by 41. If you like Penn State, you see their defense rising to the occasion, as it did against Iowa and Michigan earlier this season, and you also see the offense doing enough to at least stay close to Ohio State so that they can cover.
Why should you put your money on the Buckeyes?
Ohio State rolled to a 56-21 win at Rutgers last week. Rutgers ended up putting 21 points on the board, their most in any Big Ten game in the last two seasons. However, some of that had to do with how quickly the game got out of hand, and how many Ohio State reserves took the field in mop-up duty. Ohio State was able to grab a pair of turnovers early, ending the first two Rutgers drives. Turnovers can happen to anyone, but an even larger problem for Rutgers was that Ohio State offensive line, that simply blew Rutgers off the line of scrimmage in the early going, rolling to easy touchdowns.
Ohio State made some mistakes of their own, muffing a punt that led to a Rutgers touchdown. On the whole, though, Ohio State was able to move the ball at will — except for a fourth-and-goal stand that Rutgers was able to make in the second quarter, getting a turnover on downs with the score 28-7. It did not matter much, in the final analysis, because Rutgers went three and out, and then Ohio State scored again before halftime to go into the locker room up 35-7. By the time Ohio State scored their next touchdown, they had six touchdowns, while Rutgers had only picked up five first downs to that point. Rutgers’ scoring came primarily with reserves on the field. If you like the Buckeyes against Penn State, you see them giving a similarly dominant effort against the Nittany Lions.
Final Score Prediction
Penn State should come out with a lot more motivation than they showed against Indiana, as they are still in the running for a Big Ten East title, and Ohio State is a huge obstacle in their path. However, I don’t think their offense can keep up with the Buckeyes’ attack. With that said, Penn State’s defense should be able to keep things closer than 18 points. I predict a final score of Ohio State 31, Penn State 23.
