Legend
Difference <25 in National Rank = Push
Difference >25 in National Rank =
Difference >50 in National Rank =
Difference >75 in National Rank =
Differences >100 in National Rank =
Note: The Redzone TD% and Redzone TD% Defense are calculated by me and not ranked by the NCAA. Determining who has the advantage in these categories is strictly my arbitrary judgement.
More analysis after the jump.
Best Matchup
Good God is it going to be fun watching the Penn State offense and Ohio State defense go toe to toe. Both units are pretty evenly matched. I think we'll see both teams win their share of battles.
Both teams commit very few penalties. So it should be a pretty clean game, unless the Big Ten officials decide to finally start calling holding for a change. Or if they flag Sean Lee with yet another unnecessary roughness penalty, cuz, ya know, he's the most dirty player in the league for hitting tight ends in the chest with his shoulder pad.
Worst Matchup
Nothing really. I guess neither team is spectacular in the punting game.
Advantages for Ohio State
As usual, Penn State gives up a lot in the kicking game. Expect Penn State to be starting with poor field position most of the night, and don't be surprised if Ohio State gets a good return or two. But keep in mind that Ohio State's kicker is out for the year. So maybe there's hope there.
Advantages for Penn State
All those 's really stick out when Penn State is on defense, don't they? The Buckeyes have a pretty good rushing game, but I suspect a lot of those yards are Terrelle Pryor. If Penn State can contain him or get a lead where Jim Tressel has to abandon the running game, it could spell doom for the Buckeye offense.
I'm really surprised with Ohio State's ability to score in the redzone. You would think with a weapon like Pryor they would score every time down there. Or turn it over. Everybody does. Whatever. Penn State, on the other hand, leads the nation in turning teams away when they start knocking on the goal line. So if Ohio State stalls in the redzone once or twice, you can smile with knowing glee.