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Penn St. Nittany Lions (4-0; 1-0 Big Ten East) vs Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0; 1-0 Big Ten East)
7:30 p.m. ET, September 29, 2018--ABC
Beaver Stadium (Capacity: 106,579 / University Park, PA)
| Penn State | Value (Nat'l Rank) | Value (Nat'l Rank) | Ohio State | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rushing Offense (ypg) | 275.0 (10) | 142.0 (59) | Rushing Defense (ypg) |  |
| Passing Offense (ypg) | 239.5 (62) | 181.3 (39) | Passing Defense (ypg) | Push |
| Pass Efficiency | 154.48 (33) | 110.73 (30) | Pass Efficiency Defense | Push |
| Total Offense (ypg) | 514.5 (16) | 323.3 (25) | Total Defense (ypg) | Push |
| Scoring Offense (ppg) | 55.5 (1) | 17.0 (T - 23) | Scoring Defense (ppg) | Push |
| Rushing Defense (ypg) | 172.5 (82) | 233.3 (27) | Rushing Offense (ypg) |
|
| Passing Defense (ypg) | 173.3 (29) | 365.8 (6) | Passing Offense (ypg) | Push |
| Pass Efficiency Defense | 109.93 (29) | 200.69 (3) | Pass Efficiency |
|
| Total Defense (ypg) | 345.8 (45) | 599.0 (3) | Total Offense (ypg) |
|
| Scoring Defense (ppg) | 19.5 (35) | 54.5 (2) | Scoring Offense (ppg) |
|
| Punt Return Defense (ypr) | 1.50 (22) | 7.77 (77) | Punt Return Yds |
|
| Punt Return Yds | 18.82 (18) | 0.00 (T - 6) | Punt Return Defense (ypr) | Push |
| Net Punting Yds | 40.08 (39) | 42.38 (13) | Net Punting Yds |
|
| Kickoff Return Yds | 29.86 (9) | 15.56 (13) | Kickoff Return Defense | Push |
| Kickoff Return Defense | 21.55 (77) | 21.29 (T - 63) | Kickoff Return Yds | Push |
| Turnover Margin | +0.25 (T - 52) | +1.25 (T - 12) | Turnover Margin |
|
| Passes Had Intercepted | 2 (T - 34) | 4 (T - 31) | Passes Intercepted | Push |
| Passes Intercepted | 4 (T - 31) | 1 (T - 6) | Passes Had Intercepted |
|
| Penalty Yds/Game | 53.00 (53) | 74.50 (111) | Penalty Yds/Game |
|
| Sacks | 3.50 (T - 8) | 1.50 (T - 41) | Sacks Allowed | |
| Sacks Allowed | 1.00 (T - 18) | 3.75 (T - 5) | Sacks | Push |
| Tackles for Loss (tpg) | 9.4 (6) | 4.5 (T - 25) | Tackles for Loss Allowed (tpg) | Push |
| Tackles for Loss Allowed (tpg) | 4.25 (T - 17) | 8.3 (T - 18) | Tackles for Loss (tpg) | Push |
| Redzone Offense (%) | 100.0% (T - 1) | 83.3% (T - 64) | Redzone Defense (%) |
|
| Redzone Defense (%) | 72.7% (T - 25) | 86.4% (T - 62) | Redzone Offense (%) | |
| Redzone TD % | 95.45% | 66.67% | Redzone TD % Defense | |
| Redzone TD % Defense | 63.64% | 77.27% | Redzone TD % | Push |
| 3rd Down Conv. % | 49.0% (T - 17) | 36.2% (58) | 3rd Down Defense % | |
| 3rd Down Defense % | 33.9% (T - 42) | 58.8% (3) | 3rd Down Conv. % | |
| 4th Down Conv. % | 60.0% (T - 47) | 0.00% (T - 1) | 4th Down Defense % | |
| 4th Down Defense % | 33.3% (T - 29) | 75.0% (T - 18) | 4th Down Conv. % | Push |
| 1st Downs | 104 (T - 12) | 63 (T - 30) | 1st Downs Allowed | Push |
| 1st Downs Allowed | 81 (T - 87) | 28 (2) | 1st Downs |
|
| Time of Possession | 28 (98) | 30 (61) | Time of Possession | |
| Strength of Schedule | 26 | 43 | Strength of Schedule | Push |
Difference >25 in National Rank =
Difference >50 in National Rank =
Difference >75 in National Rank =
Difference >100 in National Rank =
Note:
All of the above rankings are taken directly from the NCAA except for strength of schedule, which is not ranked by the NCAA and instead taken from S&P+.
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 judgment.
Quick thoughts:
Last year, there were more PUSHes (23) - Ohio State had the advantage in 8 categories, and Penn State had the advantage in four. This year, the Lions have the advantage in 8 categories, with Ohio State taking the advantage in 11 - there are only 16 pushes. For a pair of teams in the top ten, that’s kind of nuts; parity in a different sort of way.
These results are pretty unsurprising; both offenses are great, and Ohio State’s defense seems slightly better than Penn States - albeit against worse competition. PSU is stellar in the redzone, and has fewer lost yard plays than last year; OSU, though, is better at takeaways and controlling the clock.
It feels almost like the opposite of last year - let’s hope with the opposite results.
What say you all?