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Penn St. Nittany Lions (9-1; 6-1 Big Ten East) vs Ohio State Buckeyes (10-0; 7-0 Big Ten East)
12:00 p.m. ET, November 23, 2019 - FOX
Ohio Stadium (Capacity: 104,944 / Columbus, OH)
| Penn State | Value (Nat'l Rank) | Value (Nat'l Rank) | Ohio State | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rushing Offense (ypg) | 173.1 (53) | 90.4 (6) | Rushing Defense (ypg) |
 |
| Passing Offense (ypg) | 253.5 (46) | 126.0 (1) | Passing Defense (ypg) |
|
| Pass Efficiency | 149.95 (31) | 90.45 (2) | Pass Efficiency Defense |
|
| Total Offense (ypg) | 426.6 (50) | 216.4 (1) | Total Defense (ypg) |
|
| Scoring Offense (ppg) | 36.8 (15) | 9.8 (1) | Scoring Defense (ppg) | Push |
| Rushing Defense (ypg) | 75.9 (4) | 287.4 (4) | Rushing Offense (ypg) | Push |
| Passing Defense (ypg) | 240.3 (84) | 254.3 (45) | Passing Offense (ypg) |
|
| Pass Efficiency Defense | 120.70 (30) | 188.89 (4) | Pass Efficiency |
|
| Total Defense (ypg) | 316.2 (17) | 541.7 (4) | Total Offense (ypg) | Push |
| Scoring Defense (ppg) | 13.5 (7) | 51.5 (1) | Scoring Offense (ppg) | Push |
| Punt Return Defense (ypr) | 1.69 (9) | 8.74 (49) | Punt Return Yds |  |
| Punt Return Yds | 5.65 (97) | 3.29 (17) | Punt Return Defense (ypr) |
|
| Net Punting Yds | 39.68 (39) | 40.09 (33) | Net Punting Yds | Push |
| Kickoff Return Yds | 19.10 (89) | 17.85 (20) | Kickoff Return Defense |
|
| Kickoff Return Defense | 17.46 (15) | 21.77 (48) | Kickoff Return Yds |
|
| Turnover Margin | +0.60 (T - 21) | +1.30 (T - 2) | Turnover Margin | Push |
| Passes Had Intercepted | 6 (T - 33) | 13 (T - 8) | Passes Intercepted | |
| Passes Intercepted | 8 (T - 60) | 1 (T - 2) | Passes Had Intercepted | |
| Penalty Yds/Game | 51.20 (44) | 56.20 (74) | Penalty Yds/Game |
|
| Sacks | 3.30 (T - 11) | 2.20 (T - 77) | Sacks Allowed |
|
| Sacks Allowed | 1.90 (T - 60) | 4.20 (T - 2) | Sacks |
|
| Tackles for Loss (tpg) | 7.60 (14) | 5.10 (T - 36) | Tackles for Loss Allowed (tpg) | Push |
| Tackles for Loss Allowed (tpg) | 5.80 (T - 65) | 9.30 (2) | Tackles for Loss (tpg) |
|
| Redzone Offense (%) | 90.0% (28) | 61.1% (2) | Redzone Defense (%) | |
| Redzone Defense (%) | 86.4% (T - 92) | 89.5% (32) | Redzone Offense (%) | |
| Redzone TD % | 70.00% | 33.33% | Redzone TD % Defense |
|
| Redzone TD % Defense | 50.00% | 84.21% | Redzone TD % |
|
| 3rd Down Conv. % | 42.5% (45) | 26.8% (3) | 3rd Down Defense % |
|
| 3rd Down Defense % | 32.9% (25) | 58.5% (1) | 3rd Down Conv. % | Push |
| 4th Down Conv. % | 81.8% (6) | 46.2% (T - 47) | 4th Down Defense % | |
| 4th Down Defense % | 57.1% (T - 81) | 60.0% (T - 37) | 4th Down Conv. % |
|
| 1st Downs | 218 (T - 56) | 137 (2) | 1st Downs Allowed |
|
| 1st Downs Allowed | 173 (T - 19) | 286 (2) | 1st Downs | Push |
| Time of Possession | 28:16 (103) | 31:09 (35) | Time of Possession |
|
| Strength of Schedule | 10 | 6 | 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 taken from Team Rankings.com.
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:
Here is where I say that Penn State is not a bad team - in point of fact, the Nittany Lions are a pretty darn good team, with YTD stats not dissimilar (if not better than) the last three years at this point (and they ultimately finished those seasons ranked three times, including two top ten rankings).
But this year’s Ohio State team is not only a darn good team, they’re a generational type team. There’s not very many weaknesses on this squad, and that’s tough to beat - both on paper in these types of stats, and on the football field. Come Saturday, we’ll see just how close PSU is to making strides towards that same level.