ESPN College Gameday 2023: Week 8 Location Hosts, TV Schedule and Predictions

ESPN's College Gameday is back for Week 8 of the College Football season, covering a showdown between two Big Ten powerhouses. No. 3 Ohio State will host No. 7 Penn State in a matchup that will have huge implications on the conference standings as well as the College Football Playoff picture.

Location: St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio

Start Time: 9 a.m. ET

Hosts: Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, and Pat McAfee

Guest Picker: C.J. Stroud

TV: ESPN, ESPNU

Streaming: ESPN app, FuboTV

Both schools are undefeated this season, owning 6-0 records. Ohio State is 3-0 at home, while Penn State is 2-0 on the road.

The Buckeyes have been a College Gameday staple, with their 23 times hosting and 58 total appearances being the most of any program.

Ohio State signal-caller Kyle McCord has completed 64.1 percent of his passes in 2023 for 1,651 yards, 11 touchdowns, and one interception. Meanwhile, Penn State quarterback Drew Aller has racked up 1,254 yards through the air, tossing for 12 scores with no picks. He's also added three touchdowns on the ground.

Ohio State leads the all-time matchup between the two programs, sporting a record of 23-14. In fact, the Buckeyes have won 10 of their past 11 games against Penn State. This includes a 44-31 victory on Oct. 29 of last year, the most recent matchup between the schools.

Prediction

While Penn State hasn't been able to get the better of Ohio State for awhile, this year's iteration of the Nittany Lions should have a shot to get over the hump. The program's 2023 scoring offense and scoring defense both rank top-five in the country, averaging 44.3 points while allowing just 8.0 points per game.

Allar isn't a gunslinger by any means, but he does enough through the air to keep defenses honest while the two-headed backfield monster of Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton punish opponents on the ground.

Both players have at least 360 yards and three touchdowns this year, averaging just over 4.4 yards per carry combined.

While Ohio State looked a bit shaky to begin their season, they've looked much more dominant since halftime of their Week 7 matchup against Maryland. This includes the team's most recent victory, a 41-7 win over Purdue.

The Buckeyes' offensive line will need to step up against a dominant Penn State pass-rushing unit that has amassed a conference-leading 27 sacks this season.

If McCord has enough time in the pocket to find Marvin Harrison Jr. downfield, the Buckeyes' offense can get clicking early. Harrison Jr. already has 31 receptions for 604 yards this year, proving himself to be one of the best players in the country.

There's also the possibility that starting wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and running back TreVeyon Henderson will make their return against Penn State, as the two both missed the team's clash with Purdue because of injuries.

Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day left the door open for a potential return, which would provide a massive boost for the team's offensive production.

"Hopefully, we'll have all those guys back for Saturday," Day said, according to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.

Egbuka has recorded 303 receiving yards and three scores this season, while Henderson has racked up 295 yards and found the end zone five times.

Although Penn State's aggressive defense and hard-nosed rushing attack should allow them to take control of the game if they were to jump out to an early lead, the possibility of Ohio State regaining two of their top offensive playmakers might be too much to handle.

With the crowd at Ohio Stadium likely to be deafening, the Buckeyes should be able to remain perfect in a narrow one-score victory.

Score Prediction: Ohio State 27, Penn State 24