Penn State vs. Ohio State: Why the Nittany Lions Will Triumph

It seems sort of ironic that these two teams are playing in the Leaders Division, doesn't it?

By now, you know all about the scandals surrounding these two programs, so I'll just leave you with the understatement of the year courtesy of Archie Griffin. From ESPN:

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"There's no question that a lot has happened in the past year for our programs," said two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin, now president and CEO of Ohio State's alumni association. "At this point, you just have to focus on moving forward and learning from things that have happened."

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Yes, let's move forward. The key to the game is going to be which team is able to establish its running game and control the clock, since this has defensive struggle written all over it. Neither team's passing game is particularly strong (Ohio State has the 118th-ranked passing attack, Penn State the 90th).

The matchup to watch for will be the Buckeyes pitting their 28th-ranked rushing attack (200.2 yards per game) against the Nittany Lions' 28th-ranked rushing defense (119.5 yards per game allowed).

However, statistics aren't going to tell the whole tale here—these two teams are pretty evenly matched in those departments. This game will swing to the Nittany Lions because they will actually be at an advantage playing on the road this week.

That seems like hogwash, I know, especially given that Ohio State is 5-1 at home this year. However, last week's home game for Penn State had to be so emotionally draining for the coaches and players that a game outside of Happy Valley will probably be much less stressful.

It will simply be easier to focus away from home for the Nittany Lions. For a team only giving up 12.9 points per game (third in the nation), and one that can earn at least a share of the Leaders Division title with a win, a few less distractions on game day should push them past Ohio State in a hard-fought win.