The back half of Penn State’s 2022 schedule is not an easy one and the road gets even tougher for the Nittany Lions this week, hosting No. 2 Ohio State in Happy Valley at noon. We’ve seen the magic from this rivalry come out, a signature wins a few years ago in the White Out game among the recent highlights for Penn State. However, since that point, Ohio State has won five-straight games, two of which were decided by just a point in 2018 and 2019. It will take near perfection to take down the Buckeyes and below are some keys to how PSU can do it.
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1. Get constant and immediate pressure on C.J. Stroud
Talk about a need off the jump, Penn State cannot allow Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud to get hot in the pocket. We know just what that arm can do and we know that Stroud, unlike Justin Fields, is much more of a one-dimensional quarterback, not one who runs the ball much. In only seven games, Stroud has over 2,000 passing yards and 28 passing touchdowns, averaging four a game. Those are video game numbers and he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. It’s going to take a monumental effort to get pressure on him and get through OSU’s offensive line, but that’s what it will take. Force Stroud on the run, force him into unusual passing situations, and make him make mistakes.
2. Shut down the run game as much as possible
Naturally, if Stroud isn’t able to make plays under center, the Buckeyes are going to switch up their game plan and push the ball on the ground more, something they’ve done incredibly well this season. As a team, OSU has averaged 5.6 yards per carry and nearly 205 rushing yards a game. The front seven of Penn State, defensively, as well as the linebacking corps, will be tasked with stopping that rushing attack, no small task at all. The Nittany Lions struggled in that department against Michigan and will need to tighten things up big time to keep the Buckeye run in check.
3. Break down OSU’s defense on the ground
Ohio State isn’t the only good rushing team in this game as Penn State is averaging five yards a carry and around 180 rushing yards a game thus far. After being neutralized against Michigan, Nicholas Singleton put together a much more solid performance against Minnesota, with 13 carries for 79 yards and two rushing touchdowns. This is still a player who can break off big runs and one who again, is just a freshman and is still tapping into untapped potential. He now has the big game experience of a top-10 matchup under his belt and over the past two week, much work has gone into preventing a repeat of what happened at The Big House.
4. Sean Clifford has to step up under center
Where we saw Sean Clifford use his legs more against Michigan, we saw him air the ball out a lot against Minnesota, throwing for a season-high 295 yards and four passing touchdowns, completing over 74 percent of his passes. Those are the performances that Penn State fans have been waiting for from Clifford, who has shown glimpses of that previously. If the running game isn’t successful for Penn State on Saturday, responsibility immediately goes into the hands of Clifford, who has to step up and make throws in the pocket. We know he can be mobile too, but against a strong Ohio State defense, time is finite. Be smart, find open receivers, don’t try to force throws, and play like the leader we saw against Purdue.
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