Penn State injury report

Ohio State beat Penn State in a top-10 matchup with Marvin Harrison Jr. leading the way.

Cameron Teague Robinson, Audrey Snyder and The Athletic College Football Staff

October 21, 2023 at 9:09 PM EDT Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State's defense too much for Penn State: Full results and analysis

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No surprises on Penn State’s availability report: Expect LG JB Nelson to return today. He was practicing this week and while Vega Ioane will likely play too, PSU’s availability report reflects just how healthy this team is.

Penn State's key?

Big plays on offense. The hardest thing about deciding whether this Penn State team is actually is the lack of firepower the Nittany Lions have at the skill positions. Who is the receiver that is going to break the game open for Penn State? Drew Allar certainly has become a household name, but does Penn State have a non-quarterback skill player who can win a game?

Perfect morning for a big-time game

Greetings from Ohio Stadium where it's windy and brisk this morning. It certainly looks and feels like fall around here. Lots of fans from both sides out and about already and maybe it's the scene with College GameDay on hand and the leaves changing colors on the drive in -- or maybe it's because of the magnitude of the matchup -- but everything just seems so perfect this morning. The grills smell even better today, the energy is notable all around the stadium even 2.5 hours ahead of kick. Man, this is going to be fun -- even with kick at noon.

Is Penn State-Ohio State a rivalry?

Though Penn State is 1-8 against the Buckeyes under James Franklin and Ryan Day has yet to lose in the series, most of the games have been tightly contested.

Thirty years after Penn State joined the Big Ten, one question remains: Is this a rivalry? Ohio State is the one Big Ten team Penn State has played every season since joining the conference in 1993, and this is the 11th time they'll meet while both ranked in the AP top 10. But the Buckeyes' biggest rival will always be Michigan. The Big Ten is eliminating divisions after this season, and the Penn State-Ohio State game wasn’t declared a protected rivalry, meaning it won’t be played every year going forward. They will play in 2024, 2025 and 2028 but not 2026 and 2027.

The Athletic surveyed some of the players and coaches involved with the series in recent years to ask their thoughts on what’s materialized between these two Big Ten East foes and where it is a true rivalry.

Ohio State CB Denzel Burke out with injury; RB TreVeyon Henderson upgraded to questionable

No. 3 Ohio State will play without starting cornerback Denzel Burke against No. 7 Penn State on Saturday, according to the team’s availability report. Running back TreVeyon Henderson, who was initially listed as out by the school, has been updated to questionable.

Burke left last week’s game against Purdue in the third quarter with an apparent lower-body injury. Henderson missed the past two games with an undisclosed injury and will now be a game-time decision Saturday. Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who missed the Purdue game, is also listed as questionable and will be a game-time decision.

Ohio State's key?

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Scoring. That may sound simplistic, but this is a huge game against a top-tier opponent and the Buckeyes' offense needs to show up. We know Ohio State has one of the best defenses in the country, so can Ryan Day’s offense score 31 points against a really good Big Ten foe and put the game out of reach? Can Kyle McCord arrive as a star in this sport? Can Ohio State make Penn State look like it isn't talented enough to keep up?

Will the winner be the Big Ten favorite?

It will have the best win of the three true contenders. I’ll still lean Michigan, although if Ohio State wins it’ll be hard to argue about a better resume in the country.

Strengths for both teams

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Ohio State’s biggest strength is its pass catchers. These are the best receivers in college football, and James Franklin spoke glowingly of tight end Cade Stover, too. Marvin Harrison Jr. can break this game open — even with a really good Penn State secondary. Penn State’s biggest strength is this defense, specifically the defensive line. Yes, Penn State's top tests thus far were Iowa and West Virginia, but this defense has been dominant through six games. It’s the top-ranked defense in the country for a reason.

What will key Penn State to a win?

Contain the explosive plays. Penn State’s defense is so good at getting in the backfield and forcing negative plays, but if they give up explosive plays to Ohio State’s loaded receiving corps those negative plays won’t matter much.

Weaknesses for both teams

Ohio State’s offensive line isn’t the same, overpowering unit that the Buckeyes have had in years past. There’s still so much to learn about Kyle McCord, too. Penn State’s offense is one of the least explosive in the country, yet it has won with ease and largely had reserves playing in the fourth quarter of games this season. If Penn State falls behind and needs to catch up, can it? We haven’t seen them be a quick strike team thus far and Saturday afternoon they may need to be.

What are the strengths for both teams?

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It’s two things for Ohio State, the secondary and the receiving corps. They can limit big plays for opposing offenses, while also putting defenses in tough spots in the passing game.

For Penn State, I think it’s the defensive line. They have NFL Draft picks coming off the bench. They’re deep and talented. They could wreck havoc on Ohio State.

What will key Ohio State to a win?

Can I say get healthy? That’s not my real answer, but that’s a big part of the game. I’ll go with stopping the Penn State run game. If The Nittany Lions get to run the ball, and stay on schedule, all game then Ohio State is going to have a hard time getting off the field.

Penn State must stick to its identity

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Penn State’s key for a win is to stick with the recipe that got it this far — while sprinkling in a few more chunk plays. James Franklin said this week that PSU knows its identity, and it won’t be something it’s not come Saturday. Penn State can run the ball, take check downs, grind clock and be efficient, but Drew Allar will need to make a few big-time throws at some point. He’s certainly capable of it, but this is the biggest game of his young career, and I’d expect Penn State to take a few shots.

How Manny Diaz became the ideal hire for James Franklin

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The first time Penn State players met Manny Diaz, many weren’t sure what to make of their defensive coordinator.

The man with the slicked-back dark hair was tough to read. His face was stern and his gaze sharp as he observed the Nittany Lions’ defense in December 2021 in the lead-up to the Outback Bowl. There was a mysteriousness to him that nearly two years later still keeps some of his players on their toes.

What's Penn State's key for a win?

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Drew Allar needs to play well. Penn State’s quarterback hasn’t yet had THAT moment during his career, and this feels like the chance to have that. On the road, against a really good Ohio State team with a packed stadium and a large audience watching from home. It doesn’t get much better than that for a quarterback trying to make a name for himself.

Is the winner the Big Ten favorite?

No. Michigan is still the best team in the Big Ten, but the good news is both of these teams will get their chance in November to play the Wolverines. The loser of this game still has much to play for.

What's Ohio State's key for a win?

Run the ball. It feels like Penn State has an advantage at quarterback, so the Buckeyes don’t need to get into a passing contest with the Nittany Lions and Drew Allar. So run the ball, control the clock and keep Allar off the field as much as possible.

Ohio State must slow down Penn State pass rush

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Ohio State’s key for a win is to figure out how to slow down Penn State’s pass rush. If it does, Kyle McCord and these talented pass catchers will be fine. PSU’s defensive ends are a handful and the Buckeyes’ tackles likely will need help. Even if they keep someone in to chip there’s still a decent chance PSU wins this game because of how strong and deep this defensive line is.

Is the winner of this game the Big Ten favorite?

Probably the popular answer will be no because of Michigan, and the Wolverines look really good. But I do see the winner of this game as the favorite because it will have a leg up on Michigan because it will have won one of the big three games in the conference this season: Ohio State-Penn State, Michigan-Penn State and Ohio State-Michigan. That has to mean something.

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