Overview
- Sportsbooks list Ohio State around -20.5, with public action leaning Buckeyes and Dimers’ model giving OSU a 93% win chance and a 33–13 projection under a 44.5 total.
- Penn State enters 3-4 after four straight losses, playing under interim coach Terry Smith with redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer making his second start following Drew Allar’s season-ending injury.
- Ohio State is 7-0 with an 11-game win streak and leads the nation in scoring defense at roughly 5.9 points allowed per game under new coordinator Matt Patricia.
- The matchup airs on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff from Ohio Stadium, days before the season’s first College Football Playoff rankings that will frame Ohio State’s resume.
- Ohio State has won eight straight in the series and leads 25-14, and due to Big Ten scheduling changes this is the last scheduled meeting until 2028; former OSU DC Jim Knowles now runs Penn State’s defense.