Ohio State vs. Penn State Rivalry The Best Big Ten Game Now?

Penn State and Ohio State resume their rivalry on Saturday (7:30 pm ET, ABC). Their series is not the most historic of the Big Ten, but in recent years, it tends to be the best on the field – both because of what happened in these games and what does not is not in others. In 2018, both teams rank among the top nine in the AP, making it one of the best rivalries in the field right now.

The Ohio State-Penn State series is one of three major series of Big Ten East that has never been so unbalanced.

All-time records for the division's biggest rival games in 2018:

• Ohio State is 31-15 (.674 winning percentage) against Michigan State
• Michigan is 69-36-5 (.650) against Michigan State
• Michigan is 13-8 (.619) vs Penn State
• Ohio State is 18-14 (0.563) against Penn State
• Michigan is 58-49-6 (.535) vs Ohio State
• Michigan State is 16-15-1 (.516) against Penn State

Reasonable people may disagree on what constitutes a RIVALRY game, but these meetings all have a great hype and stakes every year now.

But in recent years, a series of Eastern series has lost its quality.

• Michigan still holds the head of the historic series on Ohio State is mostly funny at this point. The Wolverines have won three times since 2000 and none of the last six.
• Michigan-Michigan State is still competitive, but the games are usually rock fights, and it's no longer so exciting to see MSU beating its most publicized rival every year. In 2015, he of course finished the craziest part of a game in memory.
• Ohio State-Michigan State produced some good games and a total duds. Even the best of these last games was memorable, mainly because the Ohio State referee managed to get rid of his own coaching staff a few minutes after his end.

Meanwhile, the last two years, Penn State and Ohio State have been the best teams in the Big Ten and have played their best games.

Their 2016 meeting in Happy Valley was a turning point on the road to Penn State to become an elite program again. The Nittany Lions won 24-21 on a return to the blocked goal from Marcus Allen, and they kept the East on a tie-break.

After this season, the NCAA adopted a rule that forbade blocking a kick by charging ahead on the line and jumping, as Marcus Allen of the PSU had done to beat the Buckeyes. That made this game the last huge one to end like this.

The meeting in Columbus in 2017 was just as successful. It was a 39-38 Buckeyes win after being eliminated from kickoff (a 97-yard return on Saquon Barkley) until it was 1:48 and that JT Barrett found Marcus Baugh for the first time. attack, winner of the TD match.

Game '16 finished # 24 on Bill Connelly's Top 100 List this year. The game '17 finished # 4. No confrontation allowed us to play better in recent years.

The quality of the game in this series is as good now as you can find everywhere, and the issues here are as high as possible in week 5.

Ohio State is in the # 2 ranking of S & P +. Penn State goes to # 6. Our most recent Bowl projections feature both OSU and PSU in the Playoffs, and it's not that hard to imagine. The loser of this match may well lose a single game all season, and if this happens and the winner wins the championship, it is at stake.

Whoever wins has an obvious track in the Big Ten game, where he will likely play a smaller version of Wisconsin. The loser will need help for a Playoff offer.

So it will be three years in a row that the teams will play a regular season game that could hardly be more critical.

There is a bit of shine in the game because Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa, probably the best Buckeyes player, does not play. But the Buckeyes are just going to replace him with a young blue-chipper (probably Chase Young or freshman, Tyreke Smith), and a much better Penn State offensive line than in the past will be a challenge.

Dwayne Haskins, who battles the talented Penn State side, is one of the best bands of the year.

And partly because of the advantage adjustments on the ground, Vegas expects these games to get closer and closer.

Penn State was a 17.5 point outsider at home two years ago, for the same whiteout game he has now. It was a 7-point dog in 17. Now the Ohio State -3.5.