Ohio at Penn State Lines

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The Penn State Nittany Lions will open up the 2012 season at home against the Ohio Bobcats on Saturday. It’s certainly a game worth paying attention to, as this will be Penn State’s first game since all the sanctions received from the Sandusky scandal. Lost in all the drama is the fact that the Nittany Lions went a respectable 9-4 in 2011, and were just one conference win away from playing in the Big Ten Championship Game. Ohio figures to provide a pretty solid challenge. The Bobcats are coming off a 10-4 season. While they would lose to Northern Illinois 20-23 (lead 20-0) in the MAC Title game, they finished up the year with a 24-23 win over Utah State in the Idaho Potato Bowl.

Taking a look at the odds posted for this matchup, Penn State comes in favored by 6-points over Ohio with the total currently sitting at 44.5 points.

Ohio:

Frank Solich has guided the Bobcats to three-consecutive winning seasons. Last year’s 10-win season was their first in school history since 1968 and the win over Utah State marked the first time Ohio came away victorious in a bowl game. Many believe the Bobcats are poised to make another run at a MAC title in 2012. Ohio welcomes back 14 starters from last season.

While they must replace leading rusher Donte Harden (986 yards) and their top two receiving threats in La’Von Brazill and Riley Dunlap, Ohio welcomes back starting quarterback Tyler Tettleton. Last year, Tettleton not only threw for 3,302 yards and 28 touchdowns, but he also rushed for a 658 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns.

His return alone figures to keep the offense in good shape, but he is going to need some help for the Bobcats to grow offensively. Ohio is expecting big things out of junior running back Beau Blankership, who rushed for 462 yards and four scores on just 93 carries a season ago. At receiver, the Bobcats get back junior Donte Foster, who put up solid numbers as a sophomore (30 catches, 352 yards, 5 TDs).

Defensively the Bobcats looked to be down heading into the 2011 season, as they had just four starters coming back on that side of the ball. That wasn’t the case at all. Ohio held opposing teams to just 22.1 points and 361 total yards per game. The stop unit figures to be even stronger in 2012, as 8 starters return on that side of the ball.

Penn State:

It’s been a difficult offseason to say the least for the Nittany Lions. Penn State has put the future of the program in the hands of Bill O’Brien, who has been a member of the New England Patriots coaching staff since 2007. O’Brien brings an offensive mind with him to Penn State, but it’s going to be extremely hard to keep Penn State competitive, especially in the coming years.

Offensively, Penn State really struggled to do much of anything in 2011. The Nittany Lions averaged just 19.3 ppg on 342 yards of total offense. The offense didn’t get much of anything out of the quarterback position, as Matt McGloin and Rob Bolden combined to throw for just 2,256 yards with 10 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.

While some thought O’Brien would completely shake things up, he has decided to open the season with McGloin under center. While it’s hard to expect a ton of improvement, O’Brien is certainly someone who could get the best out of the senior signal caller.

Outside of the quarterback spot, Penn State will have to figure out a way to replace their biggest offensive threat in running back Silas Redd (1,241 yards, 7 TDs), who transferred to USC. Wide out Justin Brown has also decided to pack his bags, as he transferred to Oklahoma. Penn State will likely turn to sophomore Allen Robinson as the go-to-guy at receiver, while Bill Blanton and Derek Day are listed 1-2 on the running back depth chart.

Defensively, Penn State was extremely strong in 2011. The Nittany Lions held opposing teams to just 16.8 ppg on 324 yards of total offense. Unfortunately only four starters return on that side of the ball. Penn State has alway sent out one of the better defenses in the country and still have a ton of talent on that side of the ball. They will clearly be inexperienced, but I wouldn’t expect a huge drop off in production.

Prediction:

This is a game I really don’t feel comfortable taking, but I do think Penn State is showing a ton of value. The Nittany Lions opened as a 10.5-points favorite but have since been bet down to a 6-point favorite. The Nittany Lions did have a couple of key players transfer, but I think people are overlooking the talent that remained with the team. The scholarship sanctions aren’t going to take full effort until later down the road. The last time Ohio played a Big Ten school, they were crushed by Ohio State 43-7 back in 2010.

About the Author: Steve will be the first to tell you that College Football is his passion, but he enthusiastically follows the NFL, NBA, College Hoops, and Major League Baseball. Get started today with a premium package from Steve Janus!
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