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Penn State at Ohio State Football Picks & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

Sole possession of first place is on the line when the third-ranked Nittany Lions look to snap a 10-game road losing streak against ranked opponents when they take on No. 10 Ohio State this Saturday on ABC. The Lions are also up against another daunting statistic. They haven’t won in Columbus since 1978. But odds makers feel this is the year they get it done and have listed Penn State as 2.5-point favorites with the total set at 46.

Penn State is now 8-0 on the season and 4-0 in the Big Ten, playing the way we all expected it to when the Nittany Lions decided to join the conference. Penn State was expected to give the Big Ten another national power, but has not reached the level of Ohio State or Michigan since joining the league in 1993. Michigan and Ohio State have combined to win or share 12 Big Ten titles over the last 15 seasons while Penn State has only won two.

The Nittany Lions are only 9-20 against Ohio State and Michigan since joining the Big Ten, but the Lions were able to end a nine-game losing skid to Michigan last weekend. I have a feeling it’s going to be much tougher this week for Joe Paterno’s boys.

QB Daryll Clark has been a big reason for Penn State’s success. He is the Big Ten’s second-highest rated passer and has accounted for 19 touchdowns this season. Running back Evan Royster has been sensational as well, leading the Big Ten with a 7.7 yards per carry average.

The Lions rank 12th in the country in total offense at 482.1 yards per game, but yards are going to be much harder to come by this week.

Penn state has not won at Ohio Stadium in 30 years and is 0-7 in Columbus since joining the Big Ten. The Lions have also dropped 10 straight road games to teams in the AP Top 25 poll. Not surprisingly, two of those losses have been to No. 1 ranked Ohio State teams.

Ohio State is on the other end of the spectrum in that it has won 12 of its last 13 conference home games against ranked schools.

I’m sure Terrelle Pryor is chomping at the bit to prove to the entire state of Pennsylvania that he made the right decision in leaving the state. The freshman phenom has already trumped Todd Boeckman, who took the Buckeyes to the BCS title game a season ago, and his play has really started to improve with the return of running back Beanie Wells.

Pryor through for 116 yards and ran for 72 more while scoring through the air and on the ground in last Saturday’s blowout of Michigan State.

Beanie Wells was the pick of many to win the Heisman Trophy this season before missing three games with a foot injury. The Buckeyes were slaughtered 35-3 at USC without him and I’m sure a win this week to put the Buckeyes right back in the BCS title hunt would be just what the doctored ordered for Wells and the Buckeyes.

Wells has been very determined since his return, running for 508 yards over the last four games. He cut up the Nittany Lions a season ago with 133 yards on 25 carries in Ohio State’s 37-17 win at Happy Valley. Penn State apparently has not solved its problems stopping the run either, as Michigan was able to gash the Lions for 202 yards last week. I like Beanie Wells to have a big day and for Ohio State to continue its dominance of ranked opponents. Bet Ohio State at +2.5 at Bookmaker and receive a 20% cash signup bonus.

Check out Jimmy’s Week 9 NCAA football picks for higher rated selections on the college gridiron this week. Jimmy is here to help make this football betting season your most lucrative ever. Your trouble beating the college football odds is over once you decide to start winning with Jimmy.

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