• New here? Register here now for access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Plus, stay connected and follow BP on Instagram @buckeyeplanet and Facebook.

LGHL Game of the Year: Ohio State vs. Penn State has all the makings to be the B1G’s best game

Game of the Year: Ohio State vs. Penn State has all the makings to be the B1G’s best game
Michael Citro
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When the Buckeyes host the Nittany Lions on Nov. 1 it will be one of the B1G’s most important games.

From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about this season’s marquee matchups. Whether they feature the Buckeyes, other Big Ten schools, or major teams across the country. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Game of the Year” articles here.



The Penn State Nittany Lions are all-in on the 2025 season. With key starters returning — a la the 2024 Buckeyes — and Ohio State and Oregon needing to reload (especially at the quarterback position), James Franklin’s Nitts haven’t been this well positioned to finally get over the hump and make a run at a national championship in years.

That’s what makes this year’s Ohio State-Penn State matchup my Game of the Year in the Big Ten.

The stakes will be as high as they’ve ever been, and Franklin’s team will be as loaded as it can be. Add in the arrival of former OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles calling the Lions’ defense, and there is plenty of intrigue and animosity packed into the revenge-iest revenge game of Frankin’s time in Happy Valley.

Franklin became Penn State’s head coach in 2014, based in large part on making perennial doormat Vanderbilt into a competitive team, yet his only win in the OSU-PSU series came in 2016 at Beaver Stadium and required a colossal failure of Ohio State’s special teams to turn the game in Penn State’s favor.

The Nittany Lions had scored 10 straight points to cut the Buckeye lead from 21-7 to 21-17 in the fourth quarter. With a little over four minutes remaining, Ohio State faced a fourth down at Penn State’s 31-yard line. It was a 48-yard field goal from there, so Urban Meyer debated his decision before rushing out kicker Tyler Durbin and his field goal unit.

The fire drill turned into a five-alarm blaze when Marcus Allen blocked the kick and Grant Haley ran it back 71 yards for what was ultimately the winning score. The entire chain of events could have been avoided with a simple timeout, but it instead handed Franklin his only victory in the series.

The pressure is on Franklin. This must be the year to get over the hump, or it might never happen. Ohio State has won the last eight consecutive meetings, 12 of the last 13 (with the exception being the game described above), and the last six in a row in Columbus.

Ohio State will have a new quarterback, an entirely new defensive line, key newcomers along the offensive line, new running backs, and replacements at other positions as well. Meanwhile, this is PSU quarterback and Medina native Drew Allar’s last opportunity to get a signature win over the school from his home state.

The Buckeyes will get Penn State’s best shot, which is generally the case, but this time the Nittany Lions may have a desperation we’ve not yet seen under Franklin, and the apparent bad blood between Ryan Day and Knowles makes this matchup extra spicy.

Ohio State is one of only two highly ranked opponents on Penn State’s 2025 schedule, with the other being Oregon in Happy Valley. (Penn State also hosts Indiana, but I’m not ready yet to believe the Hoosiers will replicate what they did in 2024.) The Oregon at Penn State game is scheduled for Sept. 27, so it’s possible the Nitts could arrive in Columbus with only the Buckeyes standing between them and an undefeated regular season.

The Buckeyes, should they fall in the opener to Texas, may also play with desperation, because even though it’s possible to reach the College Football Playoff with two losses, it is not advisable to leave that kind of decision in the hands of the voters.

All signs point to Penn State at Ohio State being the biggest game in the Big Ten in 2025, and one of the most compelling anywhere in college football during the season ahead.

Continue reading...

OL Ethan Onianwa (Official Thread)

Login to view embedded media

Ethan Onianwa will be the key to another Ohio State football championship run​

Onianwa is the best option for them to use at left tackle. He's 6'6 and 357 pounds, so he's certainly got the size to man the blind side of a new quarterback, which is why he's such a key player. The Ohio State Buckeyes will have a new starting quarterback who has never started a game before.

Having someone who can protect a new QB is vital to the success of this team. Onianwa has to keep Julian Sayin upright, especially early in the season, as he tries to gain some confidence. Sayin is a great talent, but even those with great talent don't play well when they are constantly pressured.

If Onianwa is able to play well, the Buckeyes feel great about their chances to run it back and win a national championship. Despite all of the talent they lost, they still have plenty of that on this year's roster, too.
Upvote 0

What kind of car do you drive?

Bought a 2016 Honda Accord with 27K miles about 4 months ago. So far, so good. But the sun roof panel is flimsy compared to my 2003

Keep an eye on the timing chain sensor and vtc actuator once it hits 100k. Those K series motors go forever, but the hondas have some known issues like that.

Once you hear a small rattle on cold start up, get it handled ASAP.
Upvote 0

MLB General Discussion (Official Thread)

Ok this is one of the coolest things I've seen in sports.


That's pretty badass. And he's my center fielder!
i mean, he did it against the Pirates, that has to be factored in, LOL

pretty cool
Upvote 0

Penn State Cult (Joe Knew)

@ Iowa is a house of horrors for them
Yep.
Remember when the cult cried because Iowa faked an injury after every big Penn State play? Ha.
Or that one year when Penn State was winning by a bit, then someone got hurt. Then Iowa came back and won. That was fun to hear them with their, "We would've could've should've won" bitchery.
Reminds me of reading about Oregon's, "Oh yeah? Well in the last 30:01 of that game, we outscored Ohio State 21-7."
Upvote 0

2025 scUM Shenanigans, Arguments - NCAA: no wins taken away, no postseason ban

Dude

It is established fact that 21-23 were all stolen. Why focus on just one? A fact is a fact. They were all stolen
I'm not sure what could possibly be done to convince me that 2024 wasn't stolen, also.
But those charges would likely be thrown out.
Upvote 0

2025 scUM Shenanigans, Arguments - NCAA: no wins taken away, no postseason ban

In the Corps, yes

Somehow he thought that qualified him to run a spying operation

The truly curious part is that he was able to convince enough people at scUM of this

How desperate must they have been to buy into it?
And again, the funny part is how sloppy he went about it. He was so bad at it, he literally cooked tCun with his total lack of operations security...something any officer worth a hot damn should know quite a bit about. This dude is Gomer Pyle with a manifesto.
Upvote 0

the golf thread

I played with a friend on Saturday evening, i played pretty solid - for me, shot a 45 (+10) - i knew i left some shots on the course, but was pretty happy. i went out yesterday morning with my son, played okish, but had 2 "blow up holes" but finished par, par, bogey - shot a 46. went back out yesterday afternoon, played really well, hitting fairways, birdied the lone par 5 - 2 long puts made to save par, and even one putt from the fringe to save par after a horrible chip - bogey the last hole to end the 9 at 40 - by far my best round of the year - and the 2nd best round of my life (I shot a +4 back when I was a teenager, LOL)

2025 scUM Shenanigans, Arguments - NCAA: no wins taken away, no postseason ban

He wasn't any type of intelligence officer. He made sure there was enough ground beef for hamburger night.
In the Corps, yes

Somehow he thought that qualified him to run a spying operation

The truly curious part is that he was able to convince enough people at scUM of this

How desperate must they have been to buy into it?
Upvote 0

MLB/MiLB Buckeyes (Official Thread)

BUCKS IN BASEBALL. The All-Star break for the MLB starts today, which is always perfect timing to check the progress of a player. Three former Ohio State players have played Big League ball this year, so here is a brief update on each of them.

Dillon Dingler, C, Detroit Tigers​

This is Dingler's true rookie year after playing just 27 games in 2024, and he's emerged as Detroit's everyday catcher with an exceptionally productive first half. In 71 games, Dingler has batted .265 with eight dingers and 36 runs batted in. Defensively, he's caught 15 of the 45 runners who have attempted a steal against him, a rate of 33.3%, well above the MLB average of 22.3%.

Dominic Canzone, OF, Seattle Mariners​

After a disappointing 2024 campaign that saw him hit below the Mendoza line at .196, Canzone worked his way back to the big leagues with an impressive 45 games at AAA Tacoma, where he hit .296 with 13 home runs and 36 RBI. In his 27 games since being called back up in June, he's batting a blazing .345 with six home runs and 10 RBI.

Zach Dezenzo, OF, Houston Astros​

Dezenzo was off to a solid start in his first full big league season, batting .245 with 10 RBI through 34 games, but a hand injury has kept him sidelined since May 31. He's currently on Houston's 60-day injured list, where he'll remain until August at the earliest.
Upvote 0

WR Jeremiah Smith (All B1G, B1G Frosh/WR of Year, All-American, 2025 Rose Bowl Off MVP, National Champion)


“I CAN'T WAIT TO PROVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WRONG.” After 14 of Ohio State's starters from its 2024 national championship team were selected in the 2025 NFL draft and three more were signed as undrafted free agents, many are doubting whether the Buckeyes have a complete enough roster to repeat. Jeremiah Smith is not one of those people.

In an interview with 10TV's Adam King, the superstar sophomore wide receiver said OSU is going to "put on a show" once the season gets going.

"I just can't wait until the season starts. We're definitely gonna put on a show," Smith said. "A lot of people are doubting us, I've been seeing on Twitter and social media. So I can't wait to prove a lot of people wrong this year."

Login to view embedded media .
.
.
continued

Login to view embedded media
Upvote 0

Filter

Latest winning wagers

Back
Top