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Penn State Football: causes for concern against Ohio State

By Nick Kreiser

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 22: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions arrives at the stadium on the team bus before the White Out game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Beaver Stadium on October 22, 2022 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 22: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions arrives at the stadium on the team bus before the White Out game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Beaver Stadium on October 22, 2022 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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COLUMBUS, OHIO – OCTOBER 30: C.J. Stroud #7 of the Ohio State Buckeyes throws a pass during the first half of their game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium on October 30, 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO – OCTOBER 30: C.J. Stroud #7 of the Ohio State Buckeyes throws a pass during the first half of their game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium on October 30, 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

Cause for concern #2 – CJ Stroud

The last slide goes hand in hand with this one. It’s one thing to be a great rushing team or a great passing team, but it’s a completely different thing to be both.

Penn State Football has one of the better pass defenses in the country. They are allowing less than six yards per attempt, which is 11th best in the country in that department. This defense also has a ton of pass breakups, and they rush the quarterback very well.

The only question is: can they be nearly as successful against the pass when they also have to defend a great running game as well?

Having arguably the best quarterback in the country certainly helps Ohio State.

Even if Penn State’s coverage downfield is pretty good, that likely won’t be good enough. CJ Stroud is extremely accurate and can fit the ball into some ridiculously tight windows. Having an elite receiving corps just adds to it.

As great as the Penn State secondary is, when you’re going against the best quarterback in the sport, it’s going to be tough sledding. Both the pass rush up front and the coverage on the back end will need to play their absolute best to have a chance.

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