Penn State Football: keys to success against the Ohio State Buckeyes

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 22: Sean Clifford #14 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after a play against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the second half at Beaver Stadium on October 22, 2022 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

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AUBURN, ALABAMA – SEPTEMBER 17: Defensive end Chop Robinson #44 of the Penn State Nittany Lions causes a fumble after hitting the arm of quarterback T.J. Finley #1 of the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 17, 2022 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /

Key to success on defense #1 – get pressure on CJ Stroud

If CJ Stroud is kept upright and has a ton of time to throw, it doesn’t matter how good Penn State’s secondary might be, he’ll eventually get the ball to an open target. That was the case last year in this matchup, as he was not sacked once all night.

Getting some hits on Stroud can make him uncomfortable in the pocket, hopefully leading to some rushed throws. He is a good runner, but it’s not something he likes to do; so he doesn’t do it a whole lot.

Two or three sacks in this one could be the difference on that side of the ball.

Turnovers and negative plays are big time momentum shifters in a game like this, and getting consistent pressure can lead to plenty of that.

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