Penn State football and No. 1 Ohio State came off Week 9 byes ahead of their matchup on Saturday. The Nittany Lions (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten) have yet to win a Big Ten game in 2025 and seek to snap their four-game losing streak against their toughest opponent of the season. The Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) have yet to lose a game in 2025 and aren't looking to do so anytime soon. Kickoff at Ohio Stadium is at 12 p.m. ET and the game is the featured contest on FOX's Big Noon Kickoff.
The Week 10 battle is interim head coach Terry Smith's and second-string, now starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer's second game taking on their newfound roles. Penn State suffered a one-point loss to Iowa before its second bye of the season, but Smith's belief in his team has not faltered. On the flip side of the game, head coach Ryan Day is not underestimating his opponent and expressed a lot of respect for the Nittany Lions on the roster during the week leading up to Saturday.
However, Penn State is nowhere close to repairing whatever happened to its team after losing to No. 6 Oregon in Week 5. The closest thing Smith got back was the locker room, which he needs to remain intact following what is almost certainly a loss. While there's no such thing as moral victories for most teams, that's what the Nittany Lions need. If they put together a decently well-rounded performance against the top team in the country, Saturday won't be heartbreaking. It will be just another game closer to its rebuilding period.
Line: Penn State +18.5
Money Line: Penn State +830, Ohio State -1400
Over/Under: 44.5
Here are our team's predictions for how Saturday's Nittany Lions at Buckeyes contest plays out:
Josh Yourish - Penn State 6, Ohio State 28
Sydney Ciano - Penn State 10, Ohio State 31
Grunkemeyer relied heavily on running back Kaytron Allen against Iowa, and that should be expected against Ohio State as well. Offensive lineman Vega Ioane is back in action as well after missing Week 8, which will be comforting for the second-string quarterback who already showed poise and confidence in his first start. If the pass game elevates from what Grunkemeyer led against the Hawkeyes, it won't be as impactful against the No. 1 defense in the nation. Penn State's offense is going to struggle getting into rhythm no matter who touches the ball. Expect to see the difference makers, like Allen and whichever receiver adapts quickest, to be the prominent targets for Grunkemeyer.
While the Nittany Lions try to slam their foot on the gas out of the gate, the Buckeyes are going to do the exact same. Ohio State is just going to out-coach and out-perform in all areas of the game. If the Buckeyes allow even just one touchdown, they're going to immediately fix those mistakes and hold Penn State off. The grit and toughness from the Nittany Lions will put points on the board, but Ohio State will exhaust them before the four quarters are up.
Asher Fair - Penn State 6, Ohio State 38
Myles Hannak - Penn State 17, Ohio State 34