Penn State football takes on No. 1 Ohio State on the road on Saturday with kickoff slated for noon.
All signs are pointing to the Nittany Lions (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten) tallying their fifth consecutive loss of the season as nearly 20-point underdogs. Not only are they facing the Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) at Ohio Stadium, but they're facing the top total defense in the country with their second-string quarterback starting just the second game of his career.
Even though Ohio State can't go in with the mindset that all it needs to do is show up to win, head coach Ryan Day is not expecting Saturday to be a given win for his Buckeyes.
"I don't think there are many teams in the country that have more talent than Penn State has," Day said, according to Buckeye Sports Bulletin reporter Chase Brown. "Sure, (the season) hasn't gone the way they wanted it to, but that doesn't change that they still have really good players. When you looked at this game a few months ago, it was an absolute matchup game. That has not changed. It's still the same players other than the quarterback, and our guys know that, they understand that. They know that it's about us; it's not about our opponent.
"We'll focus on our preparation, but you need to know your opponent, and these are very, very talented players. They have a lot of NFL players, and we know they have really good coaches. All of that is gonna lead into a huge matchup game for us on Saturday."
Ryan Day gives the Nittany Lions props even though they did nothing to deserve it
From the start of 2025, it was clear Penn State had individual players. Some of those names, like running back Nicholas Singleton and quarterback Drew Allar when he was still healthy, turned out as overall disappointments. Same goes for the wide receivers, Trebor Pena, Kyron Hudson, and Devonte Ross. They're getting touches, but they're not living up to the preseason hype whatsoever. Other players, like running back Kaytron Allen, are holding up while the team as a whole sinks further and further in the season.
Day isn't technically wrong. On paper, the Nittany Lions have talented players. However, they were also the "on paper" future national champions. The reigning national title holder Ohio State is giving Penn State a lot of credit for things the blue and white have yet to prove. Day won't disrespect the Nittany Lions, nor should he, but to claim Saturday is a "huge matchup" is pushing it.