Buckeyes Come to Happy Valley Saturday

UNIVERSITY PARK. – A Penn State White Out crowd will be the backdrop for Saturday’s fifth consecutive primetime meeting between the Nittany Lions (4-2) and No. 2 Ohio State (6-0). The contest will be televised on ABC from Beaver Stadium starting at 8 p.m.

Penn State has been successful at home recently, earning a 4-0 start to the 2016 home schedule for just the fifth time since 2000. The Lions have won 10 out of their last 11 at home dating back to last season.

The second-ranked Buckeyes will provide a strong challenge to the Lions. Ohio State has won the last four meetings against Penn State, but its closest call came the last time the two teams met in Happy Valley in 2014, as the Nittany Lions rallied from a 17-0 deficit at halftime to force overtime. Ohio State is also the third consecutive unbeaten opponent Penn State has had to face this season and the second ranked in the top five. The last time Penn State faced two top five teams in the same season was 2006 when it faced three.

Saquon Barkley will continue be a player to watch for Penn State. The sophomore Nittany Lion running back rushed for a career-high 202 yards in Penn State’s last outing and rushed for 194 yards at then No. 1 Ohio State last season. He leads the Big Ten with eight rushing touchdowns and nine total touchdowns. Quarterback Trace McSorley has also become a true dual threat performer. He ranks third in the Big Ten in passing yards, but has totaled 154 yards on the ground the last two games after totaling just 32 in the first four games.

The Penn State defense is coming off one of its best performances of the season, holding Maryland well below its season averages for points and yardage entering the game.

The Buckeyes have been ranked No. 2 all month and have won their last 20 consecutive road games, including last Saturday’s OT win at Wisconsin. Ohio State also defeated then-No. 14 Oklahoma on the road earlier this season.

Penn State will perhaps be helped by the presence of the 1986 National Championship team. The group will be honored at halftime to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their 12-0 season that culminated with a thrilling win over No. 1 Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.

HEAD COACH URBAN MEYER

• Urban Meyer is in his fifth season as the Ohio State head coach. Meyer began his coaching career as the tight ends coach for the Buckeyes in 1986.
• Other head coaching stops have included Bowling Green (2001-02), Utah (2003-04) and Florida (2005-10).
• This will be Meyer’s sixth match up against Penn State, as his Florida team beat the Nittany Lions in the 2011 Outback Bowl, 37-24.
• He has won three National Championships, guiding Florida in 2006 and 2008, and Ohio State in 2014.
• Meyer was an ESPN analyst for Penn State’s home game with Iowa on Oct. 8, 2011.
• He is a 1986 graduate of the University of Cincinnati.

SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES

• No. 2 Ohio State is 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten.
• The Buckeyes are coming off a primetime, overtime win on the road over then-No. 8 Wisconsin.
• The win extended Ohio State’s road win streak to 20 games, the longest active streak in the nation. The Buckeyes have yet to lose a road game under head coach Urban Meyer.
• The Buckeyes surrendered their first rushing touchdown of the year with 7:54 remaining in the fourth quarter against Wisconsin.
• Ohio State is among the Big Ten leaders in all three phases of the game.
• Ohio State enters the game averaging 49.3 points per game (fourth in FBS) and allowing just 12.8 points per game (third in FBS). Both figures rank second in the Big Ten.
• The Buckeyes rank fourth in the nation and tops in the Big Ten averaging 300.5 yards rushing per game.
• Ohio State has allowed an average of just 2.7 tackles for loss per game to rank second in FBS, while Penn State ranks sixth in the nation for tackles for loss averaging 8.7.
• Mike Weber (102.0), Curtis Samuel (76.0) and J.T. Barrett (72.3) all rank in the Top 12 in the Big Ten for rushing yards per game.
• Malik Hooker leads the Big Ten with four interceptions.

HOME IN HAPPY VALLEY

• The Nittany Lions have spent October in Happy Valley, playing their longest stretch of home games this season and the longest since Penn State played five in a row at home early last season.
• A three-game homestand began with an overtime win over Minnesota (Oct. 1) and continued with a win over Maryland (Oct. 8) and an off-week.
• Penn State is 4-0 at home this year and for the 23rd time in Beaver Stadium history. It is just the fifth time since 2000 (2005, 2007, 2008, 2015), but the second time in as many years. The Nittany Lions started 6-0 at home last season.
• Dating back to last season, Penn State has won 10 out of its last 11 home games.
• Penn State will travel for the first time in more than a month next week to play at Purdue (Oct. 29). The Nittany Lions have two home games remaining: Iowa (Nov. 5) and Michigan State (Nov. 26).

1986 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP REUNION

• Penn State will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its 1986 National Championship, honoring the squad at halftime.
• Penn State went 12-0 and defeated No. 1 Miami, 14-10, in the Fiesta Bowl for its second National Championship in four years.
• The Penn State defense weathered a four-down goal line stand in the last minute of play, ultimately sacking Heisman Trophy winner Vinny Testaverde for the fifth time to seal the win. Testaverde was also picked off five times.
• More than 70 million people watched the thrilling primetime telecast on NBC, breaking the previous record for a college football telecast.
• The 1986 team produced many Penn State household names, including team captains Shane Conlan, John Shaffer, Bob White and Steve Smith. The squad also produced four All-Americans, as linebacker Conlan, tackle Chris Conlin, running back D.J. Dozier and defensive tackle Tim Johnson all were honored.
• A program-record 13 Nittany Lions were selected in the 1987 NFL Draft, led by first round picks Conlan (Buffalo) and Dozier (Minnesota).