Skip to main content
Ohio State

Buckeyes top-10 clash with Penn State set for early Big Noon kickoff

Spencer-Holbrookby: Spencer Holbrook10/09/23SpencerHolbrook
Marvin Harrison Jr. by Matt Parker -- Lettermen Row --
Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. scores a touchdown against Maryland. (Matt Parker/Lettermen Row)

COLUMBUS — Ohio State still believes it can hit another gear.

The Buckeyes are 5-0 with a resume that includes a road win at then-No. 9 Notre Dame and a double-digit win over previously-undefeated Maryland. Ohio State has looked incredible at times, and it has looked vulnerable at times.

Even with the win at Notre Dame in the rearview mirror, questions linger about Ohio State. But those will all need to be answered next week against Penn State at home.

The clash between Ohio State and Penn State, which is expected to feature two top-10 teams, will kick off at Noon and be a part of FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff slate.

It’ll be the third straight noon game for the Buckeyes, who just beat Maryland in an early game and will play Purdue this weekend in the early window. Ohio State must beat Purdue before getting to the Penn State game; the Nittany Lions, meanwhile, will face UMass after being off this week.

For the Buckeyes, they still believe they can continue to get better on their way to a potential national title. And they think the issues they have made it through so far will pay off in bigger games, such as the game against Penn State next weekend.

“This is an exciting team to be around,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “I think the most exciting part of it is we haven’t even reached where we can be. So we have to keep building and growing. But one of the things that you’re starting to see about this team is we don’t panic. If it’s not going quite right, we’re going to keep pushing forward. And maybe in the past, it was like, OK, if things weren’t going well in the first half, if the scoreboard wasn’t turning over every couple of drives, everybody would start getting panicky. I think these guys have some poise, they’ve played some games.

“We’re counting on that experience to pay off in October and November.”

The first instance of that needing to pay off will come next weekend at home in a potential top-10 showdown. It’ll happen at Noon on FOX, as the networks made it official on Monday.

2023 Ohio State football schedule

Sept. 2 — at Indiana (Won 23-3)
Sept. 9 — vs. Youngstown State (Won 35-7)
Sept. 16 — vs. Western Kentucky (Won 63-10)
Sept. 23 — at Notre Dame (Won 17-14)
Sept. 30 — IDLE
Oct. 7 — vs. Maryland (Noon, FOX)
Oct. 14 — at Purdue (Noon, Peacock)
Oct. 21 — vs. Penn State (Noon, FOX)
Oct. 28 — at Wisconsin
Nov. 4 — at Rutgers
Nov. 11 — vs. Michigan State (7:30 p.m., NBC)
Nov. 18 — vs. Minnesota
Nov. 25 — at Michigan (Noon, FOX)

Buckeyes climb in latest AP Poll

Ohio State is back to where it started in this year’s AP Top 25: No. 3. The Buckeyes moved up in the poll for the second time in three weeks, taking the place of previously undefeated Texas in the third spot, behind No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Michigan. Florida State rounds out the top four.

After losing several first-place votes last week, Georgia is back in complete control with a poll-leading 50 first-place nods ahead of Week 7. Next is Michigan (11) and then Ohio State (1) and FSU (1).

You may also like