WATCH: Ryan Day, Jim Knowles press conference to preview Penn State clash
COLUMBUS — Ohio State coach Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles met with the media for a press conference to preview the Buckeyes top-10 showdown against Penn State.
Watch the full press conference with Ryan Day and Jim Knowles here or on the Lettermen Row Youtube channel.
Buckeyes open as favorite over Penn State
The line for Ohio State vs. Penn State has been out for months. It originally came out in February and has seen plenty of fluctuation in the months since then.
But the week of the biggest game to date in the Big Ten is finally here. And the line has officially been set for the massive top-10 clash between Ohio State and Penn State.
Ohio State opens this week as a 5.5-point favorite for Saturday afternoon’s matchup inside the Horseshoe. The total was set at 52.5. The line has since fell to 4.5, and the total has fell down to 47.5.
The Buckeyes are fresh off a 41-7 demolition over Purdue, one of the best performances of the year for Ryan Day’s team. Penn State, meanwhile, throttled UMass 63-0 a week after an idle week. Now with two weeks of either rest or easy work, the Nittany Lions will certainly be fresh for the matchup.
For the Buckeyes, they need to play their best next week after turning in their most complete game of the season at Purdue on Saturday.
Buckeyes stay put in latest AP Poll
Ohio State stayed put at No. 3 in this week’s AP Top 25. So did the entire top four.
There are four Big Ten teams in the Top 25, and three of them are in the top seven: No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 7 Penn State and No. 24 Iowa.
The biggest winner this week was Washington, which took down now-No. 9 Oregon in a dramatic, top-10 clash. Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Michael Penix Jr. led the Huskies on a game-winning drive, and then Oregon missed a potential game-tying field goal. Washington is now No. 5, ranking inside the top five for the first time in six years.
No. 22 Air Force has made its way into the rankings after staving off Wyoming and improving to 6-0.
North Carolina climbed to No. 10 with its win over now-unranked Miami. Notre Dame jumped from No. 21 to No. 15 with an upset of then-No. 10 USC, which is now No. 18.
