It's Penn State-Ohio State week: Game time, spread, channel, storylines, and more

Penn State (3-4) and No. 1 Ohio State (7-0) both exit their final bye week of the season today to continue preparing for this Saturday’s showdown in Columbus. The game once looked like it would be one of the most pivotal ones of the 2025 college football season. However, now that Drew Allar is hurt and James Franklin is out as the Lions’ head coach, the Lions can only hope to upset the Buckeyes and make their path to the College Football Playoff more difficult with their own hopes of making the 12-team field now dashed.

“Yeah, they don’t have a choice if they’re going to play for me,” interim Penn State coach Terry Smith said this week when asked if his team still wanted to play this year. “Quit isn’t in my vocabulary. We all have a job to do. Everyone’s got to play to the end. You got to give your soul.

“Things aren’t going our way right now, but the only way to get out the storm is to run through the storm. And we’re going to run through the storm until we get out the storm. We’ll come out and the sun will shine on us, and we’ll all be better for it.”

Our early preview gets you ready to start game week below.

Time and TV info

Kickoff is set for Noon ET. FOX will broadcast the game. It is this week’s ‘Big Noon Kickoff’ game. Gus Johnson (play-by-play) will be on the call with Joel Klatt (color commentator) and Jenny Dell (sideline reporter).

What is the Penn State-Ohio State point spread?

Ohio State is favored by 20.5 points at BetMGM. The betting total over/under is 44.5 points.

Game week schedule for the Lions

Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith will kick off game week with a news conference at Noon ET on Monday. You’ll be able to watch it on the Blue-White Illustrated YouTube channel by 12:45 if you click here.

Tuesday will feature player interviews with reporters via Zoom. Wednesday will likely feature some, as well, before a practice viewing availability for the media, followed by Smith and some players speaking in the evening. Thursday features an assistant coach media call and the weekly coaches radio show. Then, the talking is done until after the game.

As for Ohio State, head coach Ryan Day will speak multiple times this week, starting with a Monday afternoon news conference.

What’s up with the Buckeyes?

The Buckeyes are not missing Jim Knowles. Their defense, which is now led by Matt Patricia, is firing on all cylinders seven games into his first season in Columbus. The offense hasn’t always been pretty. But, it’s certainly been good enough to win. However, the attack has only gotten into the 40s once aside from a 70-point outburst against Grambling State. Ohio State spent its bye week trying to figure out its best offensive line combo to get its run game going.

In most years, we’d say Penn State might be able to do enough defensively to allow its offense a chance to steal a win in the end. But, there is no evidence that Knowles’ group can do that. In fact, it is likely the perfect anecdote for the Buckeyes’ up-and-down ground game.

Here is where Day’s team ranks in a number of key stat categories:

Scoring offense: No. 23 (36.4 points per game)

Rushing/passing offense: Nos. 72 (151 yards per game) and 23 (279.7), respectively, out of 134 teams.

Scoring defense: No. 1 (5.9 points per game)

Rushing/passing defense: Nos. 9 (85.5 yards allowed per game) and 3 (131.3), respectively

Weather report

Per Weather.com, the forecast is about what you would expect. It reads: “Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 51F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.”

Early Penn State-Ohio State storylines

–What did Penn State add to its offense last week? And, will it lead to better results in the passing game?

–What will Day say about facing Jim Knowles for the first time since they parted ways after last year’s successful national title run?

–Will Ethan Grunkemeyer improve from start one to start two? And will Jaxon Smolik be available as his backup?

–Will Vega Ioane be back in action? And will defensive end Zuriah Fisher be available to play?

–What’s your top storyline to start the week? Tell us inside The Lions Den forum!