Recordpub.com - Will OSU, Penn State defenses live up to the hype?

By Jim Naveau

Lima News

COLUMBUS — The conventional wisdom says that Ohio State’s football game against Penn State on Saturday will be a battle of defenses.

So, are the people saying that insightful observers or just masters of the obvious? Even the players involved aren’t sure.

The evidence is pretty strong in favor of a game dominated by defense.

Penn State ranks No. 1 in the country in scoring defense at 9.3 points a game and Ohio State is No. 6 at 11.7 The Nittany Lions are fifth nationally in total defense and OSU is sixth.

Last year, Penn State won 13-6 in Columbus in a game where field goals outnumbered touchdowns four to one.

“It could be a defensive struggle but you never know how a game is going to turn out,” Ohio State linebacker Ross Homan said earlier this week. “You always want the goose egg, zero points. But whatever happens, we have to outplay the other team’s defense.”

Another OSU linebacker, Austin Spitler, cast his vote for a defensive confrontation.

“It’s going to be defensive battle, it always is,” he said “When you have two great defenses playing, it’s going to be hard for the offenses to get going.

“The similarities are there between our defense and theirs. They have always been one of the top defenses in the Big Ten. They have some good linebackers and their front seven is real good.”

Penn State linebacker Sean Lee said, “A 13-6 game is what we want. We don’t want a team to score any points.”

Penn State’s Beaver Stadium is one of the toughest places to play in the Big Ten, so getting off to a good start on offense will be important, Ohio State receiver Dane Sanzenbacher says.

“It’s always a defensive battle for both teams. That will be one of the bigger challenges for us, to get things rolling against their defense,” he said.

Getting things rolling early in games has not been a strong point for Ohio State lately. On the opening offensive drive in its last six games, the Buckeyes’ offense has produced one field goal and been forced to punt the other five times.

Last season, Ohio State limited Penn State to 281 yards overall and the Nittany Lions held OSU to 287 yards. The turning point in the game came in the fourth quarter when linebacker Navorro Bowman forced quarterback Terrelle Pryor to fumble, setting up Penn State for the game-winning drive.

Pryor, a sophomore from Jeannette, Pa., will be making his first trip to Penn State in an Ohio State uniform. Penn State coach Joe Paterno made a personal visit to Pryor to try to recruit him, but was unsuccessful.

While Paterno didn’t have much to say about Pryor this week, Penn State’s fans will no doubt take a few verbal shots at him Saturday.

One enterprising entrepreneur is already selling T-shirts showing Pryor sitting dejectedly on the bench after last year’s loss next to the words “Terrelle Cryer.”

Sanzenbacher isn’t worried about his quarterback playing at Penn State.

“I don’t worry about Terrelle’s mindset going into big games,” he said. “I’ve never gone into any away stadium where people are patting us on the back, so it won’t be a surprise.”