RJ Young
FOX Sports College Football Analyst
Michael Cohen
College Football and College Basketball Writer
The knock on No. 2 Ohio State is that the Buckeyes have had a mushy schedule to this point this season. That adjustments this weekend.
James Franklin’s No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions will welcome Ryan Day’s Buckeyes to Happy Valley in a key Big Ten matchup on Saturday. The sport kicks off Week 9 of the college football weekend because the featured sport on “Big Noon Kickoff” on FOX.
Among the opposite key video games on the Saturday slate is a Big 12 showdown between No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 22 Kansas State.
Here’s what we’re trying ahead to watching in among the largest matchups this weekend.
SATURDAY
What are you watching in No. 2 Ohio State at No. 13 Penn State ((*9*))?
Young: This is a chance for the Buckeyes to place away the rising narrative that they haven’t performed anyone all season, with their first top-25 matchup and on the highway in opposition to the Nittany Lions.
Since 2012, Penn State has overwhelmed Ohio State as many instances as Michigan has — as soon as — and by no means in the Ryan Day period.
If the Buckeyes keep their present type, there’s no purpose to consider they will’t win the Big Ten crown and even — gasp — their first nationwide title since 2014. Interestingly, this 2022 Ohio State group seems to be so much like 2018 Clemson.
Peep sport:
2018 Clemson:
- Scored 44.3 factors per sport,
- Allowed 13.1 factors per sport
- 15-0, nationwide champs
2022 Ohio State:
- Scores 49.6 factors per sport
- Allows 14.9 factors per sport
- 7-0
Clemson performed two ranked opponents in the common season en path to the 2018 nationwide title: NC State and Boston College.
If the rankings maintain, Ohio State will play two ranked opponents in the common season: Penn State and Michigan. Clemson has proven all OSU has to do is win.
Cohen: Given the unbelievable depth in Ohio State’s receiving corps, a pure subject of dialog every week is how the opponent’s cornerbacks will defend the likes of Emeka Egbuka (41 catches, 735 yards, 7 TDs), Marvin Harrison Jr. (38 catches, 598 yards, 10 TD) and Julian Fleming (17 catches, 327 yards, 6 TDs). Any extra manufacturing they get from No. 1 wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who remains to be recovering from a hamstring harm, seems like a bonus given the cornucopia of expertise round him.
This week’s matchup is intriguing due to the standout performers at Penn State in cornerbacks Kalen King and Joey Porter Jr. — two gamers but to permit a receiving landing this season, in accordance with Pro Football Focus. King has the nation’s third-highest protection grade at 88.9 and limits opposing quarterbacks to an NFL passer score of 62.3. Porter ranks twentieth in protection grade at 79.8 and limits opposing quarterbacks to an NFL passer score of 53.4. The solely college in the nation with two cornerbacks graded greater than Penn State’s duo is Virginia, whose tandem of Anthony Johnson and Fentrell Cypress II rank tenth and eleventh, respectively.
Can Penn State upset Ohio State?
RJ Young is joined by Geoff Schwartz to preview the largest matchups in Week 9, together with the “Big Noon” matchup between Penn State and Ohio State.
What are you trying ahead to seeing in No. 9 Oklahoma State at No. 22 Kansas State (3:30 p.m. ET; FOX and the FOX Sports app)?
Cohen: This sport is all in regards to the huge image. Two weeks in the past, Oklahoma State fell quick in opposition to TCU in a battle of undefeated Big 12 groups. Then the Cowboys responded with a come-from-behind win over Texas to maintain their slim hopes of a College Football Playoff berth afloat. Based on the present rankings, this week’s date with Kansas State represents the final probability for head coach Mike Gundy’s group to impress the committee by knocking off a ranked opponent. Oklahoma State will need assistance to achieve the playoff, however the Cowboys aren’t lifeless simply but.
The identical 30,000-foot view is instructive when forecasting Kansas State’s future, albeit for a really totally different purpose. The Wildcats misplaced their prime two quarterbacks to harm in a 10-point loss to TCU final weekend, which thrust freshman Jake Rubley into motion. The lack of readability surrounding who begins in opposition to Oklahoma State is one factor, however the long-term well being of starter Adrian Martinez and backup Will Howard carry vital implications for the trajectory of Kansas State’s season as an entire.
Young: With Texas Christian left because the final undefeated group in the Big 12, this is a chance for Oklahoma State to firmly place itself into the second spot for the Big 12 title sport.
Ok-State hasn’t revealed who will begin at quarterback on Saturday after each Martinez and Howard left the sport in opposition to TCU with accidents.
That leaves the door open for the OSU protection to star in this sport and put collectively a dominating efficiency simply days earlier than the CFP choice committee reveals its preliminary rankings on Tuesday.
Oklahoma State is on the rise
RJ Young shares his Week 9 Top 25, together with ideas on Oklahoma State after a win over Texas.
What pursuits you most in No. 8 Oregon at Cal (3:30 p.m. ET; FS1 and the FOX Sports app)?
Young: Nobody wants fashion factors in the event that they’re gonna make the CFP more than the Ducks do. After dropping their season-opener to Georgia by 46 factors — or 4 more than the Ducks have averaged in Pac-12 play — it behooves UO to decisively put away Justin Wilcox’s Golden Bears by three TDs as they proceed their march towards a doable place in the Pac-12 title sport.
Cohen: The theme of profitable with fashion is certainly important for Oregon as head coach Dan Lanning’s group tries to distance itself from the 49-3 pummeling it suffered by the hands of Georgia to start the season. Can they win that means in opposition to Cal? The numbers recommend it’s doable. Cal ranks 83rd in complete protection at 392.1 yards per sport and gave up 476 yards in a loss to Washington’s high-powered offense final week. Huskies’ quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw for 376 yards and two scores, and 7 of his receiving targets caught a cross of 15 yards or more. The Bears are tied for 84th in sacks with 13, solely 4 of which have come in the final three video games. That means Oregon QB Bo Nix ought to have loads of time to sling it.
How about No. 19 Kentucky at No. 3 Tennessee (7 p.m. ET)?
Cohen: This is one other intriguing offense-versus-defense matchup. There’s no doubting Tennessee’s firepower this season with the most effective scoring offense in the nation and more positive aspects of 40-plus yards than anybody in FBS, with 21. The next-closest Power 5 group is Ohio State with 14 positive aspects of 40-plus yards. Quarterback Hendon Hooker (137-of-194 for two,093 yards, 18 TDs and one INT) is in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race alongside Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.
But there’s loads to be stated for Kentucky’s protection underneath head coach Mark Stoops, whose final two stops earlier than arriving in Lexington had been stints because the defensive coordinator at Arizona (2004-09) and Florida State (2010-12). The Wildcats are tenth in complete protection amongst Power 5 faculties and have restricted a number of explosive offenses properly beneath their averages. This consists of holding Ole Miss (490.3 yards per sport) to 399 yards in a three-point loss, permitting simply 279 yards to Florida (430.1 yards per sport) and preserving Mississippi State in test with 225 yards final week (410.8 yards per sport).
Young: The Vols are the one group averaging more factors per sport (50.1) and yardage per sport (571) than the Buckeyes. What’s more? UT would not want the ball for lengthy to get to 40 or 50 factors — irrespective of who it performs.
Last season, they wanted simply 14 minutes of possession to place up 45 on Kentucky in Lexington. But this season the Vols are enjoying with an expectation to make the SEC title sport for the primary time since 2007.
Let’s see if Smokey and the Vols can go hunt.
Previewing Kentucky vs. Tennessee
RJ Young and Geoff Schwartz share their ideas in regards to the upcoming sport between Kentucky Wildcats and Tennessee Volunteers.
What’s price watching in No. 10 USC at Arizona (7 p.m. ET)
Young: USC walks into a possible entice sport in opposition to Arizona with star linebackers Eric Gentry and Shane Lee, and huge receiver Jordan Addison thought of “day-to-day” with accidents.
Alex Grinch’s protection can even must deal with one of the vital proficient pass-catchers in the game for a consecutive week. In their loss to Utah, tight finish Dalton Kincaid racked up 16 catches for 234 yards — whereas permitting more than 500 yards of offense.
Arizona wideout Jacob Cowing is a bona fide Biletnikoff Award candidate with 53 catches for 737 yards. He’s caught at the very least six passes in each sport the Wildcats have performed, and can seemingly play a giant position if the Wildcats are to drag off their first top-10 upset since defeating No. 10 USC in 2012.
Cohen: The expertise discrepancy between these two applications is huge. At Southern California, head coach Lincoln Riley’s roster has three former five-star prospects and 35 former four-star prospects to rank eleventh in the 247Sports Team Talent Composite. At Arizona, the place head coach Jedd Fisch is looking for the varsity’s first profitable season since 2016, the Wildcats have zero former five-star prospects and 11 former four-star prospects to rank forty ninth nationally.
But whereas the probabilities of an upset are slim — as of Wednesday morning the Trojans had been favored by 15.5 factors — Fisch has the type of wide-ranging expertise to design an offensive sport plan which may hassle a USC group exterior the highest 70 in complete protection. Fisch’s resume consists of stops with the Houston Texans (2002-03), Baltimore Ravens (2004-07), Denver Broncos (2008), Seattle Seahawks (2010), Jacksonville Jaguars (2013-14), the Los Angeles Rams (2018-19) and the New England Patriots (2020). He sprinkled school jobs in between and has Minnesota, Miami, Michigan and UCLA on his CV. The soccer information is there for Fisch to compete with the Trojans even when the roster falls quick.
Why the Wolverines are for actual
Joel Klatt reacts to Michigan’s dominant 41-17 win over Penn State.
And lastly, what catches your eye in Michigan State at No. 4 Michigan (7:30 p.m. ET)?
Young: Will the streak maintain?
Michigan State is a 22.5-point underdog to the Wolverines. Since 2008, nonetheless, Michigan State is 10-4 in opposition to Michigan, together with 5-2 in Ann Arbor.
Is this a get-right sport for 3-4 MSU? If it’s, Spartan quarterback Payton Thorne and huge receiver Keon Coleman should type a duo more dynamic than peanut butter and jelly as a result of the Michigan agency of Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards has vengeance on its thoughts.
Cohen: At the start of final season, the Michigan soccer to-do checklist included beating Ohio State for the primary time since 2011, profitable the Big Ten title for the primary time since 2004 and reaching the College Football Playoff for the primary time interval. Outside of Schembechler Hall, reporters questioned simply how shut head coach Jim Harbaugh had come to being fired after an 11-8 report the 2 earlier seasons and 4 consecutive bowl losses. Such lofty targets appeared like wishful considering for a group that wasn’t even a part of preseason top-25 polls.
Yet Harbaugh’s group defied the chances and bewildered the lots by surging towards the highest of school soccer whereas attaining all three targets. The solely factor the Wolverines didn’t do final season — except for profitable the nationwide title — was beat their in-state rivals Michigan State. Last October’s 37-33 loss in East Lansing, at which level each groups had been undefeated, left an open wound that also hasn’t healed. This is a revenge sport for Michigan, and the Wolverines have the firepower to win huge.
Read more:
Michael Cohen covers school soccer and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter at @Michael_Cohen13.
RJ Young is a nationwide school soccer author and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young and subscribe to “The RJ Young Show” on YouTube.
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