Early in the 2020 COVID-19 season, the Ohio State Buckeyes faced off against the Penn State Nittany Lions in front of empty stands at Beaver Stadium. But this year, the Big Ten rivalry will make its way back to Columbus to put on a show for thousands of fans in Ohio Stadium.
During a press conference on Thursday, head coach Ryan Day said he hopes the Buckeye faithful can replicate the “unbelievable” atmosphere from his team’s last home game against Penn State in 2019.
“If we can replicate that again, that would be huge for us,” Day said, per Ohio State
Ryan Day said the crowd at Ohio Stadium was “unbelievable” when the Buckeyes last hosted Penn State in 2019. “If we can replicate that again, that would be huge for us.”
Ohio State is planning a “scarlet out” for the primetime game.
— Joey Kaufman (@joeyrkaufman) October 28, 2021
“>insider Joey Kaufman.
The primetime matchup will be a “scarlet out” under the lights.
In 2019, No. 3 Ohio State took down No. 9 Penn State in Columbus, 28-17. In front of a packed stadium, Justin Fields put on a solid performance, throwing 16/22 for 188 yards and two touchdowns. J.K. Dobbins also did work on the ground, rushing 36 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns.
The Nittany Lions were held scoreless through three quarters, scoring all 17 points in the third period.
Since their Week 2 loss to the Oregon Ducks, Day and this year’s Ohio State squad are rolling into this weekend. With five straight victories in dominating fashion, the 2021 Buckeyes are now 6-1 on the year.
Penn State on the other hand are in the midst of a bit of a rough patch. After starting the year at 5-0, James Franklin’s team has now dropped two straight games — including a crushing nine-overtime loss to Illinois this past weekend.
The clash of these Big Ten powerhouses will kickoff on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.