ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The Iowa-Ohio State clash next Saturday in Columbus will be the closest thing we'll see to a Big Ten championship game.

The winner will not only earn a share of the league title but gain the Big Ten's automatic berth to a BCS bowl, almost certainly the Rose Bowl. If Iowa wins, the Hawkeyes will have beaten Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin, the only teams that can tie them for first place in the league. So Iowa will hold all the tiebreakers. The same goes for Ohio State. If the Buckeyes win, they will have beaten Iowa, Penn State and Wisconsin. Even if the Buckeyes lose to Michigan on Nov. 21, they will win the tiebreaker at 6-2 in league play.

Thanks to Big Ten assistant commissioner for communications Scott Chipman for passing along this note.

Posted by ESPN.com’s David Albright

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- If it’s November it must be time for the Ohio State and its BCS worthiness discussions (read: diatribes) to begin.

That’s right, the Buckeyes -- aka America’s in perpetuity BCS guest -- is now piloting the Big Ten’s BCS automatic bid with two games to play. And all that stands between the currently 8-2 Buckeyes and a trip to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl is next week’s home game vs. conference co-leader Iowa (likely without QB Ricky Stanzi) and the regular-season finale at reeling Michigan on Nov. 21.

“November is for contenders, that’s what we always say,” Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel after his team’s 24-7 domination over Penn State at Beaver Stadium on Saturday. “But it’s kind of hard to get too ecstatic because the Hawkeyes are coming to town and they’re going to be in a nasty mood.

“But this is a gratifying win because we’re becoming a better team.”

And more importantly, sophomore Terrelle Pryor took a step toward developing into a better quarterback -- if Saturday was any indication.

Against a Penn State defense that came in ranked nationally in total defense (6th), rushing defense (5th) and pass defense (12th), Pryor directed an Ohio State offense to 353 total yards, three touchdowns and zero turnovers.

For the game Pryor was 8 of 17 for 125 passing yards with two touchdowns, and he rushed five times for 50 yards with one TD and never took a sack.

Still, he wasn’t completely satisfied with the performance.

“Throwing the ball was a little poor,” Pryor said. “It seems like we had some communication issues. But we ran the ball very well. And no turnovers.”

Ohio State led 10-7 at the half but Pryor’s numbers were sub-pedestrian, going just 3-for-9 for 33 passing yards. On the ground he had three carries for 42 yards and a touchdown.

But the second half was a different story, particularly through the air.

Pryor went 5-for-8 for 92 passing yards and two TDs. The big play came on a 62-yard TD strike to wide receiver DeVier Posey with 1:47 left in the third quarter.

It was the first play of a drive and it caught Penn State off-guard. On the eight previous drives Ohio State started off with a running play. So the Nittany Lions must have been thinking run.

“We were in a coverage where the corner just got a little careless,” Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. “Pryor is a good football player and I thought he played well."

Pryor followed up the long touchdown pass with another score when he led Ohio State on a 10-play, 47-yard drive that culminated with a 6-yard pass play to RB Brandon Saine. The drive chewed up 5:23 on the clock to start the fourth quarter.

“This was my first time to lead the team and take the offense down the field and score some touchdowns against another big team and a ranked team,” Pryor said.

It was also a good performance in a hostile environment.

Saturday was the 300th game in Beaver Stadium history and the 110,033 in attendance marked the fourth largest crowd in Happy Valley history. And the vast majority of fans were hoping the Jeannette, Pa., native had a rough afternoon playing back in his home state for the first time since high school.

“It was big to come back home,” Pryor said. “I haven’t been back to Pennsylvania in a long time and just to play in front of all the people who came to see me play was big. It felt good.”

And it must feel good for Bucknuts nation to know it’s back in the BCS mix -- even if the rest of America is collectively groaning.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

After a wild day in the Big Ten, the Ohio State Buckeyes have the inside track toward the Rose Bowl.

Think about that for a second. Everyone had written off Ohio State after its loss to Purdue on Oct. 17, a game where sophomore Terrelle Pryor was at his absolute worst. But the Buckeyes have rebounded in a major way, showing why they're still the team to beat in this league.

Ohio State's dominant 24-7 win against Penn State combined with Iowa's loss to Northwestern has changed the scope of the league title race. The Buckeyes host Iowa next week in what can be called a pseudo Big Ten championship game, as the winner will sit alone atop the conference with one game remaining.

And with Ohio State surging and Iowa losing starting quarterback Ricky Stanzi to an ankle injury, the Buckeyes are in the driver's seat to win their fifth consecutive league title and reach the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1997. Unbelievable. Never doubt Jim Tressel in November.

Pryor had a big day on a very big stage, tossing two touchdown passes, including a 62-yarder to DeVier Posey late in the third quarter. He added a rushing touchdown and managed the offense extremely well against the nation's top scoring defense. Speaking of defense, Ohio State's was fabulous once again. The Buckeyes showed why they're the league's most dominating unit, shutting down the Penn State run game and making Daryll Clark's day absolute hell.

Special teams proved to be a huge factor. Penn State had struggled in the third phase all season, while Ohio State excels and showed why today.

This is a crushing blow for Penn State, which entered the season with national title aspirations. The Lions had two chances this season to show they're an elite team, and they squandered both of them, falling to both Iowa and Ohio State at Beaver Stadium. Penn State won't be going to a BCS bowl this season, which qualifies as a major disappointment given the number of star players on this team. It's a very tough loss for Clark, who had been playing at a very high level the last few weeks.

Posted by ESPN.com’s David Albright

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Ohio State dominated the line of scrimmage and the second half, cruising to a 24-7 win over Penn State at Beaver Stadium.

After a tight first half, Ohio State outscored the Nittany Lions 14-0 in the second half of a game that provided Buckeyes’ quarterback Terrelle Pryor the signature win he had been seeking.

The victory for Ohio State (8-2, 5-1 in Big Ten) sets up next weekend’s game against Iowa (9-1, 5-1) in Columbus which could be for the Big Ten title and the conference’s automatic BCS bid.

Posted by ESPN.com’s David Albright

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Fire up the RV, this one is over.

Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor found Brandon Saine on a 6-yard touchdown pass play to give the Buckeyes a commanding 24-7 lead over Penn State with 9:37 left to play.

It was Pryor’s second touchdown pass of the second half. He is now 8 of 17 for 125 yards passing with those two scores. He’s also carried the ball four times for 54 yards in leading the Ohio State attack.

The Buckeyes now have 156 yards in the second half, including 92 through the air by Pryor.

Posted by ESPN.com’s David Albright

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- It was the longest pass play against Penn State this season.

And the 62-yard strike from Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor to DeVier Posey on the first play of the third drive of the second half gave the Buckeyes a 17-7 lead late in the third quarter.

Right now Ohio State owns the line of scrimmage and if something doesn’t change quickly in the final 15 minutes of play then most in the fourth largest crowd (110,033) in Beaver Stadium history are going to go home unhappy.

Posted by ESPN.com’s David Albright

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- A few quick thoughts at halftime in Happy Valley as Ohio State leads Penn State 10-7.

Stat of the half: 4.9. That’s how many yards per passing attempt the two teams have combined for so far. With both defenses in the top 10 nationally in total defense a low-output affair was expected by many. And there has only been 280 total yards through the first 30 minutes so it’s likely to be tight the rest of the way. This could clearly come down to the special teams units, both of which played a role in the first half.

Best player in the half: You could make an argument for Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark, who scored the Nittany Lions only touchdown, or for Ohio State punt returner Ray Small, who set up the Buckeyes’ only touchdown. Also, any number of players on either defense has delivered as expected so far. But I would go with the unconventional choice of Ohio State backup kicker Devin Barclay. He’s the difference in the game as his 37-yard field goal gave the Buckeyes the 10-7 lead. But more importantly he may have convinced coach Jim Tressel that he’s up to the task if this game comes down to a late field goal try.

What Ohio State needs to do: Find a passing attack -- even a little one. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor was just 3 of 9 for 33 yards in the first half. By the end of the second quarter it was clear that Penn State didn’t respect the Buckeyes’ passing game and it made even tougher for Boom Herron (13 carries, 51 yards) to find anywhere to run. If Pryor can’t loosen up the Nittany Lions defense a bit the yards are going to be hard to come by in the final two quarters. Ohio State also needs to cut down on the penalties (6 for 46 yards).

What Penn State needs to do: Find a running game. Just like Ohio State’s dearth of passing, the Nittany Lions haven’t found a consistent way to move the ball on the ground (18 carries, 44 yards). That’s not a huge surprise as the Buckeyes came into the game with the nation’s sixth best rushing defense (86.4 yards per game). If that continues then the pressure on Clark to create something through the air is going to continue to mount.

Posted by ESPN.com’s David Albright

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Interesting bit of strategy from Jim Tressel.

With a 4th and 11 at the Penn State 29, Tressel opted not to try a 46-yard field goal against a slight breeze. Remember, kicker Aaron Pettrey is out after MCL surgery. Backups Ben Buchanan and Devin Barclay both hit from 47 yards in warmups, but those kicks were in the other direction with the wind at their backs. Makes you wonder if 40 yards will be the outside limit on FG tries for Ohio State.

Instead of trying for three points, Tressel took a delay of game penalty that moved the Buckeyes back to the PSU 34 and then tried to pin the Nittany Lions deep in their own territory. No such luck as punter Jon Thoma kicked it into the end zone for a 14-yard net play.

Posted by ESPN.com’s David Albright

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Joe Paterno talked about the kicking game being a big factor in this game and early on that's proving true.

After a pair of three-and-outs by each offense, Ohio State’s Ray Small took a short 37-yard punt from Penn State’s Jeremy Boone and returned it 41 yards to the Nittany Lions 9.

Two plays later it was Ohio State 7-0 as QB Terrelle Pryor used his legs to scramble and find the end zone for the early Buckeyes lead.

If Jim Tressel turns Pryor loose today and lets him create with his legs it could be Ohio State’s best chance against Penn State’s tough defense.

Posted by ESPN.com’s David Albright

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Who says there’s no playoff in the top division in college football?

Tell that to No. 16 Ohio State (7-2, 4-1 in Big Ten) and No. 11 Penn State (8-1, 4-1), who meet this afternoon at Beaver Stadium (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET). The winner will still be in the hunt in the Big Ten race, not to mention for a BCS bowl bid. The loser can prepare to play out the regular-season string before heading to a less-than-anticipated bowl game.

The Buckeyes control their own destiny and can earn the conference’s automatic BCS bid by winning out. Even with a win today the Nittany Lions will still need Big Ten leader Iowa to lose twice because the Hawkeyes won here back in September.

It’s a gorgeous day in Central Pennsylvania. The sun is shining; temperatures are in the 40s and are expected to climb into the 50s by kickoff. It’s quite a difference from the rain and snow that was a part of several Penn State home games earlier this season.

The conditions promise to be much less hospitable for Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor. The Jeanette, Pa., native spurned a scholarship offer from Joe Paterno and this will be the quarterback’s first trip into a Penn State atmosphere that should be electric and geeked up to rattle the home state signal-caller.

The all-time series between OSU and PSU is tied at 12-12 and each team has won the last game on the road in this rivalry -- Penn State 13-6 last year in Columbus and Ohio State 37-7 in 2007 in State College.

Thanks to our friends in ESPN Stats & Information, here are three things you should know heading into the game:

1. Over the past two seasons, Penn State is just 4-3 against teams ranked in the top 50 in total defense, while it is 15-0 against non-top-50 teams. Ohio State is ranked sixth in total defense.
2. Penn State, which beat Ohio State in Columbus last year, can become only the second Big Ten team to beat the Buckeyes in consecutive seasons under Jim Tressel. The only one to do it so far is Wisconsin in 2003-04.
3. Ohio State is 10-1 under Jim Tressel in games against Big Ten opponents which defeated the Buckeyes in the previous meeting. The only Big Ten team to win two straight against Ohio State under Tressel is Wisconsin (2003-04).

And here’s one bonus fun fact: This game will mark the first time two FBS coaches with a combined 600 wins have met in a regular-season game. Paterno currently has 391, while Tressel has 225. It also happened in the 2006 Orange Bowl, when Paterno (353) faced Bobby Bowden (359) in a game that featured more than 700 wins between them.