Ohio State LB Sonny Styles

Styles delivered one of the most explosive linebacker workouts in recent combine memory. His combination of size, speed, and leaping ability placed him among the elite athletes in this year’s class and solidified his status as a likely top‑10 pick.

Ohio State EDGE/LB Arvell Reese

Reese matched his reputation as a rare hybrid defender. His speed and fluidity in drills backed up his tape and positioned him as one of the most versatile defensive prospects in the draft.

Penn State QB Drew Allar

Allar’s throwing session was one of the cleanest among quarterbacks. He showed consistent mechanics, strong velocity, and the kind of command that reassured evaluators about his long‑term upside.

Penn State EDGE Dani Dennis‑Sutton

Dennis‑Sutton continued his upward trajectory with a strong athletic showing. His explosiveness and movement skills helped confirm his rise into the early‑round conversation.

Indiana CB D’Angelo Ponds

Ponds impressed with smooth transitions and competitive energy throughout drills. His performance helped offset concerns about size and kept him firmly in the Day 2 mix.

Ohio State WR Carnell Tate

Tate delivered a steady, professional workout. His times aligned with expectations, and his decision to participate in full testing earned positive marks in a crowded receiver class.

Ohio State RB CJ Donaldson

Donaldson didn’t complete every test, but his size and movement profile remain intriguing. Teams will look to his pro day for a fuller athletic picture.

Indiana RB Roman Hemby

Hemby posted solid explosiveness numbers and moved well in positional work, giving teams a clearer sense of his athletic range.

Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson

Johnson turned in a balanced workout highlighted by solid jumps and agility numbers. His testing helped establish him as a dependable rotational back with developmental upside.

Draft Implications

Ohio State’s top defenders were among the biggest winners of the week, with both Styles and Reese performing like early first‑round selections. Penn State’s headliners reinforced their high ceilings, while running backs from Indiana and Nebraska provided useful clarity in a deep class. In a year with significant depth at wide receiver and defensive back, steady performances like Carnell Tate’s and D’Angelo Ponds’ helped maintain momentum heading into pro‑day season.

The post Big Ten Standouts at the 2026 NFL Combine appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Ohio State’s Arvell Reese headlines the group. His rare LB/EDGE versatility makes him top‑five pick, but teams want clarity on his true role. Penn State’s duo—Nicholas Singleton and Drew Allar—also has momentum to gain. Singleton’s speed should shine, while Allar needs rhythm and accuracy to reassert credentials as a developmental quarterback.

Ohio State tight ends Will Kacmarek and Max Klare must separate themselves in a deep class, and RB CJ Donaldson can rise with better‑than‑expected burst.

Indiana’s receivers Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. face a loaded WR field where every tenth of a second matters, while RBs Roman Hemby (Indiana) and Emmett Johnson (Nebraska) look to prove they athletic ceilings that will be enticing to NFL teams.

The post Big Ten Prospects With the Most to Gain at the NFL Combine appeared first on Saturday Glory.

What a terrific Saturday full of close games – of course, if you are a fan of a team that wound up on the losing end of the ledger, your thoughts are probably entirely different. Indiana, Iowa, Oregon, Rutgers, and USC all have a bye week to regroup and get ready for their next games on October 11th; Indiana will actually be traveling to Oregon for the first time since the 2004 season (Indiana 30, Oregon 24). With both Indiana and Oregon 2-0 in Big Ten play, one of those teams will be knocked from the perch of the unbeaten. Rutgers now has 2 Big Ten losses this season (3-2 overall), while USC fell to 2-1 within the conference (4-1 overall).

For Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State, and UCLA, it is right back to work. Northwestern will host UL Monroe in a non-conference game, while Penn State will travel to UCLA for the first time since 1968 (Penn State 21, UCLA 6). It will bear watching to see how James Franklin, Drew Allar, and the Nittany Lions respond after such an intense battle against Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks. UCLA rallied on the road at Northwestern, but came up short as time ran out for the Bruins as they were driving against the Wildcats.

Illinois travels to Purdue, as the Boilermakers had a bye week to prepare for the Fighting Illini. It was an impressive bounce back win for Bret Bielema’s team, after being routed at Indiana the previous week.

For Minnesota, they will travel to Ohio State for a night game against the Buckeyes; Minnesota will look to end a losing streak versus Ohio State that dates back to the John Cooper era, when the Golden Gophers last defeated the Buckeyes 29-17 during the 2000 season. Speaking of the Buckeyes…

Snapping The Streak: Ohio State went on the road at Washington for the first time since the 2007 season and defeated the Huskies, 24-6. Washington led Ohio State 3-0 in the first quarter, marking the first time this season the Buckeyes trailed in a game. Ohio State’s win snapped an impressive 22 home game winning streak by Washington that dated back to the 2021 season.

Ohio State’s defense had themselves a day, with 6 sacks and 9 tackles for loss against a dangerous Washington offense. Washington will make their first trip ever to Maryland, with the only other time the Huskies and Terrapins have played was in the 1982 Aloha Bowl (Washington 21, Maryland 20).

The post Week Five 2025 Observations Of The Big Ten appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Dart and the Rebels (11-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) were tasked with halting Penn State, which had the chance to become the first program to win every New Year’s Six Bowl.

Ole Miss led 10-3 after the first quarter in which Prieskorn brought in his first score on a 6-yard touchdown throw by Dart.

Prieskorn struck again with 4:58 left in the second quarter after catching a 37-yard touchdown. This gave Ole Miss a 20-10 lead.

Penn State running back Nic Singleton caught a 48-yard touchdown on a trick play thrown by Beau Pribula to bring the Nittany Lions (10-3, 7-2 Big Ten) within 20-17 at halftime.

Ole Miss shut out Penn State in the third quarter while going up 31-17 thanks to touchdowns scored by Quinshon Judkins on a 14-yard reception and Dart on a 2-yard rush.

Penn State tried to claw back into the game and recorded 217 yards in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Drew Allar found Harrison Wallace III inside the red zone on a 14-yard touchdown throw to help the Nittany Lions scratch back 38-25.

The Rebels took over on downs with 21 seconds left to seal the game.

Dart finished with 379 passing yards and three touchdowns on 63% completion. Presikorn had 136 receiving yards on 10 catches and Tre Harris caught 134 on seven receptions.

Ole Miss outgained Penn State 540 yards to 510. Allar ended the game with 295 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception while Tyler Warren totaled 127 receiving yards.

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No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Florida State, No. 5 Washington and Liberty are all 10-0 this season.  

PODCAST: Week 11 Recap: Are things getting any clearer?

The Flames have won each of their past three games by double figures. Quarterback Kaidon Salter has 2,184 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and just four interceptions. 

Here are some noteworthy quotes as focus turns from Week 11 to Week 12. 

Ross Bjork, Texas A&M 

Texas A&M made the decision to fire head coach Jimbo Fisher on Sunday, announcing the change in leadership. 

Athletics director Ross Bjork spoke about the process and reasons behind the decision in a press conference. As the Aggies are 6-4 and 4-3 in Southeastern Conference play, Bjork said the program has been “stuck in neutral.” 

“In my analysis I determined at this point, and for lots of reasons, our program is stuck in neutral,” Bjork said. “We should be relevant on the national scene. Something is not clicking, something is not working and therefore, something had to give in order for Aggie football to reach our full potential. As leaders every decision we make, or every decision we don’t make, has consequences. Consistency in how the program operates on a daily basis impacts the confidence level of every single person in the program and thus influences performance. Based on my experience, the best programs have confidence. The program has an established identity. The program maximizes the talent. The leadership is fully integrated in the university, the athletics program and its culture. I did not feel like we were meeting those standards of excellence and leadership.” 

James Franklin, Penn State 

James Franklin and Penn State suffered a 24-15 loss to the Wolverines, and it effectively dropped the Nittany Lions in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll to No. 12. 

Franklin hasn’t performed well in top-10 matchups. He’s 3-18 in those games, and he’s 12-26 in ranked matchups during his 10-year tenure as head coach. 

READ: Stat Pack: Week 11

The Nittany Lions tried a pair of two-point conversions at Michigan, one in the second quarter and another in the fourth. Quarterback Drew Allar failed both pass attempts, keeping it a 14-9 game with less than a minute to go in the first half and maintaining a 24-15 deficit with less than two minutes left in the game. 

“We felt like points were going to be hard to come by,” Franklin said. “We were down by four. We wanted to put ourselves in a position to get it back to a field goal game. Again, those were all the numbers we work through from an analytic standpoint as a staff. Everybody was comfortable with that it was the right thing to do. Obviously, we didn’t pick it up.” 

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss 

Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss suffered a top-10 defeat themselves at the hands of Georgia, dropping the game 52-17. 

The Rebels were in the game 14-14 early in the second quarter, but then gave up four touchdowns and a field goal as the Bulldogs ballooned the score to 45-14. They were held to just three points in the second half. 

Ole Miss’ record is 8-2 and good enough to be tied for second place in the SEC West Division at 5-2, right there with LSU. 

But that’s not where Kiffin and the Rebels want to be. They want to be on the other side of the top-10 bouts and coming out victorious, but they have to figure out how. 

“That’s a good question. I mean, we got to recruit at a higher level,” Kiffin said. “And I’m not blaming people, we got to coach better. But, you know, at some point whatever those stats are — we’ve signed one five-star, they’ve signed 24 or something. Those kind of do show up at some point. So we’d have to recruit it at a better level, do a better job on recruiting.” 

The post Quotables: Week 11  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The Wolverines were without head coach Jim Harbaugh, who served the first of a three-game suspension after the Big Ten Conference announced a penalty for in-person scouting on Friday. 

PODCAST: November crowns champions and who will step up in week 11?

Michigan was initially shut out in the first quarter, then the Wolverines running backs turned up the jets. 

Corum ran in the first touchdown from 3 yards out with 11:56 left to play in the second quarter. On the Wolverines’ next drive, running back Donovan Edwards punched in a 22-yard rushing touchdown to stretch Michigan’s lead to 14-3. 

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar ran in a score of his own in the final minute of the first half, and the two-point conversion failed on the ensuing play. 

That was the name of the game for Penn State. The Nittany Lions trailed by eight points for much of the second half after Michigan kicker James Turner made a 22-yard field goal. 

The Wolverines ended the game having ran 30-consecutive rushing plays. Quarterback JJ McCarthy, who didn’t attempt a pass in the second half, finished 7-of-8 for 60 yards. 

Corum had another big run of 30 yards that went into the end zone late in the fourth quarter to put the Wolverines ahead 24-9. 

After three first down conversions, Allar found receiver Theo Johnson from 8 yards out for a touchdown, and once again, the two-point attempt failed, keeping the Nittany Lions down 24-15 the rest of the way. 

READ: Big Ten issues penalty to Michigan after violation of sportsmanship policy over in-person scouting

Corum had 145 yards on 26 carries, and Michigan defensive back Will Johnson had two pass break-ups. 

Allar finished 10-of-22 for 70 yards and a touchdown. 

The post Corum rushes for 2 TDs, No. 3 Michigan beats No. 10 Penn State 24-15  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

None bigger than a pair of top-10 matchups taking place around the college football world than No. 3 Michigan-No. 10 Penn State and No. 9 Ole Miss-No. 2 Georgia. 

PODCAST: Week 10 did not disappoint

Those games will be previewed later. There are also eight ranked programs playing on the road this week including No. 7 Texas and No. 8 Alabama. 

Here are several games to watch this week. 

Miami at No. 4 Florida State 

A battle for the state of Florida will take place on Saturday. 

The No. 4 Seminoles will put their 15-game winning streak on the line against Miami, which is looking to get back in the win column after a loss at NC State. 

The rivalry game between the Seminoles and Hurricanes is set for 3:30 p.m. on ABC, and quarterbacks Jordan Travis of Florida State and Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke will square off. Both teams are top-five in the Atlantic Coast Conference in total offense putting up more than 437 yards per game. 

READ: Top-four unchanged, Ole Miss rises to No. 9 in second CFP rankings

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell said his team looks forward to playing Miami every season, and it’s a game that is talked about with the likes of any game on the biggest stage. 

“There’s only two games that I talk about before the season and I talked about them before our offseason because every day matters when it comes to that,” Norvell said. “If that’s not important to you then you’re not going to play in this game because you will get exposed. This game takes everything that you have. I’m grateful that I get the chance to coach in this game, I mean, it’s special and you respect the past, you respect every game that has been played before, you respect the people that have played in this game and I mean because these guys have to give it all and because if not, you can take all records, all things that have happened before, it won’t matter. But you prepare for this one every single day.” 

No. 3 Michigan at No. 10 Penn State 

There is a chance for a three-way tie in the Big Ten East Division. 

If Penn State can upend Michigan at home on Saturday and if the Buckeyes were to lose to Michigan on Nov. 25, then all three of Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State would be in a tie atop the division. 

First, though, the Wolverines must take on the Nittany Lions. 

This will be a matchup between the top two total defenses in the country. Michigan leads by allowing 231.4 yards per game while the Nittany Lions are close behind at 234.2. 

Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy will look to vault himself higher into the Heisman Trophy conversation, while Penn State’s Drew Allar will get an extended look against the Wolverines defense. 

Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh said Allar, who is fourth in the Big Ten with 1,895 passing yards, will present a challenge to Michigan. 

“He’s been good. You can see all the improvement,” Harbaugh said. “Just prototypical guy, tall, smart, got great stature in the pocket, very athletic, strong. He’s hard to get down on the ground. Courage, stands in there and throws it now. He’s an excellent quarterback.” 

No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 2 Georgia 

The second top-10 showdown of the week is set to be a good one in SEC country. 

The No. 2 Bulldogs will welcome their third ranked opponent of the season in No. 9 Ole Miss, which is riding a five-game winning streak. 

While the top-10 matchup in the Big Ten will be a battle among defenses, this SEC matchup will be one for the offenses. 

READ: Big Board: Week 11

Georgia has the No. 2 offense in the SEC with an average of 493 yards per game, while the Rebels are right behind at 478.89 yards. 

The quarterback battle will be between Georgia’s Carson Beck, who is in his first season as starter, and Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart, who is in his second year with the program after transferring from USC. 

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has scouted what Dart has done this season, as the Kaysville, Utah, native is third in the SEC with a 168.87 quarterback rating. Smart said Dart encapsulates what Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss look for in quarterbacks. 

“I think Lane’s quarterbacks take home a personality from him, and they have a lot of moxie,” Smart said. “They have a lot of talent. They play really hard. They play with reckless abandon for their body, and he runs like a running back. He’s taking some hits this year and shown his toughness so he’s not going to shy away from contact and toughness, and he’s the extra element of run that gives them a competitive advantage over a lot of teams you play because they have great backs, but he runs the ball like a back and he throws the ball really well too, which that’s what makes them really hard to defend when you got a guy that can make all the throws but can also take off and run, and he’s proven the ability to do that.” 

The post Preview Thursday: Week 11  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The Nittany Lions led by as many as 24-14 entering the fourth quarter. Hoosiers quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw a 26-yard touchdown to receiver Omar Cooper Jr. to make it 24-21 with more than 10 minutes to go. 

PODCAST: Who Should Be on Upset Alert This Weekend?

Indiana defensive back Josh Sanguinetti intercepted Allar at the Penn State 28-yard line with 5:02 left, and the Hoosiers suddenly had possession in plus territory in a three-point game. 

Hoosiers kicker Chris Freeman tied it up at 24 points with a 35-yard field goal. 

Penn State only needed three offensive plays on the ensuing drive to reclaim the lead. 

Allar uncorked a 57-yard heave to Lambert-Smith and gave Penn State the lead for good. 

The Nittany Lions added a safety thereafter, and Penn State sealed up its win by a first down conversion by running back Nicholas Singleton. 

READ: Head coaches react to sign stealing in college football

Indiana outgained Penn State 349 yards to 342. Allar finished with 210 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception. 

Sorsby totaled 269 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception of his own. Hoosiers receiver Dequece Carter had a game-high 104 receiving yards on three catches. 

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The Buckeyes defense had just forced their second-straight and fourth three-and-out of the day, and the Nittany Lions lined up to punt at their own 11-yard line. 

PODCAST: The Shane Beamer Story Isn’t That Serious

Penn State punter Riley Thompson punted 40 yards down the field, but the football kicked off Ohio State’s Lorenzo Styles Jr. and into the arms of the Nittany Lions, setting up their new possession at their 48-yard line in a 10-6 game. 

Ohio State’s defense went out and stopped the Nittany Lions on a three-and-out again. 

“Probably where I’m most proud of them is we got to stop in their end and then we turned it over on the punt return and we came right back out and stopped them again,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “I think that shows a lot of confidence and a lot of want to, ‘Hey, OK, that’s fine.’ You don’t flinch in that situation because that’s easy to hang your head, and they went out there and got to stop so I think that sequence right there kind of shows where we’re at right now.” 

Ohio State’s defense stole the show during Saturday’s top-10 bout with Penn State, snapping the Nittany Lions’ 13-game streak of at least 30 points and holding them to a season-low 240 total yards. 

Penn State had trouble converting and sustaining drives, going 1-for-16 on third down and 1-for-3 on fourth down. 

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said he felt the Buckeyes fed off of one another on defense, and he said Ohio Stadium was “as loud as I’ve heard in a long time.” 

“I just felt the toughness, the physicality on defense,” Day said. “We started off with really stopping the run and then forcing to throw the ball, and there’s a lot of people who did a lot of great things on defense, but I got to give Jim Knowles a lot of credit and his staff for the adjustments they’ve made. That was two top-10 wins now in the first seven games where our defense played really well, and now I’m happy for our guys.” 

This season has brought a significant change to the Buckeyes defense, which has faced challenges allowing explosive plays and teams the ability to beat them with big yardage plays. 

Penn State nearly had Ohio State’s number in 2022 when they had the Buckeyes within 30-24 with less than six minutes remaining before scoring two touchdowns. This year, Ohio State dominated on defense. 

“They now have confidence that they can win the game on defense,” Knowles said. “I don’t look at stats, but I guess Penn State had a pretty good defense, so we talked to them before the game about, ‘Hey, you’re not just playing Penn State’s offense — you’re playing Penn State’s defense.’ If they make one play, we got to make two. If they make two, we got to make three so it’s a sense of maturity, leadership, yeah, maybe a little chip on your shoulder, and we’ve done a lot of work to have everyone have faith in us for sure.” 

READ: Report: Michigan being investigated into alleged sign stealing 

Through seven games Ohio State has a defense that ranks inside the top 10 in the country in total defense and third in the Big Ten Conference in scoring defense. 

It’s a change that Knowles attributes to knowing the scheme and applying it the best they can. 

“They know the scheme, and when I make adjustments during the week and the things you talked about that we had to get the stops, we had to get them off schedule and we make little adjustments in the scheme. They pick up on it, and that’s a big deal because winning those downs in a game like that is huge and that only comes with preparation and with guys who are knowledgeable about the scheme.” 

Day highlighted the play of freshman cornerback Jermaine Matthews Jr. for stepping up in his performance especially in the absence of junior Denzel Burke who missed the game with injury. 

Ohio State linebackers Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers topped the tackles totaled for the Buckeyes on Saturday collecting a combined 14 tackles. The linebacker corps was an area that stood out to Knowles. 

“That intermediate passing game combined with really strong running attack; we knew that they were going to be a real focus in terms of making plays,” Knowles said. “I’ve always had faith in them and they’re doing the right things. And then it’s that competitive excellence. It’s showing up when we need them the most and those guys are veterans and they showed that we can count on them.” 

Saturday served as sort of a high point of this season for Ohio State’s defense, which now has two top-10 wins under its belt and allowed 14 points or fewer in each game. 

“I thought that was the most confident and energetic group that I’ve been around probably since ’19 out there on the field today,” Day said. “The whole group was just, they had that look in their eye and they were getting the crowd involved.” 

READ: No. 3 Ohio State pulls away from No. 7 Penn State 20-12 

Day reiterated that the expectation at Ohio State “is to be the best in the country,” and he thinks the Buckeyes defense “has a chance to do that.” 

Another top-10 win with a clunky offense that got going when it needed to paired with a defense that made the stops is something that makes the Buckeyes and Day proud, and he said Knowles is “taking the next step with our personnel and the guys are playing with confidence.” 

“I’ll forget some guys because there was just a lot of great play on defense but if we can play like this, then that’s championship level defense,” Day said. “And if we can keep growing as a team, then we’ll be tough to beat here down the road.” 

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Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord threw for 286 yards and had a touchdown pass to receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who finished with 162 yards and eclipsed 100 receiving yards for a third-consecutive game. 

PODCAST: The Shane Beamer Story Isn’t That Serious

Both teams matched each other with field goals after the first quarter. 

Penn State had a defensive touchdown wiped off the board after a holding penalty midway through the second quarter following a fumble by McCord. Nittany Lions linebacker Curtis Jacobs scooped the football and returned it for what would’ve been a 60-yard score before it was called back. 

Ohio State running back Miyan Williams had a 2-yard rushing touchdown on that same drive in the second quarter. It was his first touchdown since Week 1, and Williams played on Saturday for the first time in two games after missing Week 7. 

The Buckeyes held Penn State to just six total yards throughout much of the second half. While quarterback Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions offense sputtered, it allowed Ohio State to keep them at bay. 

Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding made a 37-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to draw the Buckeyes’ lead to 13-6, then Harrison later scored on an 18-yard pass. 

Penn State’s final drive of 12 plays and 73 yards was its most on the day. Allar went 8-of-12 on the last series for 73 yards, and he found receiver Kaden Saunders on an 8-yard score with 50 seconds left. 

READ: Report: Michigan being investigated into alleged sign stealing

Ohio State outgained the Nittany Lions 365 yards to 240, including a total of 178 yards in the second half to Penn State’s 79. 

The Nittany Lions went 1-for-16 on third down and they converted for the first time on their final series. Allar had 191 passing yards and a touchdown while Penn State rushed for a season-low 49 yards. 

The post No. 3 Ohio State pulls away from No. 7 Penn State 20-12  appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Allar will return to his home state of Ohio to play the No. 3 Buckeyes in a top-10 showdown with No. 7 Penn State, and it’s a challenge he said he looks forward to.

“I don’t know how many ticket request I have. I delivered that to my parents,” Allar said. “I don’t worry about the tickets because I got to be focused on the game. I can’t be more focused on anything extra other than that, but I mean, it’s just a great opportunity to go back home. Obviously, we’re going to be facing a top team in the country on both sides of the ball and it’s going to be a great challenge for us.”

PODCAST: The Shane Beamer Story Isn’t That Serious

An Ohio quarterback playing for Penn State and a Pennsylvania native playing for Ohio State will be the premier matchup of Week 8 when the Nittany Lions travel to face the Buckeyes.

Allar will represent Medina, Ohio, while playing for the Nittany Lions and Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord will represent St. Joseph’s Prep High School based in Pennsylvania.

Allar said “going out and executing our jobs” and “being sound in our assignments” will be key to playing in a raucous environment at Ohio Stadium, a place where he and his friends spent plenty of time growing up.

“I did grow up going to Ohio State games like a lot of a lot of us did in Ohio,” Allar said. “They got a great fan base, a great atmosphere. It’s going to be a very challenging atmosphere. They’re a very passionate fan base. But I think it’s nothing we’re not prepared for. We practice in very loud environments all the time.”

Penn State enters the game Saturday atop the Big Ten Conference and NCAA in a number of categories, notably on the defensive side of the ball.

The Nittany Lions own the top total defense in the country allowing 193.7 yards per game — almost 40 yards fewer than the next closest team.

Offensively, Penn State has the top scoring offense in the Big Ten behind an average of 44.3 points per game.

“I think we’re playing really good complementary football, offense, defense and special teams,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said. “I think that’s been really important for us.”

READ: Report: Michigan being investigated into alleged sign stealing

When Penn State and Ohio State matched up a year ago in Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions had a loss and ranked No. 13 while the Buckeyes were unbeaten, the No. 2 team in the country and playing on the road.

The Nittany Lions drew within 30-24 with less than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, and they seemed to be within striking distance of a home upset.

But Ohio State defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau had other plans, as he recorded two interceptions, two sacks, a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

“I think last year’s experience was a learning tool for our entire team, for all of our coordinators and all of our coaches,” Franklin said. “I think we played really well for three quarters and didn’t finish. I think that’s a combination of a lot of things. But yeah, there are opportunities to grow and get better as long as you approach them that way.”

READ: Preview Thursday: Week 8

This year, Penn State and Ohio State will have new starting quarterbacks in Allar and McCord. Both have started all six games this season.

Both Allar and McCord are in the top-three in the Big Ten in completion percentage, and both have at least 11 touchdown passes. McCord leads the conference with 275.2 passing yards per game while Allar is seventh at 209 yards per game.

Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 242 pounds, Allar said the biggest area he’d like to improve is consistency in his footwork.

“I think I still have a lot of room to grow in all areas of playing quarterback,” Allar said. “I feel like the times I have missed throws that I shouldn’t be missing is because of footwork that I just, staying a little bit calmer in the pocket and not burning clean pockets, and I’ve been focusing on that the past two or three weeks, so I feel like it’s paying off so far, but just got to keep hammering that down to make sure it doesn’t cost us in the game.”

The quarterback competitions took place in the preseason for the two respective programs, and McCord won the job over redshirt freshman Devin Brown.

Franklin said he sees similarities between how Ohio State handles its quarterback room with Penn State. Plus, there is familiarity between Franklin, McCord and the Nittany Lions.

“They do a really good job of I think they’re approaching it a little bit like we’ve approached it with Drew with a first-year starting quarterback. And he’s doing what he needs to do for them to be successful offensively and win games,” Franklin said “We recruited him. We know a lot about him. We had a ton of respect for him out of high school and continue to, and think he’s going to be a challenge for us on Saturday as well.”

READ: Big Board: Week 8

Penn State will meet Ohio State in a top-10 battle for the fourth time in the past seven seasons and for the first time since 2019.

The Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day have lost only to Michigan in conference play since Day took the helm prior to the 2019 season, but this could be the most stout Penn State program yet.

“We’re trying to find a way to get a win this week against a really good team, against a program that we got a tremendous respect for, coaching staff we got a ton of respect for, the talent that they have,” Franklin said. “But we approach it the same every single week. Everybody on the outside is talking. We’re approaching it the way we do every single week. This is a really important game. Why? Because of how we’ve handled the previous six.”

The post Allar, No. 7 Penn State ‘playing really good complementary football’ ahead of top-10 game at No. 3 Ohio State appeared first on Saturday Glory.

No. 4 Texas went to Tuscaloosa on Sunday night and emerged victorious over No. 11 Alabama, which ranked No. 3 at the time. Quinn Ewers outdueled Jalen Milroe and threw 349 yards along with three touchdowns. 

Utah State is the team that scored the most points this week. The Aggies scored 78 points against Idaho State although LSU and Toledo were not far behind scoring 72 and 71 points respectively. 

Michael Penix Jr. is this week’s leading passer. Penix threw for 409 yards during No. 8 Washington’s win over Tulsa. 

Here are some of the top statistical performances from Week 2. 

Omarion Hampton, North Carolina 

This week’s leading rusher leads off the top outings of Week 2 as the only back to run for over 200 yards. 

Hampton and North Carolina have faced two early tests in South Carolina and an overtime matchup against Appalachian State. The Tar Heels have passed so far, emerging 2-0. 

Hampton played a large role in the Tar Heels offense and keeping North Carolina on schedule. He averaged 9 yards per each of his 26 carries. 

North Carolina looked toward Hampton early against the Mountaineers, and he rewarded the Tar Heels by breaking off a 68-yard touchdown run, his longest of the game. 

Hampton later struck with the final touchdown of regulation on a 7-yard rush, giving North Carolina a temporary 27-24 lead before the two teams went to overtime when Hampton also scored, this time a 17-yarder. 

Hampton finished with 234 rushing yards and three touchdowns, and the Tar Heels hung on in overtime to remain unbeaten. 

Gage Larvadain, Miami (OH) 

On eight catches, Larvadain had the most spectacular and productive receiving weekend. 

Playing UMass on the road, Miami (OH) sought to get in the win column a week after falling to Miami of Florida. 

Larvadain made the most of his outing on Saturday, hauling in a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter alone and finishing with 273 receiving yards. 

He had scoring catches of 99, 26 and 13 yards, and gave Miami (OH) the boost it needed to grab an early lead and hold on to win 41-28 after UMass scored 21 second-half points. 

Nicholas Singleton, Penn State 

Singleton was part of a Nittany Lions rushing attack that posted 315 yards on the ground against Delaware. 

Going for 47 yards himself, Singleton may not have had the most productive performance on Saturday. But his knack for the end zone is what set him apart from the others. 

Singleton averaged 3.9 yards per carry and one touchdown every four attempts. He had 12 carries which were one less than his total from the season-opener against West Virginia. 

Singleton first entered the end zone after a 5:50 first drive by Penn State. He ran in 2 yards for the score. 

He later struck again in the second quarter on a 5-yard touchdown, and again with less than five minutes before halftime on another 5-yarder. Each of Penn State’s eight offensive touchdowns came from six yards or closer. 

Singleton’s three touchdowns came alongside one score each from Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen and Beau Pribula. Allen led the group with 103 rushing yards while four ball-carriers had at least 46 rushing yards, 

Tyler Van Dyke, Miami 

After a 2022 campaign in which results revealed a mixed bag, Van Dyke is ready to strike this season. 

His second outing of the 2023 campaign was a gem, as he went 21-for-30 and 374 passing yards against the then-No. 23 Aggies on Saturday. 

Van Dyke’s second quarter began to see him step up his game onto another level. He threw for 161 yards and two touchdowns in the final 15 minutes before halftime, including the go-ahead score with 13 seconds remaining. 

Later, in the second half, Van Dyke threw for two more scores featuring a 64-yarder to Jacolby George to put the game at 48-33. 

Van Dyke was the only top-10 passer this week to throw five touchdown passes. He led a Miami offense on its way to claiming a Top 25 victory over Texas A&M. 

Injuries caused Van Dyke to miss upwards of six games a season ago. This time around, he’s up to 575 passing yards and 2-0 to start the season — a strong way to begin the year. 

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