Bet On Sports – Ohio State Aims To Remain In Big Ten Race

Those who bet on sports know that he Ohio State Buckeyes are in the middle of a Big Ten competition in which the BCS standings might break a tie. The Bucks must crush the Penn State Nittany Lions this Saturday.

Penn State Nittany Lions @ Ohio State Buckeyes
Saturday, November 13th – 3:35 PM ET

Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
Broadcast: ABC/ESPN
Bet On Sports Odds: Penn State +18, Ohio State -18
Total: 49

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It’s a part of the new college football climate that the BCS has created. Because the BCS standings are used to break the more complicated versions of conference ties, teams have to win big against their backyard foes. Ohio State is immersed in just such a battle right now. The Buckeyes will not play Michigan State this year, and they could be involved in a three- or four-way tie for the Big Ten lead when this season is over. If head-to-head tiebreakers don’t apply, the BCS standings are used to settle the issue. This forces teams to pile up more points than they normally would, but that piece of pressure can also lead those same teams to panic and get unsettled when they have no reason to be upset. Winning games is still the focus, and that has to be paramount in the minds of Ohio State coaches and players.

Bet On Sports: What Penn State Has To Do To Win

The Nittany Lions have found a newer and better quarterback after almost two full months of struggles. Matt McGloin has definitely improved upon Robert Bolden. McGloin led Penn State to 41 points in a win over Michigan in late October, and the second-stringer then led a comeback last weekend against Northwestern. The Nittany Lions trailed the Wildcats by a 21-0 score, but McGloin was undaunted as he presided over a second-half surge which gave PSU a 35-21 triumph, marking the 400th career win for iconic coach Joe Paterno. If McGloin can read the Ohio State defense and avoid turnovers in the first half, Penn State can lean on its defense to create a low-scoring game in which the Buckeyes’ offense doesn’t have very many possessions. The Nittany Lions have to shorten this contest, bleed clock, and play a minimalist style. This demands huge special-teams plays against a subpar Ohio State kick-coverage unit that has allowed numerous punt or kickoff returns in excess of 40 yards this season.

Bet On Sports: What Ohio State Has To Do To Win

Precisely because Penn State is finding a new degree of confidence on offense, Ohio State needs to play well offensively in this game. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor has had a very mediocre season. The numbers might not show it, but Pryor was alarmingly mediocre in the Buckeyes’ one loss at Wisconsin earlier this season, and he threw an incredibly bad interception in a recent contest against Minnesota. Pryor must make good decisions and settle for the easy short pass instead of forcing a ball downfield. As long as Pryor plays intelligently, it will be hard for Penn State to get the breaks it needs to pull off the upset in Columbus.

Bet On Sports: Outlook & Pick

Pryor will be solid, and Ohio State’s receivers will be too fast for the Penn State secondary. The need to impress the BCS computers and pollsters will motivate Ohio State to ring up big numbers and remain focused on defense. This will be a bloodbath; take Ohio State minus the points.

Bet On Sports Pick: Ohio State -18