ESPN announces ‘College GameDay’ will be in Columbus for Penn State-Ohio State | TribLIVE.com
TribLive Logo
| Back | Text Size:
https://triblive.com/sports/espn-announces-college-gameday-will-be-in-columbus-for-penn-state-ohio-state/

ESPN announces ‘College GameDay’ will be in Columbus for Penn State-Ohio State

Pennlive.Com
| Sunday, October 15, 2023 4:15 p.m.
AP
Ohio State players get ready to run onto the field to play against Youngstown State in Columbus, Ohio.

One of the Big Ten’s biggest games of the year is getting more national attention.

ESPN announced today that “College GameDay” will be in Columbus for the Saturday, Oct. 21 showdown between No. 6 Penn State and No. 3 Ohio State. The network will set up its studio show on campus for the noon ET matchup, which is also FOX’s “Big Noon Kickoff” game.

The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes will enter the Week 8 matchups with 6-0 records. Penn State took care of business with a 63-0 shutout win over UMass at rainy Beaver Stadium, and Ohio State handled Purdue, 41-7, to stay unbeaten.

Both teams have flashed dominant play at times this season while also showing room to grow, as both work in new starting quarterbacks.

Questions persist for the Nittany Lions about their ability to create more explosive plays and whether the team’s ball control style is good enough to win a matchup on the road against a top-5 team. On the flip side, defense has been a sure thing with a unit that ranks No. 1 in total and passing defense and No. 2 in scoring defense, allowing 8.0 points per game.

The Buckeyes have a similar story to tell with a developing offense but a top-10 defense in most categories, with the exception of allowing 109.2 rushing yards per game (No. 22). Ohio State has also played the most challenging opponent in comparison with Penn State — a last-second 17-14 victory over then-No. 9 Notre Dame — but has lukewarm victories over Indiana (23-3) and FCS Youngstown State (35-7).

The winner of the Penn State-Ohio State matchup remains on track as a College Football Playoff contender, but the Big Ten East Division race will be far from over in either direction. Penn State still has a home matchup with No. 2 Michigan (Nov. 11), and Ohio State travels to Ann Arbor to face the Wolverines (Nov. 25) having lost two straight in that rivalry series.

While Penn State has played Ohio State arguably tougher over the past decade than any other team outside of Michigan in the Big Ten, the Buckeyes have still won 10 of the past 11 matchups. The lone exception was the 2016 Penn State Rose Bowl team that won the Big Ten but still watched Ohio State claim the spot from the Big Ten in the College Football Playoff.


Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)