Which Penn State quarterbacks will play vs. No. 1 Ohio State?

Penn State football may have to rely on its final scholarship quarterback option at No. 1 Ohio State.

While redshirt freshman Ethan Grunkeyemer is scheduled to make his second college start Saturday in Ohio Stadium, his backup could be a true freshman with no game experience and even limited practice work.

Interim head coach Terry Smith said 6-foot-5 rookie Bekkem Kritza will be the No. 2 option if top backup Jaxon Smolik, who suffered an undisclosed injury at Iowa, is not cleared to play this weekend.

Kritza, who played high school football in Arizona and Florida, has not entered a game yet during his first season in State College. He began the year as the No. 4 quarterback but has seen his depth chart position elevated due to injuries to Smolik and three-year starter Drew Allar.

Kritza had been unavailable during parts of the first half of the season because of his own unspecified injury issues.

Smith, however, did give this positive health update during his weekly Monday news conference — his second since taking over for the fired James Franklin.

The Nittany Lions do expect the return of injured offensive linemen Vega Ioane and Cooper Cousins and senior defensive end Zuriah Fisher.

Ioane missed Penn State’s 25-24 defeat at Iowa and Fisher suffered an undisclosed injury during the game. Cousins has been battling unspecified injury issues for several weeks and has played sparingly this season.

This all comes as Smith prepares to lead the Nittany Lions for the second time since Franklin, 53, was abruptly fired on Oct. 12 — a day after Allar suffered a broken ankle and the preseason national title-contending Nittany Lions lost their third straight game.

The Lions, who are now 3-4 this season, are a three-touchdown underdog Saturday at undefeated Ohio State. They have not beaten the Buckeyes in nine years.