Will Howard bold predictions for Ohio State-Penn State top-5 showdown

10/31/2024 10:57 AM

Another week of college football is in the books, and it is now time to shift focus to week 10 of the season. It’s hard to believe that there have already been two months of the regular season, and in a little over a month, we will know the College Football Playoff field. There are once again a lot of good games this week with playoff implications, and one of them features Will Howard and the Ohio State football team going on the road to take on Penn State. Both teams are ranked in the top-five. This is the game of the week.

The Ohio State football team dropped their first game of the season a few weeks ago on the road against Oregon, and if they lose to Penn State this weekend, there will be some pressure on them as a third loss would likely lead to missing the College Football Playoff. A loss against Penn State would also likely end their Big Ten title hopes.

Penn State is hoping to take down the Buckeyes for the first time since 2016, and if they do, a 12-0 regular season looks very likely.

Before we talk more about Will Howard and predictions for his performance, let’s take a deeper look at both of these teams.

Penn State is looking for a season-defining win

The Penn State football team has been one of the best teams in the Big Ten for awhile now, but they have always had issues with Ohio State and Michigan. First, it was the Buckeyes that dominated the conference as the Nittany Lions couldn’t get past them after the 2016 season. The issue has been the same the past three years with Michigan. Now, once again, their Big Ten title hopes are likely coming down to a matchup with one of them. This year, it’s Ohio State.

Penn State is currently 7-0 and their schedule shapes up very nicely after this week. The Nittany Lions have one of the easier Big Ten schedules this year, and even if they lose, they will likely finish 11-1 as the best team left on their schedule is currently 5-3.

The Nittany Lions don’t want 11-1. They want to beat Ohio State, and they want to win the Big Ten.

Ohio State can’t afford a second loss

If the Ohio State football team wants to have a chance at winning the Big Ten this season, they need to get a win against Penn State on Saturday. The Buckeyes already have one loss, and a second one would likely eliminate them from contention. They would need Oregon or Penn State to lose three games in that case, and that isn’t going to happen.

Ohio State has one of the best rosters in the country, and it would be very disappointing if they lose two games in the regular season. Plus, if they lose against the Nittany Lions, the pressure will be on as one more loss will probably mean no playoff. The Buckeyes still play Indiana and rival Michigan after this. They need to find a way to get it done on the road this weekend.

If the Buckeyes are going to win, they will need a big game from their quarterback, Will Howard. Here are three predictions for his performance:

Will Howard will throw two touchdown passes

Will Howard has done a good job so far this season at Ohio State, but he did have critical mistake late against Oregon that cost his team the game. Howard was brought to Columbus to get the team wins in games like this. He will come ready to go on Saturday and he will throw at least two touchdown passes.

Will Howard will throw for over 300 yards

Both Ohio State and Penn State are going to be trying to establish the run in this one, but it will be tough for both teams as they will each be going up against talented defensive lines. If both teams are struggling to run the football, the advantage lies with the Ohio State football team. Will Howard is capable of winning this team games with his arms, and he will show that on Saturday.

Will Howard will lead to his Buckeyes to a big win

Will Howard and Ohio State couldn’t get it done when they went on the road to take on Oregon, but they have another chance to get a huge road win this weekend. This time around, they will get it done. Penn State isn’t nearly as good as Oregon, and the Buckeyes will earn a 24-21 win.

Ohio State and Penn State will kick off at noon ET from Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania on Saturday, and the game will be airing on Fox. The Buckeyes are currently favored by three points.

Notable week 10 games

This game between the Penn State football team and Ohio State will be a good one to watch, and ESPN’s College GameDay will be in State College as this is by far the biggest game of the week. Still, there are a lot of other good games around college football this weekend.

Starting in the ACC, there are a couple good games as Louisville will try to keep pace in the conference as they are taking on Clemson. Also, we have a matchup between two top-25 teams as #18 Pitt will visit #20 SMU. That game has huge implications on the conference title race as both teams have zero ACC losses.

In the Big 12, there isn’t a lot going on. Two ranked teams have byes, and the other two main contenders have games that they should be able to win as Iowa State is playing Texas Tech and Kansas State is playing Houston.

Moving over to the Big Ten, we have already talked about the biggest game in the conference this weekend as Ohio State will battle Penn State at noon, and Michigan and Oregon will play at 3:30 in other big one to watch. Those should be two exciting games.

Lastly, the SEC is fairly quiet as well, but there are a couple notable contests. Georgia and Florida will be getting together for their annual rivalry matchup, and that is always a fun one to see. Then, at night, Texas A&M will look to stay perfect in SEC play with a tricky road game against South Carolina.

This week’s slate isn’t as good as ones that we have seen in past weeks, but these are the ones that sometimes end up being the best. Enjoy another weekend of college football!

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