Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) catches a touchdown pass in front of Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas (13) during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

COLUMBUS, OHIO – Penn State visits No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday for a Big Ten contest. The matchup will be featured on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff.

SERIES HISTORY: Penn State meets Ohio State for the 41st time in program history. PSU trails the all-time series, 26-14. Eighteen of the previous 40 matchups have been decided by less than one possession. This will be the fifth time Penn State has faced an AP No. 1-ranked Ohio State team. Penn State fell 20-13 in Happy Valley last year. Drew Allar threw for 146 yards, while Tyler Warren added 47 rushing yards and 47 receiving yards. Zion Tracy had a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter. Abdul Carter collected two sacks.

ALLEN RUNNING STRONG: Kaytron Allen rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns against Iowa. He posted his 10th career 100-yard rushing game, sixth game with multiple rushing touchdowns and first game with 100+ rushing yards and 2+ rushing touchdowns. He has a rushing touchdown in all seven games this season. Allen and Iowa’s Mark Gronowski are the only FBS players with a rushing touchdown in all of their team’s games this year. Allen leads the country in yards per rush in the fourth quarter (9.5; min. 20 carries), while ranking fourth in yards per carry on first down (7.4; min. 50 carries) and 12th in rushing touchdowns (9). Allen leads all current FBS players with 3,489 career rushing yards, while ranking fourth in career rushing touchdowns (33).

BLOCKED KICKS: For the third-straight week, Penn State blocked a kick. Against Iowa, Xavier Gilliam blocked a field goal at the end of the first half, which was scooped up by Elliot Washington II and returned for a 35-yard touchdown. The Nittany Lions have blocked four kicks this season, including three blocked punts. Dani Dennis-Sutton has blocked two punts, while Dominic DeLuca has blocked one.

THE OPPOSITION: Ohio State is 7-0 this season, including a 4-0 mark in Big Ten play. On October 18, the Buckeyes earned a 34-0 win at Wisconsin. Ohio State outgained Wisconsin, 491-144, while tallying 393 yards through the air. Julian Sayin threw for 393 yards and four touchdowns, including two touchdowns to Carnell Tate. OSU allowed just nine first downs.

BY THE NUMBERS

145 + 2 – Against Iowa, Kaytron Allen posted his first career game with 100+ rushing yards and multiple rushing touchdowns.

18th – Penn State will play its 18th game against an AP No. 1 opponent.

11 – With an interception against Iowa, Zakee Wheatley has a hand in 11 takeaways at Penn State.

4 – Penn State has four blocked kicks this season following Xavier Gilliam’s blocked field goal, and 35-yard touchdown return by Elliot Washington II, against Iowa.

IOWA NOTES

Penn State is now 18-15 all-time against Iowa.

The Nittany Lions are 10-7 in road matchups against the Hawkeyes.

Terry M. Smith coached his first game as Penn State Interim Head Coach.

RB Kaytron Allen rushed for a career-high 145 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries. It was his first career game with 100+ rushing yards and multiple rushing touchdowns.

Penn State held Iowa to 11 first downs. The Nittany Lions matched their season low for first downs allowed (11 against Villanova) and posted its lowest first downs allowed total since November 24, 2023 against Michigan State (5).

In the second quarter, Xavier Gilliam blocked a field goal, which was returned 35 yards for a touchdown by Elliot Washington II. It was Penn State’s first blocked field goal returned for a touchdown since Grant Haley (60 yards) against Ohio State in 2016.

It was Penn State’s first blocked field goal since Arnold Ebiketie against Indiana in 2021.

SERIES HISTORY VS. OHIO STATE

Penn State and Ohio State are set to meet for the 41st time with Ohio State leading 26-14 in the all-time series.

The Nittany Lions are 7-15 in road matchups.

Eighteen matchups have been decided by less than one possession.

Penn State fell 20-13 in Happy Valley last year.

Drew Allar threw for 146 yards.

Tyler Warren rushed for 47 yards and added four catches for 47 yards, while Nicholas Singleton had six catches for 54 yards.

Zion Tracy had a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter.

Ryan Barker added two field goals, including a 44-yard kick.

The Nittany Lion defense recorded six tackles for loss and three sacks, including two sacks by Abdul Carter.

Penn State’s last win in Columbus was in 2011. The Nittany Lions were led by interim head coach Tom Bradley.

BIG NOON KICKOFF

Penn State will be featured on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff for the first time this season.

The Nittany Lions were featured on Big Noon Kickoff three times in 2024 (UCLA, Washington, Ohio State).

Since the show’s debut in 2019, Penn State has made 13 appearances as FOX’s featured game.

Penn State has hosted FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff four times in Happy Valley after welcoming the show in 2022 (Ohio State, 10/29), 2023 (Michigan, 11/11) and 2024 (Ohio State).

The broadcast will begin at 10 a.m. and lead up to kickoff between the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes at noon.

The crew of Rob Stone, Reggie Bush, Mark Ingram, Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn and Urban Meyer will be live ahead of the meeting, while the in-game crew of Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft will call the action.

Date Opponent Score

1. Nov. 23, 2019 at Ohio State L, 17-28

2. Sept. 4, 2021 at Wisconsin W, 16-10

3. Oct. 9, 2021 at Iowa L, 20-23

4. Sept. 1, 2022 at Purdue W, 35-31

5. Oct. 15, 2022 at Michigan L, 17-41

6. Oct. 29, 2022 Ohio State L, 31-44

7. Sept. 16, 2023 at Illinois W, 30-13

8. Oct. 21, 2023 at Ohio State L, 12-20

9. Nov. 11, 2023 Michigan L, 15-24

10. Aug. 31, 2024 at West Virginia W, 34-12

11. Oct. 5, 2024 UCLA W, 27-11

12. Nov. 2, 2024 Ohio State L, 13-20

13. Nov. 1, 2025 at Ohio State —

STORIED PROGRAMS MEET

Penn State and Ohio State both rank among the top-10 programs in winning percentage and total victories in NCAA history.

Four of the top-10 winningest programs, by total wins and winning percentage, in NCAA history are from the Big Ten.

Penn State sits No. 7 in all-time victories (946) and No. 9 in winning percentage (.689).

Ohio State sits second with 985 all-time victories and No. 1 with an all-time winning percentage of .737.

The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes are also among the most ranked teams in NCAA history according to the AP poll.

Ohio State has spent 116 weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll (2nd all-time) and Penn State has earned the No. 1 ranking by the AP on 21 occasions (T-17th all-time). (Not including preseason rankings).

Penn State’s 717 weeks ranked among the AP Top 25 ranks ninth all-time, while Ohio State’s 1,009 weeks are the most in NCAA history.

PENN STATE VS. NO. 1

Penn State is 4-13 all-time against opponents ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll.

The Nittany Lions’ last matchup against the AP No. 1 team was the 2024 Big Ten Championship Game vs. Oregon.

Penn State’s all-time games vs. No. 1:

Date PSU Rank Opponent Score

11/20/37 – at No. 1 Pitt L, 7-28

10/25/52 No. 17 at No. 1 Michigan State L, 7-34

9/24/66 – at No. 1 Michigan State L, 8-42

11/26/76 No. 17 at No. 1 Pitt L, 7-24

11/28/81 No. 11 at No. 1 Pitt W, 48-14

1/1/83 No. 2 vs. No. 1 Georgia (Sugar) W, 27-23

8/29/83 No. 4 vs. No. 1 Nebraska^ L, 6-44

1/2/87 No. 2 vs. No. 1 Miami (Fiesta) W, 14-10

11/19/88 – at No. 1 Notre Dame L, 3-21

11/18/89 No. 17 vs. No. 1 Notre Dame L, 23-34

11/17/90 No. 18 at No. 1 Notre Dame W, 24-21

10/3/98 No. 7 at No. 1 Ohio State L, 9-28

9/23/06 No. 24 at No. 1 Ohio State L, 6-28

10/27/07 No. 24 vs. No. 1 Ohio State L, 17-37

9/11/10 No. 18 at No. 1 Alabama L, 3-24

10/17/15 – at No. 1 Ohio State L, 10-38

12/7/24 No. 3 vs. No. 1 Oregon ! L, 37-45

11/1/25 – at No. 1 Ohio State –

^Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.

! Big Ten Championship (Indianapolis, Ind.)