NCAA Football Preview (Penn St-Ohio St)
Posted: Tues September 29, 1998 at 6:21 p.m. EDT
Penn St (3-0) at Ohio St (3-0) 12 pm EDT
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Ticker) -- For the third straight season, the
Big Ten Conference war between Ohio State and
Penn State is a battle of unbeaten top-10 schools.
Both teams took last weekend off from the rigors of the season
in order to prepare for this game. Since the rivalry resumed in
1993, at least one of the teams has entered without a loss --
Ohio State in 1993 and '95 and Penn State in '94. This is the
second time in that span that one team was ranked first in the
country, a distinction Penn State held in 1994.
Since they began playing again, Ohio State has been in the top
10 in all but the 1994 game, while Penn State was out of the top
10 in 1993 and '95.
The Nittany Lions have an 8-5 edge in the all-time series. Penn
State won last year's game, 31-27, at Beaver Stadium and was a
38-7 loser in 1996, its last visit to Ohio Stadium. They scored
a 63-14 victory there in 1994 but the Buckeyes came back the
next season for a stunning 28-25 triumph in State College in
'95.
Penn State, a two-touchdown underdog, must first stop Michael
Wiley before it can concentrate on foiling the Buckeyes' potent
aerial attack. Wiley has 500 yards on only 54 carries, an
astounding 9.7 yards per attempt. It translates into over 166
yards per game, good for sixth in the country.
With Wiley taking the pressure off the passing game, Joe
Germaine has been unstoppable. Germaine has completed 50-of-78
passes for 662 yards and five touchdowns without an
interception, though he has not needed to pass in any of the big
wins over West Virginia, Toledo and Missouri.
He throws to one of the best wideout tandems in the nation in
David Boston and Dee Miller, who have combined for 35 catches,
509 yards and four touchdowns.
Linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer and the Ohio State defense will try
to shut down Cordell Mitchell, who leads the team with 259 yards
on only 35 carries for a 7.4 average. Fullback Aaron Harris,
who is coming back from a knee injury, saw action in Penn
State's 20-13 victory over Pittsburgh.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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