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Paul Finebaum explains magnitude of Ohio State-Penn State
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As fans, we love to break out the college football calendar, circle some of our favorite matchups, and argue about the biggest game of the year on the schedule. You know, that one game we absolutely cannot miss.
This year, that game may be coming a little earlier than usual, at least if you ask college football analyst Paul Finebaum.
Joining the RoundTable on WJOX on Monday morning, Finebaum was asked to weigh in on next week’s showdown between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 9 Penn State. It’s a matchup that most believe will determine the winner in the B1G.
Finebaum didn’t shy away from his expectations, either. He said that Saturday night in Happy Valley will be college football’s game of the year.
“This is an intriguing game. There seems to be that one game every year in college football,” Finebaum said. “But, I mean, this really is the game of the year in college football. This is easily (Ohio State’s) most difficult task.”
Finebaum made the argument that the Nittany Lions provide the toughest test of the season for the Buckeyes, and that the winner would likely be headed to the B1G Championship and College Football Playoff.
It’s not just Finebaum who believes Saturday night’s contest is one of the biggest in the sport. According to ESPN’s Playoff Predictor, the Ohio State-Penn State game is the most impactful contest remaining on the regular season schedule.
Those are huge stakes for a Week 5 matchup.
The winner of this game has gone on to win the B1G Championship each of the last two seasons. However, both Penn State (2016) and Ohio State (2017) missed the Playoff in those respective years.
In addition to all the hype and chatter surrounding Saturday night’s clash, ESPN’s College GameDay will also be in Happy Valley to preview the B1G showdown.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB