ESPN's SP+ predicts final score for Penn State vs. Ohio State in Week 8
ESPN’s SP+ is predicting all the action this weekend across college football. That includes Saturday’s major showdown and top-10 battle between Ohio State and Penn State.
Ohio State rolls into the matchup in a series the Buckeyes have dominated in recent history. Yet, in spite of a lot of recent victories, those games have been traditionally hard-fought struggles on both sides of the ball.
Bill Connelly’s SP+ system sees that playing out once again this season with Ohio State projected to win 27-22 and maintaining a 63% win probability. The Buckeyes enter the game as a -4.5 favorite at home, and fans can head to BetMGM to get in on Saturday’s action.
🕺🪩 WEEK 8 SP+ PICKS 👯♂️🎉
Ohio St 27, Penn St 22
FSU 29, Duke 22
Bama 28, Tenn 23
USC 31, Utah 25
OU 37, UCF 23
Iowa 22, Minn 15 (yeah right)
Michigan 34, Mich St 14
Horns 39, Coogs 21
Miami 26, Clemson 25??https://t.co/fjsWyQPXfP pic.twitter.com/vixWXXsWyM— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) October 15, 2023
Both teams head into Saturday’s matchup with strong numbers on either side of the ball. Both teams possess a top-5 scoring defense and are averaging north of 35 points per game.
A big aspect of the matchup will be whichever first-year starting quarterback settles in quickly. Kyle McCord and Drew Allar are both in their first seasons leading their respective programs and will face elite defenses on Saturday.
All eyes will be on Columbus this Saturday with ESPN’s College GameDay and FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff on hand. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET, and it’s sure to be another thriller between the two sides.