ST Round Table: Haskins vs. McSorley, CFB Playoff implications and a preview of Ohio State-Penn State

It’s the biggest game of the year. We’ve heard it all week long, and we’ll continue to hear it until toe meets leather.

Saturday night’s clash between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 9 Penn State doesn’t need much hype. There are B1G and College Football Playoff implications on the line. We’ll see the two highest-scoring offense in college football go toe-to-toe. One team takes a huge step in the national championship direction.

To get a little better insight into this weekend’s matchup between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions, we had our team of Jim Tomlin, Luke Glusco and Dustin Schutte break down some of the key questions heading into the B1G East battle.

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Which QB needs to have the better performance, McSorley or Haskins?

Tomlin: McSorley. He is the engine that makes the Penn State offense go. Miles Sanders has done a terrific job stepping into the No. 1 running back role and the receivers are solid, but the PSU offense relies on its star senior quarterback even more than Ohio State relies on Haskins.
Another element to McSorley’s game is his ability to hurt teams running (235 yards on 41 carries this season) or just moving in the pocket. For the first time in a long time when these teams have met, Penn State’s quarterback is a more dangerous runner than his Ohio State counterpart.

Glusco: Haskins. The Ohio State quarterback boasts incredible stats through his four career starts. A big presence in the pocket, the 6-3, 220-pound sophomore is connecting on better than  75 percent of his passes.Two less experienced, less gifted QBs have looked extremely comfortable against Penn State’s defense this year. App State’s Zac Thomas didn’t flinch on the big stage, nearly leading a monumental upset. Still, Haskins will face a noise and intensity level at Beaver Stadium beyond anything he’s faced before. Can he stand strong and deliver accurate balls amid the roar and glare of a 110,000-strong whiteout night-game crowd? He passes the eye test. There’s reason to believe he’ll be as cool and calm as McSorley. But he still has to prove it. McSorley, making his 32nd career start, will have to play well, no doubt. Coming off of season-highs of 15 rushes for 92 yards, he’ll need to be in full dual-threat mode again on Saturday. Still, he’s getting more help this season behind an improved offense line. He’s managing the offense, picking and choosing when to assert himself. Ohio State’s offense is more QB-centric right now, so the greater onus is on Haskins.

Schutte: Haskins. This is McSorley’s last shot to get Penn State to the College Football Playoff, and while that’s a lot of pressure, he’s already proven to be a big-time gamer. Haskins has had no trouble proving he’s a Heisman-worthy quarterback through the first four weeks of the season. But can he do it in Beaver Stadium in a game that comes down to the fourth quarter? That’s really the only question left for the Ohio State quarterback.

These are the top two offenses in CFB, but could OSU-PSU to defense? Or will we have a shootout?

Tomlin: I think we will have a shootout. Ohio State’s defense is talented but the Buckeyes have allowed some big plays. And of course you can’t overlook the fact that All-American defensive lineman Nick Bosa is out. The Buckeyes defensive line can still cause havoc but they need to stay disciplined. The Nittany Lions are 82nd in the country in run defense at 172.5 yards per game so the OSU running back combination of J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber (assuming he’s healthy) is going to give them fits. PSU has allowed at least 150 yards rushing in three of their four games. Their pass defense has been decent so Haskins will face a challenge, though he looked really good against a solid TCU defense.

Glusco: I’m expecting a shootout. Penn State leads the country in points per game, yet McSorley rightly said a couple days ago that the Lions haven’t put in all together yet. There have been dropped balls, spurts of inaccurate passing and big-play-killing penalties. Will the Lions suddenly be perfect Saturday night? No. But they very well might hit a higher gear. We should expect a few new trick, whether from Tommy Stevens in the “Lion” role or elsewhere. That all bodes well against an Ohio State defense playing without Nick Bosa. On the flip side, hardcore Lions fans know that PSU’s defense is much shakier than recent scores indicate. Ohio State will put up points. If this game isn’t a shootout, it’ll be a blowout. Best offense wins.

Schutte: I actually think we see a defensive battle. While both offenses have been virtually unstoppable, I believe both defenses are better than advertised. Ohio State has allowed just 17 points per game and Penn State has surrendered an average of 19.5 points per game. No, neither team has played an offense as explosive as what they’ll see Saturday night, but it wouldn’t surprise me if this game ends in the 20s.

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Can the loser still reach the CFB Playoff?

Tomlin: Very unlikely.  If the Nittany Lions lose at home, they are in deep trouble. Their nonconference schedule was not very strong and their last two games are against Rutgers and Maryland. The Terrapins look decent but even if PSU wins big in those games, that won’t knock anybody’s socks off when the College Football Playoff committee evaluates the Nittany Lions. Ohio State has better odds because of that win over TCU — but even then, the Horned Frogs need to be better than they were against Texas or else OSU’s only nonconference challenge will look less challenging. The Buckeyes’ B1G West opponents are Minnesota, Purdue and Nebraska, so they can’t open anybody’s eyes there. Also, let’s face it, the B1G’s overall perception plummeted in September.

Glusco: Yes, but only at the winner’s expense. The loser will need the dominoes to fall right to reach the B1G championship game. A one-loss B1G champion should make the Playoff.
The one-loss path is probably easier for Ohio State, especially if the loss is a close, competitive one. Such a loss in a hostile road environment is forgivable. With a loss Saturday, Penn State — coming in at No. 9 as opposed to OSU’s No. 4 — will need dominoes to fall right not just in the Big Ten but around the country to make it. There are plenty of scenario’s where a one-loss B1G team would be vying for the final Playoff pick against other one-loss conference champs — say Oklahoma or Stanford. On the other hand, there’s a lot of season left after Saturday and unpredictable things will happen. The loser of this game would need a few more of those unpredictable things.

Schutte: Only if it’s Ohio State. While you’d like to believe it would apply to both teams, the Buckeyes’ non-conference win against a ranked TCU team might be the difference, much like it was in 2016. Both teams will have opportunities to notch wins over Michigan and Michigan State, and Penn State will get a crack at Wisconsin, too. Basically, the Nittany Lions have everything on the line this weekend.

So, who you taking?

Tomlin: Penn State

Glusco: Penn State

Schutte: Ohio State