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Joel Klatt provides Penn State blueprint for how to beat Ohio State

Cole Thompson

By Cole Thompson

Published:

Penn State has little-to-no shot of upsetting No. 2 Ohio State this weekend, right? Maybe so if it doesn’t follow Joel Klatt’s blueprint.

The Fox Sports commentator recently spoke of Saturday’s matchup in Happy Valley that will air on FOX during a segment on his podcast “The Joel Klatt Show.” Klatt would be the first to admit that taking down Ryan Day’s offense is a challenge within itself, but it’s impossible after reviewing the tape.

According to Klatt, the Nittany Lions should be watching last year’s film on Oregon and Michigan. What was the common theme in both games besides upset wins? A balanced rushing attack that allowed both teams to control the time of possession.

“They dictated the style of how the game was going to be played,” Klatt said. “What’s the next thing both Michigan and Oregon did? They tackled really well in space.”

Oregon running back CJ Verdell rushed for a whopping 161 yards and 2 touchdowns while the Ducks totaled 269 yards on the ground. Oregon also excelled on 3rd-down conversions, going 8-of-16 en route to a 35-28 upset.

Michigan, led by Haasan Haskins, rushed for 297 yards and averaged 7.2 yards per run. Haskins finished with 169 yards and 5 touchdowns while Blake Corum totaled 87 yards off 6 carries. The Wolverines also were fantastic on 3rd down, going 5-of-8 compared to Ohio State’s 8-of-18.

The Nittany Lions have a 1-2 combination in their backfield with freshmen Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Singleton is averaging 6.8 yards per attempt and is coming off a 2-touchdown performance against Minnesota. Allen, who might be viewed more as an RB1B versus an RB2, has totaled 396 yards off 78 rushing attempts.

As an offense, Penn State ranks 99th nationally in 3rd-down conversions with a 35.2% success rate.

Kickoff from Beaver Stadium is set for Noon E.T.

Cole Thompson

Cole Thompson is a freelance writer for Saturday Tradition who has covered college football and the NFL for multiple websites. Thompson is currently based in Houston, Texas, and also can be heard daily on SportsMap National Radio's 'Just Sayin It' from 3am-6am.