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Was Saturday’s game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights especially pleasing to the eye? Nope. But, when you can get a five-touchdown victory without anyone getting hurt the week before your season starts to really kick into gear, that’s a good thing, and that’s exactly what the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes did when they won 56-21 in Piscataway, N.J. this weekend.
Now, it is time for OSU to turn their attention to the gauntlet that stands between them and their third national championship this century. With their rival, a Big Ten Championship game, and the playoffs still to come, on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 12 noon ET the Buckeyes will play host to the No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions.
This week’s challenger is the latest in an increasingly embarrassed line of “potential threats” that Ryan Day’s squad has faced thus far this season. So, the anticipation for the match-up is on the rise, despite the Nits’ loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers earlier this month.
Nonetheless, individual tickets are ranging anywhere from $147.25 to $2,151.64 for what will be the Bucks’ final home game of the 2019 season, as well as the return to the lineup for the best player in college football Chase Young. If you want to witness what might be the best team in Ohio State history play at the Horseshoe one last time (not to mention the likely final home game for Young and J.K. Dobbins), you can get tickets here.
The Buckeyes are coming into the game as major favorites at -19.5 points; a pretty incredible total for a top-10 match-up.
Checkout some spreads of note below:
Week 13 Opening Odds | Nov. 17
| Visitor | Home | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor | Home | Odds |
| Penn State | OHIO STATE | OHIO STATE -19.5 |
| Ohio | Bowling Green | Ohio -19.5 |
| Akron | Miami (OH) | Miami (OH) -30.5 |
| Oregon | Arizona State | Oregon -15.5 |
| Utah | Arizona | Utah -22.5 |
| Minnesota | Northwestern | Minnesota -11 |
| TCU | Oklahoma | Oklahoma -18.5 |
| Texas | Baylor | Baylor -5 |
| Purdue | Wisconsin | Wisconsin -23 |
| Temple | Cincinnati | Cincinnati -11 |
| Illinois | Iowa | Iowa -13.5 |
| Michigan State | Rutgers | Michigan State -22 |
| Boston College | Notre Dame | Notre Dame -20.5 |
| Texas A&M | Georgia | Georgia -15 |
| Michigan | Indiana | Michigan -7.5 |
| Nebraska | Maryland | Nebraska -6.5 |
| Arkansas | LSU | LSU -44.5 |
While the 19.5-point spread is a bit eye-opening, when the team is also the odds-on favorite the win the national championship, I suppose those types of things go hand in hand. OSU again leads the pack at 2/1, with Clemson gaining a bit from last week. Behind them is a trio of SEC teams, because the group of one-loss teams that need a bit of help to make it to the final four.
Check out the Complete National Championship Odds:
National Title Odds | Nov. 18
| Team | 11/11 Odds | 11/18 Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Team | 11/11 Odds | 11/18 Odds |
| Ohio State | 2/1 | 2/1 |
| Clemson | 3/1 | 5/2 |
| LSU | 5/2 | 5/2 |
| Georgia | 9/1 | 7/1 |
| Alabama | 10/1 | 14/1 |
| Oklahoma | 16/1 | 16/1 |
| Oregon | 25/1 | 16/1 |
| Utah | 40/1 | 40/1 |
| Penn State | 100/1 | 50/1 |
| Minnesota | 50/1 | 150/1 |
| Baylor | 66/1 | 250/1 |
| Cincinnati | 500/1 | 500/1 |
| Florida | 150/1 | Off the Board |
Poll
With respect to the 19.5-point spread, what will the result of Saturday’s game be?
This poll is closed
-
58%
Ohio State covers
(122 votes) -
41%
Ohio State doesn’t cover
(88 votes)