Week One; Ohio versus Penn State

Ohio at Penn State--This is a matchup between the MAC and the Big 10 with the Ohio University Bobcats taking on the Penn State Nittany Lions. Both teams had solid season with Penn State going 9-4 and Ohio going 10-4. The Bobcats narrowly missed out on an 11-win season losing a big halftime lead in the MAC title game. Penn State is coming off of a dreadful offseason in which the program was justly penalized for its role in the Sandusky situation.

Offense: The Ohio Bobcat offense was rolling in 2011 as the 10-win Bobcats compiled 449 yards per game of total offense putting them in the top 25 nationally in offense last fall. The Bobcats had the 24th ranked rushing game in the nation with 197 yards per game on the ground. The Bobcats ran for 4.6 yards per carry and 18 touchdowns on the season. The passing game was very good for the Bobcats last fall as Ohio threw for 249 yards per game and 30 touchdowns with only 11 interceptions on the season. Penn State struggled in 2011 on offense with the 96th ranked offense in the nation putting up 342 yards per game of offense. The passing game was atrocious with the Nittany Lions only managing 177 yards in the air per game with 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on the season. The running game was much better with 164 yards per game, a 4.2 yards per carry average and 18 touchdowns. The Nittany Lions put up 19.3 points per game, good for the 11th worst scoring offense in the nation. Combining the horrible offense with the loss of the best wide receivers and running back, the Nittany Lions will struggle to score this fall. EDGE: Ohio

Defense: The Ohio Bobcats had a very solid defense last fall giving up 22.1 points per game, good for the 32nd best scoring defense in the country. Opponents had success in 2011 running versus the Bobcat defense with a 4.0 yards per carry average for a total of 141 yards per game and 13 touchdowns. The pass defense of the Bobcats gave up 219 yards per game and 24 touchdowns but were able to force 15 interceptions on the season. The Bobcats forced 27 turnovers on the season. The Penn State Nittany Lions were one of the best defenses in the nation last fall with a 16.8 points allowed average, good for the 5th best scoring offense in the nation. The Nittany Lions gave up 323 yards per game on the season putting them in the top 20 nationally. Penn State only allowed 133 yards per game and 13 total rushing touchdowns with a 3.6 yards per carry allowed. Against the pass, the Lions were able to hold opponents to 190 yards per game and only 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions forced. Penn State forced 26 turnovers on the season. EDGE: Penn State

Coaching: Frank Solich is the head coach of the Ohio Bobcats and is entering his 8th season as the head coach of the Bobcats. Solich started coaching in 1966 with Holy Name HS. After his term at Holy Name HS, Solich coached at Lincoln Southeast HS, and Nebraska before going to Ohio. Solich was the head coach at Nebraska from 1998-2003 and compiled a 58-19 record including 3 finishes within the top 10 nationally. Solich has coached at Ohio for 7 seasons where he has gone 50-40 with 3 bowl berths. Bill O'Brien is the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions and is entering his first season in charge of the program. O'Brien has been coaching since 1993 when he started as an assistant at Brown. After Brown, O'Brien coached at Georgia Tech, Maryland, Duke, New England Patriots, and finally Penn State. This is O'Brien's first head coaching job. EDGE: Ohio

Ohio is 0-5 all-time in meetings with Penn State. All 5 of the matchups were played in the 1960s and 1970s with the last meeting coming in 1974. Penn State has won the 5 games by an average of 38.6-13.0 with the closest margin of victory being 10 points.

Ohio was a surprise in 2011 with the level of play exceeding expectations. The Bobcats nearly finished with 11 wins and a MAC title and are the heavy favorite to win the MAC this season. With Davey O'Brian watch list nominee Tyler Tettleton leading the top offense, Ohio will be a force in 2012. Penn State is facing a tough season with the sanctions given by the NCAA as well as several defections from the squad due to the defections. This will be a big test for the Bobcats but also for the Nittany Lions to see how Ohio can respond to being even, if not better, than Penn State. Expect a close game that comes down to the final few minutes of the game.