FOX analyst ridicules Penn State football ahead of Ohio State game

Saturday’s Penn State-Ohio State game is shaping up to be one of the best matchups of the college football season. With home field factored in, the game is essentially a “pick ’em,” as the Buckeyes are currently favored by 4.5 points over the Nittany Lions. Saturday is a massive opportunity for James Franklin to get his first win over a top-10 team on the road, and plenty out there think this is the year Penn State football finally downs Ohio State. However, one person who is firmly not in that category is FOX analyst RJ Young. This week, the college football writer had some harsh words for the Nittany Lions’ expectations heading into Saturday.

FOX analyst RJ Young slams Nittany Lions ahead of Penn State-Ohio State game

Most of the coverage leading up to the Penn State-Ohio State game this week has been centered on the expectation of a tremendous football spectacle. The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes come into Saturday with two of the best defenses in the nation. Potential first-round NFL Draft picks litter the field for both teams.

Even those skeptical of Penn State and Ohio State this season have discussed Saturday as an opportunity to get a first true look at both programs. However, according to FOX college football analyst RJ Young, James Franklin and Penn State football might as well not even show up this weekend. Young didn’t hold back with his opinion of this game on his podcast, The Number One College Football Show.

“No one expects Penn State to be good in this game, except Penn State fans,” Young said. “The reason I say that is, all you got to do is go look at how the AP voters think about Penn State. They think less of them than I do. And they decided to give Ohio State at least one vote to be the No. 1 team in the country, and Penn State didn’t get any at all.”

"I like Marvin Harrison Jr. more than I like Manny Diaz's secondary." @RJ_Young is picking Ohio State over Penn State this weekend 👀 pic.twitter.com/G9CoO7dzba

— The Number One College Football Show (@numberoneshow) October 18, 2023

Not surprisingly, Young picked the Buckeyes over the Nittany Lions this weekend. “I like Ohio State here because I like the way the defense is playing, and I like Marvin Harrison more than I like Manny Diaz’s secondary,” he said.

Saturday is a major opportunity for James Franklin

History may suggest that Ohio State will exit the Horseshoe victorious on Saturday. Still, there’s likely little chance the game will be as one-sided as RJ Young made it sound. Even several on the Buckeyes side of this matchup believe this is the year the winning streak over Penn State football ends.

While Nittany Lions fans probably strongly disagree with Young’s assessment of their football program, they likely do agree on the magnitude of a potential Penn State win.

“This is an opportunity for you [Penn State] to just rise up those rankings with a signature win on the road,” Young said. “And I dare say it would be the best win of the season, for anybody, if they were able to pull this off.”

Saturday’s showdown between Penn State and Ohio State kicks off at noon on FOX.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite Penn State athletics. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at basicbluesnation@gmail.com or direct message us on our social media. Also, be sure to check out our new site shop. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing Penn State sports outlets!