Popular analyst calls Penn State at Ohio State a “playoff game”

You have probably been living under a rock if you are a college football fan unfamiliar with Josh Pate. The Late Kick with Josh Pate has recently become one of the most popular college football shows in the nation. His show has brought a lot of insight into this upcoming Penn State football game against Ohio State. Josh brings a new type of energy to the college football scene. His bold style of assessing programs, games, fanbases, and more is a breath of fresh air and always provides the average fan with great insights. Pate has a little something for just about everyone who tunes into his shows three nights per week. If you fall into the fandom category commonly referred to as “casuals,” Pate can certainly teach you a thing or two. He massively values traditions in the sport, no matter if it’s SEC or Pac-12-related.

Josh Pate will be in Columbus for Penn State at Ohio State

Pate started going on a uniquely named weekly college football tour three seasons ago. His goal is to choose the best game per week to attend. Alternatively, Josh sometimes picks a game that is located somewhere he has never been before. Pate’s first time at a Penn State game came in 2021 for his “Renaissance Tour.” It was no surprise that he decided to attend the White Out game when the Auburn Tigers traveled north to State College for the first time ever. His last time in Columbus was in 2022 when the Michigan Wolverines rolled into town and mauled the Buckeyes. Josh will return to Columbus this Saturday when the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes square off. This year his tour is called the “Once Upon a Saturday Tour,” and it has lived up to expectations.

Just to name a few, the tour has made stops at the Red River Shootout and last week’s top 10 barn burner between Washington and Oregon. This should be a good omen that fans are in for a treat this Saturday in Columbus.

Josh Pate calls Penn State – Ohio State a “playoff game”

During last night’s edition of “The Late Kick,” Josh took a good amount of time breaking down Saturday’s matchup in Columbus. He started the segment by iterating, “What if I told you this is a playoff game?” The implication was speaking to the toughness of the race for the Big Ten East division crown. It’s no secret that Pate believes this will be a game decided by defense. The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes both boast top 10 defenses in the country statistically. Penn State has a slight edge over Ohio State in this regard, but both have plenty of star power.

Pate also believes that passing the ball will have to be the focus for both units on Saturday. Drew Allar and Kyle McCord are both first-year starters and have done fairly well so far this season. Neither QB commits many turnovers, Allar has none so far; McCord has just one. Both Allar and McCord seem to be intent on staying calm and simply taking what defenses give them. Regarding the outcome of the game, Pate believes that the Buckeyes will prevail based on homefield advantage. His notorious computer model also leans toward Ohio State, so he went in that direction via a combination of both.

For fans interested in watching Pate’s breakdown, you can find his show on his YouTube channel, Late Kick with Josh Pate, or any podcast service. Be sure to like and subscribe to his channel for more college football content. More importantly, don’t miss Saturday’s matchup between Penn State and Ohio State. The game kicks off at Noon ET and will air on FOX.

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