Saturday’s Ohio State-Penn State matchup is shaping up to be a must-watch game. Historically, this matchup has favored the Buckeyes, and that appears to be the case once again. However, Ryan Day will keep his men focused and take Penn State seriously, no matter the odds. That’s because he faces an all too familiar face who knows his way around the Buckeyes.

The face is, of course, ex-Ohio State DC Jim Knowles. He was an integral part of their successful campaign last season. He was the one who built the Ohio defense into a powerhouse, ranking No. 1 in both yards allowed and points allowed. But last year, he left the Buckeyes to join rival Penn State. Finding a better replacement would’ve been difficult for Ryan Day. But it looks like he has struck gold with new DC Matt Patricia.

Patricia left the college game for the pros in 2003. His last college gig was being an offensive graduate assistant for Syracuse. Patricia has Superbowl wins with the Patriots. But there were doubts about replacing the legendary defense built by Knowles. Turns out, Patricia’s unit is performing even better than Knowles’.

The no. 1 defensive unit this season, which gives up only 5.9 points per game. Opponents have scored just 2 TDs in five games against them. Minnesota’s HC P.J. Fleck had this to say after getting destroyed by the Buckeyes for a score of 42-3, “That’s one of the best defenses I’ve ever seen in 13 years.” And if that wasn’t enough, he has become a favorite in the Ohio dressing room, contrary to Knowles. “It was a lot different from the previous defensive coordinator. I talked to Patricia more, probably his first two days here, than I did with our old defensive coordinator my whole time being here,” admitted linebacker Payton Pierce.

Matt’s defense leads FBS in stop rate at 84.2%. The Buckeyes have only given up 216.9 yards per game. Patricia may not have worked out at Detroit, but he sure found his home in Ohio.

“He’s poured into all of us, and he does every single day. I mean, he’s still sitting out here talking to players. Any questions we have, he’s always here to help. Not just in football, but in life. He’s given us different advice and stuff like that, and he’s been through so much, so it’s great hearing from him every single day, and I appreciate him a lot.” Payton expressed. Patricia has also been vocal about his love for the program, “It’s been unbelievable. This place is amazing. The fans are great, the stadium atmosphere, and my kids are in awe.”

So, Payton Peirce’s words could mean that the Buckeyes have moved to an even better place concerning their defense. This builds a revenge element for the game for Jim Knowles on Saturday. Can Penn State be a trap game for the Buckeyes?

Will Saturday be a one-sided affair?

There are a lot of narratives at play. PSU firing James Franklin. Drew Allar’s injury. Julian Sayin’s Heisman campaign. All of it leads the analysts to firmly place Ohio State as the winner by multiple scores. The game being held at The Shoe does the Nittany Lions no favors.

PSU has not looked like a top team this season, and is winless in its last four games. The preseason hype did not translate to on field success. Their long time head coach has gone. Their star QB has probably wrapped up his college career, barring a medical redshirt by the NCAA. It is not going to turn out like UCLA. This is certainly a low point in PSU’s storied history.

The Nittany Lions sit 15th in the B1G with a 3-4 record. Four of those defeats were against B1G opponents. After Franklin was fired, Terry Smith stepped up as the interim head coach. He lost his first game against the Iowa Hawkeyes last week. Odds heavily favor the unbeaten Ohio State, of course. A win for PSU would become one of the biggest upsets of the season, which Ryan Day would look to avoid at any cost.