For the first time this season, there could be more than 100,000 fans at Beaver Stadium. The Ohio State game is a sellout.
The last tickets were sold on Thursday morning, a representative from Penn State's athletic communication department said.
The Nittany Lions bring a five game winning streak into Saturday's game, which starts at 5:30 p.m. and will air on ESPN. Penn State and Ohio State are both undefeated in Big Ten play and tied atop the Leader Division standings. It will be the first -- and likely only -- all-stadium whiteout for Penn State this season.
When Penn State began the season 0-2, there were some positives for the Nittany Lions: Matt McGloin looked more confident than he ever has, Bill O'Brien's new offense produced points and the holes at running back and wide receiver -- left by Silas Redd and Justin Brown, respectively -- didn't appear as deep as some fans worried.
But there was one glaring deficiency, one huge area of concern that was a large reason the Lions could not pull out wins against Ohio and Virginia: The Lions just couldn't get their opponents off the field.
In both games, Penn State allowed opponents to convert on 22 of 36 (61 percent) of third downs. The statistic was especially troubling in the second half of the Ohio game, where the Lions allowed the Bearcats to convert on 11 of 12 third down opportunities.
Can Penn State use its so-called 'NASCAR' offense against a solid Ohio State defense? How will the Nittany Lions defend Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller? The Inquirer's Joe Juliano looks ahead to Saturday's game in a chat with Cinesport's Brian Clark.
It's known as the "Super Bowl of high school football," though the format has changed so many times (nine, in total) it's hard for most to keep track.
There has been an all Pennsylvania East-West format, national all-star teams, all-star teams from Texas, Ohio and Maryland.
Most recently, it has been the best prep all-stars of Pennsylvania facing the best from Ohio. Not anymore.
When they line up on the field, Gerald Hodges said he and fellow Penn State linebacker Mike Mauti are essentially the same person.
"We play with the same level of intensity and nastiness," said Hodges, the former Paulsboro standout.
Off the field? Hodges flashed a smile as he began to describe his teammate.
Join the Inquirer's Joe Juliano as he takes your Penn State football questions in a live chat, beginning Wednesday at 3 p.m.
On a mobile device? Click HERE to join the chat!
Senior defensive tackle Jordan Hill knows his time at Penn State is ticking down. That's why Saturday's game against No. 9 Ohio State -- tied with the Nittany Lions atop the Leaders Division -- is perhaps extra special for the senior.
But where does it rank in his career? "Number one," Hill said.
In a conference call Tuesday morning, Hill was candid about a couple things, including Urban Meyer, the impact Bill O'Brien has had on the Penn State program and potential transfers. Here are some notes:
If you want a tangible way to measure excitement on campus for Saturday's game against Ohio State, drive by Beaver Stadium -- Gate A, to be exact.
Yes, the game is five days away. No, that's not too early for some Penn State students.
The largest group in Nittanyville history plopped up tents on Monday night, in preparation for this week's game which features the Big Ten Leaders Division's top two teams.
So many things have changed at Penn State this season, but the nickname "Linebacker U" doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.
Senior linebackers Gerald Hodges and Mike Mauti were named semifinalists for the 2012 Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation's top linebacker.
Penn State is the only school in the country with more than one selection on the 12-player list.
It was a week of thrilling games in the Big Ten, but according to the conference two Penn State players had some of the top performances.
Senior defensive tackle Jordan Hill was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after recording a season-high nine tackles in the Nittany Lions' 38-14 win at Iowa. Two of the tackles were for loss, and he also had one sack.
What's remarkable is that Penn State has picked up four conference defensive player of the week honors in the last six weeks. Linebacker Mike Mauti has won two award while Gerald Hodges also picked up one.
This season is Joe's fourth season on the paper's Penn State beat. He previously covered the Nittany Lions for United Press International from 1976 to 1984.
Emily Kaplan is the Inquirer’s fall intern covering the Nittany Lions. She is a senior at Penn State and has covered a variety of sports for the university’s student-run paper, The Daily Collegian. Over the last two years, she has reported for The Associated Press from State College.
A Montclair, N.J. native, she has also interned at MLB Network, NHL.com and covered the 2012 Olympics in London. Follow her on Twitter here @EKaplan24.
