They are the only undefeated teams remaining in the Big Ten East and they collide in a matchup of high scoring, Top 10 teams as the No. 4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0) head to Happy Valley to take on the No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions (4-0) on Saturday night.
The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on ABC. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including ABC (live in select markets, but even if it isn’t included in your market, you’ll be able to watch the game on the ESPN digital platforms with your Hulu credentials).
You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and if ABC is live in your market, you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app. If ABC isn’t live in your market, scroll down to the “ESPN Platforms” section to see where you can watch.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
Although ABC isn’t technically part of the Sling TV package, you can sign up for a free 7-day trial of the “Sling Orange” bundle, which includes ESPN3, and you’ll then be able to watch a live stream of the game on the ESPN digital platforms (see next section).
ESPN Platforms
You can watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. Games on ABC (labeled as ESPN3) can be watched for free without cable if you have a participating internet service provider (ISP), but even if you don’t have a participating ISP, you can still sign use your Hulu or Sling TV (or other cable TV) credentials to sign in and watch the game on the ESPN digital platforms.
Preview
Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa is out for an extended period of time, which is a huge blow to the Buckeyes defense. Bosa originally suffered an abdominal injury in the Buckeyes’ 40-28 win against TCU on September 15. He opted to have surgery last week, and head coach Urban Meyer revealed the 2017 All-American selection reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year will be out a few more weeks – right now November is reportedly the target date for Bosa’s return.
The Bosa-less Ohio State defense will have a difficult time corralling the combination of senior quarterback Trace McSorley and junior running back Miles Sanders.
McSorley has passed for 763 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions; he also has 235 rushing yards – becoming the first quarterback in school history to eclipse 1,000 career rushing yards – and six touchdowns. Sanders has filled in for the departed Saquon Barkley nicely with 495 rushing yards and five touchdowns (including 56 yards on seven receptions).
In order for Ohio State to beat Penn State, head coach Urban Meyer and company will need a strong performance from quarterback Dwayne Haskins. The sophomore has completed a highly efficient 75.7% of his passes this season for 1,194 yards, 16 touchdowns (28 rushing yards, TD) and one interception.
Meyer has taken notice of Haskins’ ability, and reiterated an important message to him after last week’s win against Tulane.
“I was driving home after the game. I called (Haskins) just with that message to stay focused. And we’ve had some pretty high-profile guys around here and I’ve seen it. One thing about Columbus, Ohio, is this is the show and they become bigger than life, but he’s a very humble guy.”
A win in Beaver Stadium would help elevate Haskins to the front of the Heisman Trophy conversation.