COLUMBUS, Ohio — Five reasons the Ohio State Buckeyes will beat the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday: 1. Field position: Urban Meyer has been raving about Ohio State’s field position lately. Not just because it’s been good. Where the Buckeyes have started their drives, compared to where their opponents have started their drives, is the largest difference in the country. Thanks to special teams and an offense that moves the ball even when it doesn’t score, the Buckeyes have tilted the field. It’s like Ohio State and its opponents are playing a different game. If that happens again Saturday, Penn State won’t be able to handle it. According to stats tracked by footballoutsiders.com, the Buckeyes rank first in both their starting field position and their opponents’ starting field position. The average Ohio State drive this season has started at the 37-yardline, leaving the Buckeyes just 63 yards from the endzone. The average OSU opponent drive has started at the 23-yardline. That’s a 14-yard difference each time the Buckeyes and the opponents touch the football. Over the course of a game and a season, that adds up. No other team in the nation has even a 10-yard average edge in field position. As for Penn State? The Nittany Lions have started on the 29-yardline on average, while their opponents have started on the 33. …
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