Forget the quarterbacks from Ohio and Pennsylvania playing for Penn State and Ohio State, respectively.
Never mind the matchup of perhaps the nation’s best wide receiver against a standout defensive backfield.
Heck, as hard as it is to believe, even the blue-and-white clad coach’s dismal record against the scarlet-and-grey opponents might not matter.
Those are two interesting storylines and one frustrating struggle — for Penn State fans as well as James Franklin, who is 1-8 vs. the Buckeyes — but the real key to Saturday’s Penn State-Ohio State game, a matchup of two of the nation’s best college football teams, might come down to what happens in the broadcast booth.
Honestly, if it’s going well for Penn State, you’ll be able to hear it.
If not, well, here we go again.
With Fox Sports handling the game that means Gus Johnson on play-by-play and Joel Klatt as the analyst. They’re the network’s No. 1 team, but not really among the best in the sport.
Still, Johnson reliably offers a barometer of a game’s quality. If Johnson is hyping the action, making up nicknames and raising his voice, it’s probably a good game. If not, it’s not.
Penn State fans are familiar with that approach from the game at Illinois earlier this season. During Penn State’s only other noon game on Fox Sports this season, many felt Johnson was just going through the motions, and he did seem a few energy notches lower during that game.
This week puts Penn State in its biggest spotlight of the season.
Both ESPN’s College GameDay and Fox’s Big Nook Kickoff are on site in Columbus. That means attention and relevance for the Nittany Lions. It means the nation is watching — probably some two million people for GameDay, slightly little less for Big Noon and perhaps as many as seven million for the game itself.
Penn State has generally done well in big spots under Franklin, except, of course, against Ohio State (that 1-8 mark has been well-earned) and Michigan, where he’s been better but still only has three W’s in nine tries.
Some might try to minimize Saturday’s game, arguing that even after Ohio State the Nittany Lions still have another chance in a big game against Michigan in three weeks with that game at Beaver Stadium. That’s true, but this is a huge game for Penn State’s season and for Franklin.
His decision making, or at least decisions credited to him, will help determine the outcome.
Everyone and will be watching, with Johnson setting a tone for those watching the broadcast. While Fox’s commitment to louder-than-necessary fan and stadium noise sometimes makes it to hear its broadcasters, if Johnson gets audible over the din that’s another potential positive for Penn State.
So watch and listen. If nicknames are flying and Johnson is raving, Penn State might be winning.
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