Since the beginning of the season, Penn State faithful have had Oct. 17 circled on the calendar. A double overtime loss to Ohio State at Beaver Stadium a season ago - that most felt Penn State should have won - was not an easy loss to swallow.

Another reason for the heartbreak from last season's loss was the way Penn State actually lost the game. Two crucial mistakes made by officials in the game certainly didn't aid the Nittany Lions against the Buckeyes and it certainly would be hard for me to believe that fans of the blue and white forgot about that fact. But as they say in show business, "the show must go on" and this week's Big Ten match-up between Penn State and Ohio State is a feature presentation in primetime (8 p.m. ET, ABC).Just as the Penn State crowd was loud and crazy a season ago at Beaver Stadium during the always raucous "White Out," Ohio State will be bringing its own version of that to the table this week. The Buckeyes have a "Black Out" planned and even upped the ante by unveiling all black jerseys for the players. It will be an atmosphere unlike any other the Nittany Lions will be in this season and it will be interesting to see how they handle it.Game atmosphere aside, Ohio State is the No.1 ranked team in the country for a reason. The Buckeyes have talent and experience throughout the roster and for Penn State to come away with a "W" tonight they will have to make big plays and play an almost perfect football game.The question on everybody's mind - including Urban Meyer's - is will talented true freshman running back Saquon Barkley be back this week? On Wednesday, Penn State head coach James Franklin did update the media, saying that the doctors have made a decision on whether Barkley will play or not on Saturday. He then wouldn't offer up any more information, so his status is still unknown.Barkley has been the key component to Penn State's offense when the offense has moved the ball. He's rushed for 386 yards on the season with three touchdowns. The stat that sticks out with Barkley the most is his yards per carry, which is a tad over nine yards per rush. He brings explosiveness to the running back position that teams must respect, therefore making the Penn State passing game more effective.Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg played very well a week ago, throwing for two touchdowns, while also running for a pair of scores. However, this week Penn State is not playing Indiana, they're playing the vaunted Ohio State defense. Rushing the passer (19 team sacks) is a specialty of this year's Buckeyes squad, which means the Nittany Lions offensive line will be fully tested. The offensive line has made huge strides since the opening week 10-sack debacle against Temple, and they must continue that improvement against the Buckeyes. The Nittany Lions will have to be on the lookout for standouts Joey Bosa, Raekwon McMillian, Josh Perry, Adolphus Washington, Tyquan Lewis, Darron Lee, Tommy Schutt, and Sam Hubbard. Like I said, this defense is good and has a ton of playmakers.Ohio State is giving up around 17 points per game, 152 rushing yards per game, and just 147 passing yards per game. That last statistic is where Hackenberg comes in. Ohio State has had some injuries in the secondary this season and that's where I believe they're the most vulnerable. If Hackenberg has time in the pocket, he must make some plays, and I mean game-changing plays. He has the ability, so it's time for a big time quarterback to step up in a big time situation.On defense, it's all about stopping Ezekiel Elliot. Elliot is one of the best running backs in the country, and has rushed for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season. The story going into the season was the three-headed quarterback controversy with Cardale Jones (1,158 yards passing, seven TDs, five INT, 215 Rush one TD), J.T. Barrett (219 pass, two TD, 130 Rush, three TDs), and Braxton Miller. Miller has since moved to wide receiver and Jones and Barrett have been splitting time the last few weeks. I think the two quarterback system is hurting Ohio State and its offense has been inconsistent because of it.Elliot is a guy that can hurt you with the big rush play at anytime and just when you think you may have him stifled he can break the big one. Then there's the Ohio State offensive line, which is a big and strong unit that can wear a team down. Ohio State has been much better in the second half of games this season and I think the offensive line is a big reason why.I don't know if that will necessarily be the case against Penn State because Franklin and his staff do a good job of rotating guys in. I also think that the Penn State defense is just way too talented to get worn down as well, especially with the kind-of pressure it's been able to generate on opposing offenses. Stop Elliot, get pressure on whoever the OSU quarterback is, and cause some turnovers. That game plan is certainly within the abilities of the Nittany Lions defense.If Saquon Barkley is able to go against the Buckeyes, I like this game to get very interesting. If the game was at Beaver Stadium I might even pick Penn State in the upset. However, being that the game is at the "Horseshoe" I think Ohio State definitely has the edge.Las Vegas has Penn State as a 19-point underdog. I do like the Nittany Lions to cover.My prediction is Ohio State 24, Penn State 21.