Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Penn State: 5 storylines to watch

»TV GUIDE: Where to watch the games this weekend

The Wayne grad Landers won't be the only Ohio State player sporting a new look at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Ohio Stadium. The No. 6 Buckeyes (6-1, 4-0) will wear alternate uniforms for their showdown with No. 2 Penn State (7-0, 4-0). Here's a look at that storyline and four others that stand out in what will be one of the biggest games of the Urban Meyer era:

1. Grey and black: Ohio State's Nike uniforms feature a touch of scarlet in the helmet stickers and in the LeBron James Soldier XI cleats, but they are overwhelmingly grey.

“I like them,” Sprinkle said. “They bring a little energy to the game. Sometimes if you feel good, you play good. I hope that’s what we do on Saturday.”

Ohio State’s students, meanwhile, are urging fans to wear black to the game and “Blackout the Shoe.” Penn State fans held a “whiteout” last season against Ohio State.

2. Weather forecast: As of Thursday, the forecast called for a high of 45 on Saturday in Columbus with a 90 percent chance of rain. However, the rain is supposed to stop by noon.

Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson has tried to prepare his players for all conditions. He said it was a good sign the passing game thrived in the wind at Nebraska. The team practiced outside Tuesday.

“I was kind of hoping it might ran a bit,” Wilson said, “but the rain blew out of here.”

3. Stopping Barkley: Penn State's Heisman candidate, running back Saquon Barkley, can take over a game with rushes, catches or returns. He leads the nation in all-purpose yards (211.1 yards per game). He had 194 yards on 26 carries in 2015 in his first trip to Columbus.

“He’s a rare back,” Sprinkle said. “He cuts it back a lot. He makes a lot of people miss. We just know we have to rally to the ball.”

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4. New Buckeyes: Ohio State has averaged 53.2 points in its five-game winning streak. This game will show whether the offense, in particular quarterback J.T. Barrett and the passing game, has made real strides since the 31-16 loss to Oklahoma or whether it has feasted on inferior opponents.

“I keep using the term realistic,” Meyer said. “You’re facing the No. 1 defense in America. It’s going to be a little different than playing some of the teams we just played. This is a real one. But we’re very balanced right now. J.T. (Barrett) is throwing at a very efficient clip, and his timing with receivers is very good. Losing (right guard) Branden Bowen was a little bit of a thump to us, but Demetrius Knox played very well.”

5. Big advantage: Penn State had a open date the week before it played Michigan and won 42-13 last weekend. Penn State was also off the weekend before it played Ohio State at home last season and won 24-21.

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Now the Buckeyes hold that edge, having not played since routing Nebraska 56-14 on the road on Oct. 14.

“I think it helps a lot,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “There’s no doubt about it. You just have more time for everything: more time to recover, more time to get healthy, more time to watch film and plan. It’s valuable. I think it’s probably the most valuable thing we have on this Earth is time and a bye week creates that. So yeah, it helped us last week, and it’s going to help them this week.”