After a grueling weekend without Ohio State football, it is finally time to start talking about the Buckeyes hitting the field again for the big finale to the season. We are all familiar with the stakes of the final three games… well, just in case you’re not, a Big Ten title and BCS bowl bid will be on the line each Saturday.

If that weren’t enough for you, fans get to anticipate the excitement of playing our most competitive opponent (at least in the last few years) this weekend, a killer challenge at Iowa next weekend, and the best rivalry in sports to top it all off in three weeks.

It will be a thrilling and dramatic end to the regular season, and if Ohio State can secure three victories, a very happy one.

As usual, I am getting ahead of myself by looking at all three games right now, so once again be thankful that I am not in charge of keeping the team focused one game at a time.

Let’s look at Penn State.

My wondering mind aside, the Penn State game is an anticipated challenge if for nothing other than the recent history between the two teams. Getting prepared and staying focused on the task at hand shouldn’t be difficult thanks to the bad blood between the teams, regardless of the other circumstances surrounding the game.

The Lions came away with a victory in their last trip to the ‘Shoe, a point which is still fresh in many fans’ and players’ minds.  While a certain level of revenge was exacted with last years win at Happy Valley, the Buckeyes will be looking to emphasize the point by kicking some Nittany ass in front of a raucous  home crowd.

In addition to the general “protect this house” motivation for the team and the fans, Terrelle Pryor will have some extra incentive to bring his ‘A’ game as well. In the loss two years ago, Pryor literally fumbled the game away, a point which Penn State fans are not shy about reminding him. That hubris came back to bite Penn State fans last season, and there are plenty of reasons to believe the results will be the same this year, particularly if Pryor and the rest of the team are motivated and on their game.

In a nod to the recent excitement of the series, College GameDay will be setting up shop in Columbus this weekend. This ramps up the hype and anticipation for the game and also highlights the poor slate of college football games on Saturday.

Despite the presence of College GameDay, the match up is lacking just a bit on the excitement meter thanks mostly to Penn State’s lackluster performances so far this season. The lions come into the game with a 6-3 record, a less than ideal situation at quarterback (former walk on red shirt freshman making his second start), an under performing running back, and a defense that has been hit by injuries and is not at its usual standard of excellence.

Penn State has been looking better in recent weeks, but that was at home against “11 guys off the street could play better defense than us” Michigan and Northwestern, who managed to go up 21-0 in the first half before crumbling.

There are plenty of reasons for Buckeye optimism going into the game, and a few for pessimism, so here are some bullet points!

Optimism

• Ohio State is better than Penn State and should win as long as they are focused and fired up.
• Playing at home plus the recent history of the series should result in motivation and focus from the Buckeyes.
• Ohio State has had a bye week to get healthy and prepare.
• Ross Homan returns with his leadership and play making ability on defense.
• Cameron Heyward had his biggest game of the year against Penn State last season. Here’s to a repeat performance.
• Penn State’s quarterbacks are young and inexperienced and are playing on the road.  Any potential weakness in Ohio State’s secondary will be difficult for them to exploit.
• Evan Royster hasn’t had a good performance against a solid defense all season.
• Joe Paterno reached 400 wins last weekend, the motivation for the team to get 401 probably isn’t as strong.
• If there is any team that is more up tight and uncreative in big games than Ohio State, it is Penn State.

Pessimism

• Ohio State hasn’t preformed well after bye weeks under Jim Tressel.
• Penn State has looked much better in recent weeks.
• Ohio State’s secondary is injured and inexperienced.
• The natural pessimism that comes with being a Buckeye fan and knowing that anything could happen any week.

Clearly there are plenty of things to feel good about this game, and most of the pessimism can be balanced by something to be optimistic about (inexperienced OSU secondary, inexperienced PSU quarterbacks). The main worry is that anything could happen, particularly if Ohio State comes out flat.

The bottom line is that if the Buckeyes show up focused and fired up on Saturday, there is no reason they can’t come away with a convincing victory.