Ohio State plays Penn State in its second top-five game of the season on Saturday, while we’re just one day away from Halloween.

We celebrate both of those momentous occasions on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays.

Nearly our entire hour of conversation this week is centered around the Buckeyes’ trip to Happy Valley for a game with massive Big Ten championship implications for both teams, mixing in our takeaways from Ohio State’s closer-than-expected battle with Nebraska and how that shapes our perception of the Buckeyes entering their second major test of the season.

In the spirit of Halloween, our Ohio State vs. Penn State preview show also features a guest appearance from the Pop-Tarts Bowl mascot – who you may recognize as one of Eleven Warriors’ own if you listen closely – who serves as our guest picker as we close the show by making our predictions for Saturday’s game, where our toaster pastry friend serves as the tiebreaking vote in who will win the nationally anticipated contest.

An overview of what we’re talking about and when on this week’s show:

• 0:00 Intro
• 0:47 More Nerves Than Excitement in Columbus After Near-Disaster vs. Nebraska
• 5:39 Ohio State’s Offensive Line Has Re-Emerged As Its Biggest Weakness
• 10:47 Donovan Jackson Moving to Left Tackle in One Week Will Be Tough Transition for Entire OL
• 18:02 Ohio State Might Need to Lean On Passing Game with Will Howard Playing at Elite Level
• 24:09 Pass Rush Improved vs. Nebraska, But Containment Will Be Priority if Beau Pribula is PSU’s QB
• 29:14 Both Teams Could Have DE vs. OT Advantage as JT Tuimoloau Returns to Site of His Best Game
• 32:03 Ohio State Should Force Penn State to Beat It With Wide Receivers, Not Tyler Warren
• 37:17 Ryan Day Has Owned James Franklin, But Must Win This Game to Change Big-Game Narrative
• 43:16 Play of Donovan Jackson, Offensive Line Will Likely Determine Outcome of the Game
• 44:49 Jeremiah Smith, Sonny Styles Among Other X-Factors for Ohio State vs. Penn State
• 48:47 Conversation with the Pop-Tarts Bowl Mascot
• 55:39 Score Predictions for Ohio State vs. Penn State