Allow me to present three obvious statements: Grass is green, the sky is blue, and Chase Young is pretty good at this football thing.

Even after missing two games due to suspension, the 6’5″, 265-pound defensive end still leads the nation with 1.69 sacks per game. He’s also second in the nation with 13.5 sacks this year. Penn State fans also know him well for his game-sealing play in last season’s heartbreaking loss to the Buckeyes.

Young’s talent and pure athleticism are well-known around the country, which is why he was considered a Heisman contender for much of the early part of the 2019 season. Penn State head coach James Franklin is also well-aware of Young’s ability to wreak havoc on an offense.

“Obviously, Chase is going to make plays. That’s going to happen. We need to limit the impact that he has in the game,” Franklin said. “They’re smart, because if you leave him at the same position the entire game, it allows you to have a plan and know where he’s going to be with a lot more confidence. When you move him around, it makes things a little bit more challenging.”

Franklin added that Penn State will need to know where Young is on every play. This is definitely a smart tactic to take, especially considering the defensive end finished with six total tackles (including the game-winner you just watched) and two sacks during the Nittany Lions’ last encounter with the Buckeyes. He also added two pass deflections and two hurries on Trace McSorley on the night.

Despite the gaudy numbers, Franklin is confident in his offensive line to do enough to slow down Young and the rest of Ohio State’s defensive line. He mentioned Will Fries and Des Holmes as two players who will play key roles at tackle, as well as the rest of the offensive line, which will need to play as a cohesive unit on Saturday.

“There’s that fine line that you want to make sure those five guys build enough chemistry working together, because they’re not five independent contractors,” Franklin said. “They’re one unit that needs to work together and be on the same page.”

As a tight end, Pat Freiermuth will also deal with Young quite a bit during Saturday’s game. He had high praise for the defensive end at his media availability Tuesday.

“I probably haven’t seen — when watching film — another dude like Chase Young,” Freiermuth said. “[He’s] a great player. He just jumps out because he’s so physically dominant. They like to move him around a little bit, kind of put him in mismatches. We just got to be on our A-game, identify him wherever he is on the field just so he can’t wreck our game plan.”

Freiermuth and the offensive line will certainly have their hands full with Young, but the rest of Ohio State’s roster isn’t too shabby, either. The Buckeyes currently have the top-scoring offense in the country and give up the fewest points per game. Franklin knows the Nittany Lions will need to stop their playmakers on both sides of the ball, as they are clearly one of, if not the best top-to-bottom team in the country.

“For us to sit here and expect that Ohio State isn’t going to make plays on Saturday, they’re going to,” Franklin said. “Don’t be shocked by that. I’m not just talking to you guys. I’m talking to my team. That’s going to be my message to the team. They’re going to make plays, and we have to match them.”