Click here to subscribe today or Login.
For the fourth straight season, Penn State and Ohio State will be playing under the lights.
This fall’s primetime college football schedule continues to be unveiled with the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes’ Oct. 17 meeting in Columbus set for 8 p.m. The game will air on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2.
The rivals played one of the more memorable games of the 2014 season at night at Beaver Stadium as the Lions erased a 17-point halftime deficit to force overtime. The eventual national champion Buckeyes won 31-24 in double overtime.
Penn State’s last trip to The Horseshoe was also in primetime, but there was little drama in that contest as Ohio State cruised to a 63-14 win.
It’s the second late kickoff for the Lions in 2015. Penn State’s Big Ten opener against Rutgers on Sept. 19 at Beaver Stadium will be a night game. Big Ten Network will carry the game against the Scarlet Knights with the exact kickoff time to be announced later.
Back to the Bronx
Nearly four months to the day of his last trip to Yankee Stadium, James Franklin will be back on the field there next week.
Penn State’s coach will throw out the first pitch for the Yankees game against Tampa Bay at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday.
The event is tied into last season’s Pinstripe Bowl, which Penn State won in late December by edging Boston College 31-30 in overtime.
“It’s such an awesome opportunity to throw out the first pitch and take in a Yankees game at such an iconic stadium,” Franklin said in a statement. “The Yankees staff was great to work with and hosted a first-class event in the Pinstripe Bowl. The experience our student-athletes, coaches and staff had at Yankee Stadium in December was second to none.
“I am looking forward to taking the mound, maybe I will try to get some pitching advice from Masahiro Tanaka or Michael Pineda.”
Watch list for Zettel
Defensive tackle Anthony Zettel was Penn State’s most disruptive defender as a junior. That reputation has already earned him the first of what’s sure to be many preseason recognitions ahead of his senior season.
Zettel was named to the watch list for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, given to the nation’s top defensive player for his influence on and off the field.
The criteria for the award include athletic ability and character attributes, with more weight given to character over football accomplishments. Zettel, who led the Lions in sacks, tackles for loss and interceptions last year, also contributed to the team’s record total hours of community service in 2014.