Penn State may be the best team on Ohio State's schedule this year. It was in 1996 when the Nittany Lions visited Ohio Stadium and left with a 38-7 beatdown.
Expectations were as sky-high for the Buckeyes in 1996 as they were for the Buckeyes this year, notwithstanding the Week 2 loss to Oklahoma. The Buckeyes began 1996 as the No. 10 team in the country but quickly signaled they were poised for another run to glory when they opened with demolitions of Rice (70-7) and Pittsburgh (72-0). Proving its worth in South Bend was even more impressive as the Buckeyes suffocated "golden boy" Ron Powlus en route to a 29-16 win.