Ohio State doesn't have to look far for advice on how to cope with the raucous crowd it will be dealing with Saturday night at Beaver Stadium.
After all, the Buckeyes have Larry Johnson on their side.
The Ohio State defensive line coach is in his first season in Columbus, but he spent the previous 18 years before this one in Happy Valley, roaming the sidelines as an assistant for Penn State.
Saturday, however, will mark the first time Johnson will be on the opposing sideline. Hell, it'll even mark the first time he'll step foot in the visiting locker room.
"I have heard about it," Johnson said Monday of the unfriendly confides. "I've heard it's very small."
What won't be small is the crowd. Beaver Stadium, with a capacity near 108,000, has grown famous for its 'White Outs.' The stadium actually shakes when the noise level reaches a certain height.
“It’s a great student body, a great fan base and it’ll be loud," Johnson said. "... Our players (at Penn State), they went to another notch when they got to play in front of 108,000, white out those kind of things. It’ll be fun.”
Fun for the Penn State players and students, sure. But for an Ohio State offense which has a redshirt freshman quarterback and four new offensive lineman which haven't experienced a hostile road environment quite like this one yet, it may present a challenge.
"We did go on the road once, but obviously 110 (thousand) is different than 50-some," head coach Urban Meyer said. "We were there and I remember Shelley and I are both like, ‘That’s one of the top-five atmospheres we’ve ever played in.’ We can expect the same type of reception so we’ll be ready."
Over the last four games, it hasn't looked like much can slow down the Buckeyes' offense. They've averaged 56 points per game during that span and are racking up an average of 614 yards.
The primetime game will give Ohio State an opportunity to showcase its high-profile offense on a national stage.
“That’s what you try to do in these games is you wanna go out there and you wanna play your best in front of the big crowds in the big arenas in the situations where you know the lights are on," linebacker Joshua Perry said. "We’re gonna prepare as hard or harder than we have in the past for this one because we know it’s gonna be a big game and we know we’ve got a stretch run coming up.”
Added wide receiver Evan Spencer: “Primetime games are always different. Night games, it’s a great atmosphere and everybody loves playing in them, but it’s still a game. It’s a game, everybody’s gotta strap up their helmets, put on their shoulder pads and we’ve gotta go out there and take care of business.”
So how does Ohio State go about doing that in front of 108,000 screaming fans?
"The best way to block the noise out is to score points and play great defense," Johnson said with a smile.
Sounds simple enough.
