PENN STATE (0-0; 0-0 Big Ten) vs. OHIO (0-0; 0-0 MAC)
SATURDAY, SEPT. 1, 2012, 12:06 P.M. (ET) • ESPN
BEAVER STADIUM (106,572) • UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.
TELEVISION: ESPN Dave Pasch (p-by-p), Brian Griese (analyst), Tom Rinaldi and Mark Schwarz (sideline)
TV APPEARANCES: The Nittany Lions are appearing on television for the 217th time in their last 219 games.
RADIO: Penn State Sports Network (60 stations): Steve Jones (p-by-p), Jack Ham (analyst), Loren Crispell (sideline) Local: 93.7 FM & 1450 AM; Sirius: CH 93; XM: CH 197 Ohio Radio Broadcast: Brian Fritz (play-by- play) & Tom James (analyst).
WEB: Gametracker & Audio at: GoPSUsports.com
ATTENDANCE: 100,000+
SERIES: The Nittany Lions and Bobcats are meeting for the sixth time, with Penn State leading, 5-0. The last meeting was on Nov. 16, 1974 when the Nittany Lions won, 35-16, in front of 58,700 in Beaver Stadium.
COACHES:
Bill O’Brien:
PENN STATE RECORD: 0-0, 1st year
OVERALL RECORD: Same
VS. OHIO: First Meeting
NOTABLE: Named Penn State’s 15th head football coach on Jan. 6, 2012…Former New England Patriots offensive coordinator under Bill Belichick…Coached NFL MVP Tom Brady from 2009-11.
FRANK SOLICH:
OHIO RECORD: 50-40, 8th year
OVERALL RECORD: 108-59, 14th year
VS. PENN STATE: 1-1
THIS WEEK
Penn State opens its 126th campaign, hosting Ohio University in the sixth all-time meeting between the schools. Penn State leads the all-time series, 5-0.
The Nittany Lions are starting their 20th season as members of the Big Ten Conference.
The Nittany Lions own an impressive 92-19-2 (82.3) record in the first contest of the season and 100-12-1 (88.9) in home openers overall.
O’BRIEN ERA BEGINS
Bill O’Brien was named the 15th head coach of the Penn State football program on January 6, 2012. O’Brien was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach with the New England Patriots during the 2011 season, helping the Patriots to their second Super Bowl during his five years on the coaching staff.
Like his predecessor, Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno, O’Brien graduated from Brown University, where he played linebacker and defensive end from 1990-92. O’Brien coached at Brown (1993-94), Georgia Tech (1995-2002), Maryland (2003-04) and Duke (2005-06) before joining the Patriots’ staff.
As a member of Bill Belichick’s Patriots’ staff, O’Brien coached the wide receivers in 2008 and was the quarterbacks coach his final three seasons. O’Brien was the Patriots’ offensive coordinator in 2011 and was instrumental in New England leading the AFC in scoring (32.1 ppg) and ranking No. 2 in the NFL in total offense (428.0 ypg) and passing offense (317.8 ypg) en route to winning the AFC Championship and a berth in Super Bowl XLVI.