Ethan Grunkemeyer suiting up for Penn State against Ohio State is a major homecoming moment for the 20-year-old. After Drew Allar’s season-ending injury, the Lions opened the door for Grunkemeyer to step up with the starting role. The redshirt freshman struggled during his first start against Iowa, where he had two interceptions and zero touchdowns. But the Week 10 clash against the Buckeyes? It’s a pure full-circle moment.

Growing up in Lewis Center, Ohio, Grunkemeyer spent Saturdays decked out in scarlet and gray, dreaming of one day playing in the Horseshoe. But he never imagined he’d be taking the field as the starting quarterback for Penn State, not his childhood Buckeyes. “Since I was a kid, I dreamed about playing in that stadium,” Ethan told sports reporter Kellyanne Stitts. “So it’s going to be cool to go back home and be able to have the chance to do that.” The best part? Both of Ethan’s moms are OSU alums.

Megan used to play women’s basketball at Ohio State and even snagged a Big Ten Scholar-Athlete Award. She later teamed up with former Buckeye football player Ryan Miller to start m2 marketing in Columbus. Heather, on the other hand, also went to OSU. They’d always take Ethan and his little brother to a ton of games.

Grunkemeyer himself used to recreate college football moments with pylons in the living room, turning every game into an event. So there’s no way one can blame him for his unbelievable fandom for that place. The twist? Ohio State never offered him a scholarship, despite him being a star at Olentangy High School.

He threw for a school-record 8,401 yards and 80 touchdowns. That’s why his intense drive makes him mentally ready to face the very team he grew up obsessed with. “I told people when they were asking about Ethan as a recruit, like, what type of kid is he?” Olentangy head football coach, Wade Bartholomew, mentioned. “I said, Well, Ethan will be prepared. He’s made us super proud.” Back in 2023, plenty of schools went after Ethan during his recruitment. Big programs like Virginia, Boston College, and Clemson put in serious effort to land the 4-star quarterback.

But it was Penn State’s former offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich who left the biggest impression, alongside interactions with former coach James Franklin. On top of that, OSU’s negligence toward him, even though he lived 25 minutes away from the show, made PSU’s offer much sweeter. Sure, Ethan is still learning the bits of a power 4 signal caller; his predecessor, Drew Allar, made the transition for him even smoother. “He’s been super helpful so far, just kind of talking about what they do on defense and what he sees. We’ve talked back and forth on that end,” Ethan Grunkemeyer said of Allar.

Why OSU is the heavy favorite?

The odds at the Horseshoe are a lot one-sided. The Buckeyes enter this matchup with a clean 7-0 record, and the Nittany Lions just faced a coaching carousel because of their 3-4 momentum. Ohio State’s defense is the real story here. Matt Patricia’s unit is number one in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 5.9 points per game, and giving up under 217 yards overall.

The OSU QB, Julian Sayin, has been surgical this season. The 20-year-old harvested 1,872 yards and 19 TDs with just 3 turnovers, leading a QB rotation that’s arguably the best in college football. But OSU’s rushing game has been inconsistent. The Buckeyes have just averaged 3.8 yards per carry, which could give Penn State chances to keep it close. On the other side, the Nittany Lions’ offense struggles through the air, ranking just 110th nationally.

The Lions’ ground game, led by Kaytron Allen, is solid, but their defense ranks 92nd against the run. As for points lean, the oddsmakers favor Ohio State heavily as an 18.5-point favorite. And the match total is set at 44.5 points. Ohio State is most likely to snag a victory with the college football HQ projecting a 31-17 final score. But the main worry is about Drew Allar being absent. Terry Smith surely showed his faith in Ethan Grunkmeyer. But this is the No.1 Buckeyes we are talking about.