COLUMBUS - If numbers can indeed be staggering, then Penn State's offensive stats have the ability to make you stumble like that drunk with no shirt on who always wants to fight the cops.

Scan through the Nittany Lions' ledger and you'll struggle to get your footing and walk like that baby giraffe that is all of 10 minutes old. The numbers will make you feel like you are trying to keep up with the cast of Riverdance, with two left feet.

These are just staggering figures.

The Penn State team Ohio State faces here on Saturday has cleared the 40-point barrier six times this season, scored more than 50 twice and gone beyond 60 once. The Nittany Lions have 43 offensive touchdowns in eight games - Ohio State has 20, and nobody else in the Big Ten has more than 30.

"The challenges get bigger as the season goes on, and we know we have a big challenge in front of us with Penn State," Buckeyes linebacker James Laurinaitis said after Ohio State throttled Michigan State 45-7 over the weekend. "We have to keep getting better, no question about it."

With the No. 3 ranked Nittany Lions in town, it should make for a very busy evening for Laurinaitis and the other Ohio State linebackers. Laurinaitis (11 tackles), Marcus Freeman (5), and Ross Homan (9) were everywhere against the Spartans, and were in on most of Ohio State's 10 stops behind the line.

"Our defense is based on putting pressure on," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said, and Laurinaitis added that even though the linebackers got most of the stops, the pressure was spread across the field against Michigan State.

"When we're that active, and the linebackers are making that many stops, that says the guys up front are doing the job and applying pressure, and the guys behind us are playing great in coverage," Laurinaitis said. "That's this defense playing really well as a unit. That needs to continue, and improve."

Penn State brings the Big Ten's top rushing attack, which averages just over 234 yards per game, 10th best in the country. The Nittany Lions average a robust 5.8 yards per carry, and have scored 28 rushing touchdowns.

Unbeaten Penn State has the third-best passing attack in the conference, producing 247.5 yards per game. These combined strengths on offense and the balance they produce will give the Buckeyes more to handle than they've seen yet this season, with the possible exception of the early-season game at Southern California.

"Our mentality is that each Saturday we want to be the best team in the stadium," Laurinaitis said. "This team's been loose, we've been playing hard and having fun. We know we have to get out there and get after it, but we feel like we're making progress."

The Buckeyes will see the Big Ten's best red zone offense, too, since the Nittany Lions lead that category by cashing in on more than 93 percent of their trips inside the 20. On 32 of 44 such trips, Penn State has closed the deal with a touchdown.

"That's a good team and they've been putting the ball in the end zone a lot," Ohio State defensive back Anderson Russell said, looking ahead to Penn State. "It's a big challenge and it's an opportunity for us. This defense is definitely going to be challenged, and we'll have to step up and answer it."

Statistically, Ohio State has the Big Ten's second-toughest defense, allowing just 265 yards per game. The No. 1 defense in the conference - that belongs to Saturday's opponent, Penn State.

Contact Matt Markey

at mmarkey@theblade.com

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