Penn State Football: 3 bold predictions vs. Georgia State

1. The starters only play during the first half

Penn State is set to open its Week 3 home game against the Georgia State Panthers a 38.5-point favorite.

This is the largest point spread favoring a Nittany Lions team since 2007, when the squad faced off against Florida International in the team’s week one home opener.

And while it’s important for Penn State to continue to put up big numbers on lesser ranked teams, it’s also important to ensure the team remains healthy as they travel to Iowa the following week to being Big Ten play.

Which is why head coach James Franklin shouldn’t play his starters for the entirety of the team’s Week 3 game.

Penn State has a relatively veteran squad, with only one first-year starter on offensive side of the ball, and five on defense, but the team is absolutely stacked with young players eager to make a name for themselves, and establish a role for themselves on the field.

Related Story: Big Ten Football: 5 biggest potential upsets of the 2017 season

Once the game is firmly in put away, James Franklin could use the remainder of regulation to give young players like Tommy Stevens, Miles Sanders and Juwan Jones an extended on-field audition.

This strategy could help to acclimate new players into the team with live snaps.

While Penn State’s offense has been one of the best in all of college football, they do have some areas of concern, like inconsistent quarterback play, less than ideal tight end depth and no player firmly cemented into the roll out of Penn State’s No. 2 running back behind Saquon Barkley

On defense Penn State could use the extra snaps to incorporate younger players into the defensive rotation, whether it be on the defensive line, at linebacker, or in the defensive secondary.

When a team runs a high-powered, quick strike offense similar to the one deployed by offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, it forces the team defense to play extended snaps, and be on the field longer, so having a quality rotation across the board is essential to maintaining a fresh, athletic defense.

Next: Penn State Football: 5 overreactions from win over Pitt

As Penn State looks ahead to the team’s week four bout against a tough Iowa squad, week three could be a prime opportunity for fans to get a sneak preview of the next class of Nittany Lions.