Penn State Football: Game preview, prediction, live stream vs. Northwestern

Northwestern made Wisconsin sweat in Week 5. Will they push Penn State football to their limit when the Nittany Lions visit Evanston on Saturday?

When Penn State last traveled to Evanston two years ago, they fell 23-21 to the Wildcats in a game where the Nittany Lions were favored. The rosters are largely different this time around, though, and past scores rarely dictate future results.

James Franklin‘s team has largely steamrolled through their competition to date. But the Nittany Lions struggled to put away Iowa on the road, and their trip to Illinois might not be as easy to escape as the blowouts they have put together at home.

Northwestern had its chances to take down Wisconsin in Week 5, but a few costly mistakes proved the difference between victory and defeat. The Wildcats are now 2-2 after losing to the Badgers and Duke, and they will be hungry to get their first Big Ten victory against the defending conference champs.

Can the Wildcats generate another upset of Penn State on their home field? Or will the Nittany Lions continue their winning ways and stay in the hunt for one of the four College Football Playoff berths?

Here’s how to watch Saturday’s game between Penn State and Northwestern:

Date: Saturday, Oct. 7
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Evanston, Ill.
Venue: Ryan Field
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

Penn State found out last week that it doesn’t necessarily need Saquon Barkley to have a monster day running the ball for them to run up the score on opponents. What the Nittany Lions need more than anything against Northwestern is a balanced effort on offense. As long as they can keep moving the ball downfield against the Wildcats, there is little to suspect the hosts of being able to keep up for 60 minutes.

The Nittany Lions defense needs to make life miserable for Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson. After four games, the Wildcats are ranked 124th in the country in sacks allowed. Getting pressure on Thorson will hamper the rest of the Northwestern offense, opening the door to cover the point spread.

If Northwestern is going to pull off the upset at home, they will need to keep Saquon Barkley from reaching the endzone. That will require a Herculean effort, given the myriad ways he can take down opponents. The Wildcats can’t beat themselves with turnovers and penalties, and they will need to play a near perfect game on defense. Anything less will result in a blowout.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of Sportsbook Review

Point Spread: Penn State -14.5
Over/Under: 55

Prediction

Pat Fitzgerald does a miraculous job making Northwestern competitive in the Big Ten on an annual basis. But James Franklin has restored Penn State to the position of perennial contender rather than mere spoiler, and that difference will come into full focus on Saturday in Evanston.

Penn State’s swarming defense will indeed make life miserable for Clayton Thorson and the Northwestern offense. The Nittany Lions will get at least four sacks on the Wildcats quarterback, winning the battle of big felines at the line of scrimmage. Grant Haley is going to snag an interception as well to thwart Northwestern early in the contest.

Trace McSorley will throw for at least 250 yards and a trio of touchdowns. And Saquon Barkley won’t be held out of the endzone, as he piles up 100 yards again on the ground and catches a handful of passes. Northwestern won’t be foolish enough to kick off to him like Indiana did to start the game last week, but it ultimately won’t make a difference.

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Penn State will remain perfect as it hits the midway point of its season. The Nittany Lions will easily make it to 6-0 ahead of their bye week. Northwestern will score a late touchdown to make the final score more respectable, but the Big Ten champs will head into their showdowns with Michigan and Ohio State as the clear front-runner in the division.

Final Score: Penn State 44, Northwestern 21