Penn State football: 3 bold predictions vs. Northwestern in Week 5

3. Penn State wins yet another turnover battle

This might not be the boldest of predictions, but it’s easy to see why it is going to happen. Penn State leads the nation in turnover margin both because they are still the only team that has not coughed up the ball yet, and because every level of the defense can take it away from the opponent.

Penn State will be able to win on both sides of the trenches in this game, the offensive line will protect Drew Allar, keeping the composed young quarterback from committing his first turnover of the year.

On the defensive side, with the Nittany Lions likely to be up big in this one, the pass rush group of defensive ends Adisa Isaac, Dani-Dennis Sutton, Chop Robinson, and linebackers like Curtis Jacobs and Abdul Carter will get into the backfield, and force a couple of fumbles.

A deep rotation of corners and safeties will get their share of chances to pick off a pass from Northwestern signal-caller Ben Bryant, who will be forced to take some risks in this game. CB1 Kalen King will jump a route and intercept his first pass this year, and even if he doesn’t, one of Penn State’s ball-hawking safeties will.

Penn State is again looking at a 3-0 turnover battle win, if not better.