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Penn State-Purdue: What the Nittany Lions Have Going for, Against Them + Prediction

COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 30: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions looks on during the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on October 30, 2021.(Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire)

Another football season is here, and Penn State could have gotten an easier Week 1 draw.

Instead of hosting an overmatched mid-major school on a Saturday afternoon, Penn State is playing on the road at night against a Big Ten team that won nine games last season.

After going 11-11 over its past two seasons, a Week 1 loss would be disastrous for coach James Franklin and Penn State. But a win over a respectable conference foe on the road would be a solid way to start 2022.

Here is what Penn State has going for and against it heading into Thursday nightโ€™s game with Purdue.

WHAT PENN STATE HAS GOING FOR IT

Penn State is favored on the road for a reason.

Purdue is a long way from the dumpster fire that it was before Jeff Brohm took over as head coach after the 2016 season. The Boilermakers went 9-4 last season and capped off the year with a thrilling overtime win over Tennessee in the Music City Bowl.

But the Boilers are losing a lot from last yearโ€™s squad. Itโ€™s best players on each side of the ballโ€” receiver David Bell and defensive end George Karlaftisโ€” are in the NFL now, and those were two of the best players in the Big Ten, let alone just on Purdueโ€™s team.

Along with losing Bell, Purdueโ€™s receiving corps got another gut punch over the summer when Milton Wright, who would have been the teamโ€™s leading returning receiver, got kicked off the team for not meeting academic standards.

Oโ€™Connell is a fine quarterback, and Purdueโ€™s passing game will probably always be a strength as long as Jeff Brohm is the head coach and his brother Brian is the offensive coordinator.

But Penn Stateโ€™s secondary, led by safety Jiโ€™Ayir Brown and cornerback Joey Porter Jr., could well be the strength of its defense, so Penn State is suited to handle what Purdue does best.

WHAT PENN STATE HAS GOING AGAINST IT

For one, Penn State is 11-11 over the past two seasons (in case youโ€™ve didnโ€™t know) so rarely, if ever, should a Big Ten road game been seen as a guaranteed win.

Another concern is the quarterback position. If Sean Clifford plays as well as he did before he got hurt against Iowa last October, then he could be just as good as Oโ€™Connell, if not better.

But he plays more like he did after the injury, Purdue has the edge at the gameโ€™s most important position.

Also, because itโ€™s Week 1, we donโ€™t know if Penn State has solved its issues from last season.

Is the offensive line better?

Will the three tight ends meet expectations?

How good will Clifford be?

Can Penn State run the ball?

How will Penn State adjust to Manny Diazโ€™s defense right away?

None of those questions have answers yet, and Purdue is good enough to where, if the answers (at least right now) are ones that wouldnโ€™t please Penn State fans, that could lead to an 0-1 start.

PREDICTION

Penn State has its work cut out for it, but I think it starts 1-0, and thatโ€™s because I think this team is better than last years.

I believe Clifford is a good quarterback (not great, but good enough to win). I believe Penn Stateโ€™s offensive line and running game will be much better. I donโ€™t see the defense struggling to get used to Diaz.

Purdueโ€™s good, and if these teams met Week 8 instead of Week 1, I think that would better suit a Boilers team that is inexperienced in some eras.

But the game will be played Week 1, and to me, thatโ€™s another thing that favors Penn State.

PENN STATE 31, PURDUE 21

 

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