Our staff’s predictions for Saturday’s game between PSU and Rutgers are here.
Mike Asti: Rutgers has only scored 20 or more points three times against FBS competition.
It’s only won one Big Ten game in seven tries. This shouldn’t be a tough day for the Nittany Lions.
Penn State needs to flex its muscles.
PSU 46, Rutgers 10
Brandon Walker: Penn State is going to be facing a team that will be fighting to stay bowl eligible. It’s senior day at Rutgers. Penn State will face a good effort from the Scarlet Knights early, but talent will come through for Penn State at the end, and it will dominate the second quarter. My bold predictions are that Penn State will have two defensive touchdowns Saturday and that not only will we see Drew Allar at QB, but we’ll also see Christian Vealliux at some point toward the end of the game. Penn State’s freshman class will get some valuable playing time in this one. Rutgers hasn’t scored more than 10 points in a conference matchup. I’ll be nice and say Rutgers backdoors its way to double-digits.
Penn State 41, Rutgers 10
Jarrod Prugar: Unfortunately, Will Levis won’t be rushing the ball 17 times this time. Fortunately, Penn State shouldn’t have any issues against Rutgers.
Penn State 48, Rutgers 10
Joe Smeltzer: For whatever reason— weather, sickness, a draining game the previous week— Penn State never seems to get up for Rutgers. Yes, Penn State is 8-0 in the series since the Scarlet Knights started playing in the Big Ten in 2014.
Sure, seven of those wins have been by two scores or more, and five have been by three or more. But Penn State just never seems to wax Rutgers from the get-go the way it waxed Maryland from the get-go last week. Leading into this game, I thought this would be the year Penn State bucks that trend and curb-stomps Rutgers by 40 or so.
That might still happen. The talent gap is large enough for Penn State to throttle Rutgers. But my gut tells me it will be closer than some think.
Won’t be that close, tho.
Penn State 33, Rutgers 10
