Penn State walks into Friday night with two very different layers of pressure hanging over it. There’s the obvious one: the Nittany Lions are trying to rebound from a 22-21 loss to Northwestern a year ago, the defeat that closed out James Franklin’s run as Penn State’s head coach. And then there’s the one that matters most to this version of the team - getting the offense moving after a flat showing against Wisconsin.
That backdrop makes the trip to Northwestern more than just a road game. It also comes with the first game at the Wildcats’ new Ryan Field, a nearly $900 million stadium being billed as the most expensive college stadium ever built.
Kickoff is set for just after 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
The Penn State on SI staff doesn’t see this one lining up the same way for the Nittany Lions as it did last week. One side of the prediction sheet leans on the defense keeping Penn State in the game, but not enough offensive improvement to pull out a win. Another sees the Wisconsin outing as the outlier and expects the Nittany Lions to get back on track by running the ball and getting more from quarterback Rocco Becht.
Will Horstman is not buying the Penn State offense yet. He pointed to the struggles against Wisconsin and said the road setting won’t make things any easier, even with Northwestern opening its new stadium.
In his view, the defense should keep Penn State competitive, but the offense has too many questions to trust. His pick: Northwestern 21, Penn State 17.
Mark Wogenrich sees a sharper Penn State response. He noted that the offensive showing against Wisconsin, especially from Becht, should be treated as an anomaly.
Penn State is short on explosives without Koby Howard, but Wogenrich doesn’t think the offense can be that ineffective again. He also expects James Peoples to help drive the ground game.
His pick: Penn State 27, Northwestern 14.
The defense, at least, appears to be in better shape than the offense. Tony Rojas has looked strong since returning from his ACL injury, and his line against Wisconsin - six tackles, two for loss, a sack and an interception - stood out even in defeat. Horstman said that even if Penn State loses again, it likely won’t be because of the defense, and Rojas should keep producing against the Wildcats.
Peoples is a key name to watch on the other side of the ball. Wogenrich highlighted the Ohio State transfer’s confidence and backed it up by predicting a 100-yard game at Northwestern.
Horstman also expects Peoples to take on a bigger load after Penn State used four running backs in the first quarter against Wisconsin. If the rotation tightens, Peoples should get the bulk of the carries after being the most productive rusher last week.
Penn State’s passing game has a few moving parts too. Offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser said he wants to involve the tight ends more, and Horstman expects Ben Brahmer to see more action as the offense searches for cleaner production through the air.
Wogenrich, meanwhile, pointed to Brett Eskildsen as a receiver who could finally make his mark after being slowed by injury through camp and the non-conference schedule. Eskildsen went 0-for-6 on targets against Wisconsin, but Wogenrich expects him to come through with some key catches Friday, including a deep shot.
Becht remains another central piece of the story. Wogenrich noted that accuracy has never been the headline of his career, citing a 61-percent completion rate and 19 games below that mark.
That includes the last two weeks, with a 41-percent completion rate against Wisconsin. Still, Wogenrich believes Becht is better than what he showed last week and should regain some of his rhythm.
There’s also the longer view around Penn State’s direction, even if it’s only Game 5 of Year 1. Horstman said another loss would only intensify the questions around the Campbell era, while Wogenrich described the tension of Penn State being talked about as a playoff contender again as the White Out against USC approaches.
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