We may see some #Sackenberg this Saturday at Ryan Field. Penn State football is more than QB Christian Hackenberg, but as he goes, usually, so go the Nittany Lions. He started slow in the first two games, but has really heated up in the six games since then. For the first time under James Franklin, he’s living up to the scouting/NFL Draft hype.
Hack is starting to look like the QB he was under Bill O’Brien again.
Still, if you’re a Penn State football fan, you probably shouldn’t like this match-up a ton. Northwestern Defensive End Dean Lowry is a monster, and he has friends who are also monstrous. The NU D-line could the PSU front hell to pay.
By the way here’s a very interesting Big Ten football fact that was unearthed this week:
The last time the @bigten had three 8-0 football teams was 1903, and they were University of Chicago, Minnesota and Northwestern
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) November 2, 2015
“University of Chicago Maroons Football: Hyde Park’s Big Ten Team”
TV: ESPNU 11 am
SPREAD: Northwestern -2 1/2
Northwestern Wildcats Preview: Unranked in the polls, Northwestern is 6-2 on the season; and in accomplishing that clinched a berth in the 2015 postseason. After back-to-back 5-7 seasons, and therefore winters of discontent, Northwestern football Coach Pat Fitzgerald could certainly use a postseason that includes a nice holiday getaway and the fifteen extra practices.
“Six is not destination, we didn’t talk in camp about let’s get to six wins,” Fitzgerald said after the win at Nebraska.
Obviously, we won’t know until December 7th where they’ll actually be headed, but with a final tally of 7-9 wins likely in the cards, you can put a whole host of destinations on the table.
The Outback, Holiday, Foster Farms and Heart of Dallas are among the many possibilities.
While NU is unranked in the polls, they are actually ranked in the one poll that actually does matter- the college football playoff rankings. The first CFB Playoff rankings of the season were released last night and Northwestern checks in at #21. Only four Big Ten teams made the cut and NU was one of them.
This prompted a malcontent reaction from Joey Galloway, who described the Wildcats has the most overrated team in the rankings. Here’s more on that.
Penn State football Preview:
Now that the Houston Texans have cut Ryan Mallett, and Bill O’Brien will be drafting at a decent position because his team is still horrible, well, you know where I’m going with this. You can’t talk about Hack without talking NFL Draft stock. Mark it in your NFL mock draft now.
The Nittany Lions offensive line has improved since the early season, but they’ll have a tough task this Saturday.
Defensively, Anthony Zettel is the pro potential guy but Carl Nassib is the DL who has broken out this season.
Nassib has sprung onto the national scene this year and leads FBS in sacks (13.5), tackles for loss (17.5) and forced fumbles (5). He has recorded a sack in each game this season and five multi-sack games. Nassib’s 13.5 sacks this season are the most by a Nittany Lion since Michael Haynes tied Larry Kubin’s school record of 15 sacks in 2002.
Prediction: Northwestern 17, Penn State football 10
Pat Fitzgerald is 3-0 against James Franklin. He simply has his number. When it comes to the meat and potatoes of this game, I just see the NU DL working the PSU OL over and over again.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and sometimes writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. The website is also featured on News Now.
Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye. He also appears regularly on numerous talk shows all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 The Zone.
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