In a battle of two Big Ten teams that need to be seriously redeemed, the Penn State Nittany Lions host the Wisconsin Badgers this weekend.
No. 20 Penn State had high expectations for itself this season and rightfully so. The Nittany Lions came into the year boasting a senior quarterback in Trace McSorley who was supposed to be able to keep the offense moving despite losing Saquon Barkley to the NFL and Joe Moorhead to Mississippi State.
Sure, the offense was expected to take a step back, but McSorley appeared fully capable. Against Michigan, Penn State’s offense only scored a touchdown and looked totally inept. McSorley completed 5 of 13 passes for 83 yards and threw a pick. And then, he got hurt, and Penn State went with backup Tommy Stevens. And then James Franklin switched the quarterbacks again, for some bizarre reason.
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It’s not totally clear how healthy McSorley is at the moment and it’s not totally clear as to how much McSorley will see the field against Wisconsin. Regardless of if McSorley plays significant time, the entire game, or just a minor part of it, he’ll need to truly play at a high level to get his team back on track.
Against Wisconsin, McSorley will meet a team that had high expectations for itself similar to those of Penn State. The Badgers have their own quarterback injury issues with starter Alex Hornibrook having a rough season of his own. The Nittany Lions and the Badgers are similar in that they both need redemption and this would be a solid game for either team to get it and close the season out on a high note.
How to bet on and watch Northwestern vs. Notre Dame
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 10
- Start Time: 12 p.m. ET
- Location: University Park, Pennsylvania
- Stadium: Beaver Stadium
- TV Info: ABC
- Odds: Penn State -9
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
Prediction: Penn State has appeared more explosive than Wisconsin this season, and more importantly, the Nittany Lions haven’t struggled with Rutgers. While Penn State is coming off of a rough loss to Michigan that got out of hand in a hurry, the Wisconsin Badgers have losses to BYU and Northwestern. This is a team that is having much bigger issues than just a simple blowout from Michigan. The Nittany Lions should be able to get a respectable win here.
Score: Penn State 31, Wisconsin 24