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A Big Ten battle is on tap between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Michigan State Spartans at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Last year, Penn State and MSU were perfect equals, playing to nothing to nothing and nothing to nothing draws.
You're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter, and that's exactly how it played out for the Nittany Lions last week. They steamrolled past the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 55-10 on the road. The matchup was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point Penn State had established a 48-10 advantage. Their RB Kaytron Allen did his thing and rushed for one TD and 117 yards on 11 carries. Allen's longest run was for 59 yards in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, MSU fought the good fight in their overtime contest against the Indiana Hoosiers last week but wound up with a less-than-desirable result, falling 39-31. MSU was up 24-7 at the end of the half but couldn't hold on to the lead. RB Elijah Collins put forth a good effort for the losing side as he rushed for two TDs and 107 yards on 19 carries. That nimble footwork stands out as the first time Collins has hit the 100-yard rushing mark this season. Collins' sharp performance also set his single-game rushing touchdown high for the season.
The Nittany Lions are the favorite in this one, with an expected 19-point margin of victory. They have been consistent moneymakers against the spread when favored (5-2), so they might be worth a quick bet.
Penn State's win brought them up to 9-2 while the Spartans' loss pulled them down to 5-6. A pair of stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Penn State comes into the game boasting the seventh fewest passing touchdowns allowed in the nation at nine. But MSU enters the contest with 22 passing touchdowns, good for 35th best in the nation. We'll see which of these strengths -- offense or defense -- will win out.
