Last year, while he was still at Vanderbilt, James Franklin received a lot of criticism from Northwestern fans for canceling a game with the Wildcats. Franklin, NU fans said, was scared to play Pat Fitzgerald’s squad, which was nationally ranked and considered a dark-horse Big Ten title contender heading into the season. A year later, the Big Ten will mandate that Franklin faces Fitzgerald this weekend, but it’s hard to imagine Franklin is too scared of that prospect right now.
How to watch Northwestern vs. Penn State: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
Two teams trending in opposite directions will meet in State College.
Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports
Since the beginning of last season, Northwestern has spiraled out of control. The Wildcats have won just two games in their past 11 tries, and those wins have come against Illinois and Western Illinois. Now at Penn State, Franklin has enjoyed a lot of early success. He’s dominated in recruiting, and he has a Nittany Lions team that just had its NCAA sanctions lifted sitting at 4-0 on the season.
It’s crazy to see how far things have come for both of these programs in the last 12 months, and Saturday’s game will be a big one for a program trending upward and another trying to get out of a downward spiral.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: Noon ET
TV: BTN
Radio: Penn State Network, Northwestern: 87.7 FM The Game, 89.3 WNUR in Chicago
Online streaming: BTN2GO
The numbers
Rankings and records: Penn State is 4-0 and receiving votes in both major polls. Northwestern is 1-2.
Vegas: Penn State opened as a 9-point favorite and is now an 10.5-point favorite.
Weather forecast: 70 and clear.
Two things at stake
Is Penn State a contender in the Big Ten East? It needs to win this game to prove that.
Northwestern is going to have a very hard time reaching bowl eligibility if it loses this game. A win might get the Wildcats back on track.
One big matchup
Northwestern offense vs. Penn State defense: Northwestern's offense is the worst among Power 5 teams, and it's been incredibly inefficient in its first three games. Something has to change for the Wildcats to have any chance in the Big Ten. This will likely be a low-scoring game, since Penn State's offense is nothing special and the Wildcats actually have a solid defense, but if NU's offense plays like it has in the first three games this season, it has almost no chance to keep up with Christian Hackenberg and Penn State. This matchup will decide the game. If the NU offense improves, it has a chance to pull the upset. If it's as bad as expected, the PSU defense should lead its team to an easy win.
Further reading
Read Black Shoe Diaries for more on Penn State and InsideNU for more on Northwestern.
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