No. 8 Penn State’s run to a possible Big Ten title heads to New Jersey on Saturday night, where the Nittany Lions will be big favorites against Rutgers.
Penn State vs. Rutgers 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know
The Nittany Lions are big favorites to make easy work of the Scarlet Knights.
Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Penn State has won six straight games since being blown out by Michigan, and they should be able to make it seven without too much of an issue. They overcame a tough matchup at Indiana last week, scoring 24 points in the fourth quarter to make a tough game look easier than it really was at 45-31. They’re scoring a lot of points -- over 35 per game -- and that’s been more than enough to help out a good defense that has struggled with injury issues at times this year.
The issues for Rutgers are deep and widespread. They have the second-worst scoring offense in the country at only 17.5 points per game. Their defense is the bright spot, and they’re only ranked 81st in Defensive S&P+. Their only wins are over Howard and New Mexico, and both of those games were back in September. If Rutgers were to somehow find a way to win this game, it might be the biggest upset of the year.
How to watch, stream, and listen
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
Radio: Penn State | Rutgers
Online streaming: BTN2Go
Spread: Penn State is favored by 27.5 points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Black Shoe Diaries for Penn State fans and On The Banks for Rutgers fans.
Three big things to know
1. Rutgers’ season probably reached a low point last week, when they were absolutely flattened, 49-0, by a Michigan State team that had no conference wins prior to that. The Scarlet Knights have been competitive in some games, but they are far and away the worst team in the Big Ten, and probably the worst power conference team in the country.
2. Penn State's offensive line has been something of a patchwork job all season, but they struggled against Indiana last week before exploding for 24 points in the last 16 minutes of the game, which doesn't count the defensive touchdown that sealed the win. The line will need to put forth a better effort overall, but should be good enough to spring holes for Saquon Barkley, who doesn't need much of a hole to get going anyway.
3. Penn State has had issues converting third downs this season, and has generally not been a particularly efficient offense. But they’ve made up for those shortcomings by being incredibly explosive. A matchup like this gives them a chance to work on their efficiency issues, which they’ll need to improve on if they’re going to make a run to a New Year’s Six game, or maybe even the Playoff.
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