Penn State lost this one last year. Last year, PSU played Ohio State a month later than it did this year and that loss effectively meant the end of its playoff hopes. The players called a players-only meeting, which was a very bad sign of its morale and motivation and they lost to Sparty.
This year is a way different situation. PSU's loss came a month earlier and the playoff hopes have reduced only marginally. Plus, PSU had a bye week to get over the big loss. On the flip side, all the hype about Sparty competing for the Big 10 looks out the window. The team looks dead in the water. That's why there's the chance that they're already looking ahead to the game against rival Michigan, which is on Friday. That's Sparty's Super Bowl and most important game on the schedule.
So much for intangibles...
Michigan State is a mess on offense. LJ Scott is hurting. The offensive line has been ridden with injuries and ineptitude. It sorely misses departed center Brian Allen. For all of Lewerke's mobility, Sparty ranks 69th in sack percentage. Zero run game. Four of six receivers banged up. They were desperate enough to let Darrell Stewart see action. He was totally ineffective, caught one pass for 15 yards. It's just too hard to pivot and cut with ankle issues. Penn State showed its tackling issues in the final quarter against Ohio State, but Sparty isn't showing the athleticism or schematic creativity to take advantage the way Ohio State's athletes could. Lewerke can't (only) use the injured receivers as his excuse. He's making more inaccurate passes, missing open guys, making more risky passes and overall throwing way more interceptions. Problem in general is the inability to convert red zone opportunities into touchdowns. So yeah PSU has its issues on D (missing both starting DT's, youth at linebacker, depth and competence issues in secondary) but Sparty's problems on O should at least cancel that out.
On defense, Sparty's run defense has been superb. But the secondary is a mess. From the beginning of the season, the defense has been susceptible to spread and/or up-tempo offenses. Utah State's Jordan Love shredded Sparty en route to a near-upset. Manny Wilkins put up huge numbers en route to an upset. Indiana failed, but this was very flukish. An INT in the first quarter off a tipped pass in Sparty territory. A boneheaded decision to RUN against Sparty on 4th and 1 again in Sparty territory. Ramsey also lacks the arm strength to be really effective. But he still had what was until then (after facing FIU, Ball State, and UVA) his best game of the season. Michigan State ranks 120th in opp pass yards per game!!!
Let's kind of recap that with injuries: LT Chewins still not fully healthy, LG Beedle, RG Jarvis, RT Campbell. DB Scott and his backup.
Penn State is coming off a bye and would love a huge victory of domination and it's just like James "play calling champ" Franklin to run up the score. He has the key ingredient: Trace McSorley, who shredded Sparty for 381 yards last year. He should be all the better against a Sparty minus Scott, who could defend the throw towards the sideline that McSorley can execute much better than his teammates. Rahne was built up for his OC position by Moorhead and he didn't change much from his spread, up-tempo system. Plenty of budding weapons around him, above all KJ Hamler, who will be healthy after taking a big hit vs OSU. Hamler is huge. He nearly went to Sparty so he'll be very motivated. He's also very fast. Sparty's pass coverage is very vulnerable to the big play not just because of Scott's absence, but also because of its disorganization and the way that it likes to play its safety closer to the LOS to guard against the run. Disappointing amount of drops from PSU receivers, hence Trace's lower completion percentage, gotta hope that to largely be remedied by now, but Trace is glad to depend above on Hamler and Freiermuth and hope that the other big talents step up. PSU is geared schematically and in terms of personnel to dominate Sparty.
So big problems for Sparty on O I expect to mask PSU's problems on D. A Lewerke INT can help this even more and that's not out of the question at all.
PSU can throw all over Sparty's secondary and this is where I think the big lead comes from. Plus the intangibles.
This year is a way different situation. PSU's loss came a month earlier and the playoff hopes have reduced only marginally. Plus, PSU had a bye week to get over the big loss. On the flip side, all the hype about Sparty competing for the Big 10 looks out the window. The team looks dead in the water. That's why there's the chance that they're already looking ahead to the game against rival Michigan, which is on Friday. That's Sparty's Super Bowl and most important game on the schedule.
So much for intangibles...
Michigan State is a mess on offense. LJ Scott is hurting. The offensive line has been ridden with injuries and ineptitude. It sorely misses departed center Brian Allen. For all of Lewerke's mobility, Sparty ranks 69th in sack percentage. Zero run game. Four of six receivers banged up. They were desperate enough to let Darrell Stewart see action. He was totally ineffective, caught one pass for 15 yards. It's just too hard to pivot and cut with ankle issues. Penn State showed its tackling issues in the final quarter against Ohio State, but Sparty isn't showing the athleticism or schematic creativity to take advantage the way Ohio State's athletes could. Lewerke can't (only) use the injured receivers as his excuse. He's making more inaccurate passes, missing open guys, making more risky passes and overall throwing way more interceptions. Problem in general is the inability to convert red zone opportunities into touchdowns. So yeah PSU has its issues on D (missing both starting DT's, youth at linebacker, depth and competence issues in secondary) but Sparty's problems on O should at least cancel that out.
On defense, Sparty's run defense has been superb. But the secondary is a mess. From the beginning of the season, the defense has been susceptible to spread and/or up-tempo offenses. Utah State's Jordan Love shredded Sparty en route to a near-upset. Manny Wilkins put up huge numbers en route to an upset. Indiana failed, but this was very flukish. An INT in the first quarter off a tipped pass in Sparty territory. A boneheaded decision to RUN against Sparty on 4th and 1 again in Sparty territory. Ramsey also lacks the arm strength to be really effective. But he still had what was until then (after facing FIU, Ball State, and UVA) his best game of the season. Michigan State ranks 120th in opp pass yards per game!!!
Let's kind of recap that with injuries: LT Chewins still not fully healthy, LG Beedle, RG Jarvis, RT Campbell. DB Scott and his backup.
Penn State is coming off a bye and would love a huge victory of domination and it's just like James "play calling champ" Franklin to run up the score. He has the key ingredient: Trace McSorley, who shredded Sparty for 381 yards last year. He should be all the better against a Sparty minus Scott, who could defend the throw towards the sideline that McSorley can execute much better than his teammates. Rahne was built up for his OC position by Moorhead and he didn't change much from his spread, up-tempo system. Plenty of budding weapons around him, above all KJ Hamler, who will be healthy after taking a big hit vs OSU. Hamler is huge. He nearly went to Sparty so he'll be very motivated. He's also very fast. Sparty's pass coverage is very vulnerable to the big play not just because of Scott's absence, but also because of its disorganization and the way that it likes to play its safety closer to the LOS to guard against the run. Disappointing amount of drops from PSU receivers, hence Trace's lower completion percentage, gotta hope that to largely be remedied by now, but Trace is glad to depend above on Hamler and Freiermuth and hope that the other big talents step up. PSU is geared schematically and in terms of personnel to dominate Sparty.
So big problems for Sparty on O I expect to mask PSU's problems on D. A Lewerke INT can help this even more and that's not out of the question at all.
PSU can throw all over Sparty's secondary and this is where I think the big lead comes from. Plus the intangibles.
