Penn State at Michigan State
Penn State by 3.5*
|
Name (Season Prediction) |
W |
L |
W |
L |
| Mark Harrington (11-2) |
8 |
3 |
9 |
2 |
| Tom Hoffman (12-1) |
7 |
4 |
9 |
2 |
| Rob Riva (10-3) |
7 |
4 |
8 |
3 |
| Scott Cole (11-2) |
7 |
4 |
8 |
3 |
| Mark Brennan (11-2) |
6 |
5 |
9 |
2 |
| Nirav Dalal (10-3) |
6 |
5 |
9 |
2 |
| Jamie Trescavage (11-2) |
6 |
5 |
9 |
2 |
| Tom McLaughlin (12-1) |
6 |
5 |
9 |
2 |
| Keith Conlin (12-1) |
5 |
6 |
9 |
2 |
| Scott Neal (11-2) |
5 |
6 |
8 |
3 |
| Cory James (12-1) |
5 |
6 |
8 |
3 |
| Baseline |
Monday Line* |
Straight Up |
Mark Brennan, mxbscout
This Week’s Game:
Michigan State 24, Penn State 21
The Lions have been playing with fire while facing inferior opponents all year and I think it bites them in East Lansing. MSU is not a great team but a good one, and the Spartans will be bent on revenge after last season’s beat-down in Happy Valley. This is always a tough road trip for Penn State.
Player To Watch:
Andrew Quarless. His last visit to MSU was a disaster. He responds with a fine game this time around.
Last Week:
Penn State 34, Indiana 14. PTW: Offensive Line
Regular Season Prediction:
11-2
I see one road hiccup, either at Illinois or Michigan State. And the past few years, the Lions have dropped at least one game they seemed a lock to win. Too many question marks on the O-line and in the secondary to predict a national title run.
Scott Cole, Psu96
This Week’s Game:
Penn State 31, Michigan State 24
This game always seems to turn into a shootout when the teams play at East Lansing. This game should be no exception as the Spartan offense can put up a lot of passing yards and points. The Lion defense will have to force field goals in the red zone and hope the offense has enough success running the ball to eat up yards and clock.
Player To Watch:
Navorro Bowman. This will probably be Bowman's final regular season game in a Penn State uniform and I think he will make a big defensive play in the 2nd half to salt away the victory.
Last Week:
Penn State 37, Indiana 17. PTW: Darryl Clark
Regular Season Prediction:
11-2
I expect this team to win the Big Ten title for a second consecutive year. Illinois appears the likeliest candidate for the lone regular season loss to me although a loss to Ohio State is certainly not out of the question. That would put Penn State back in a BCS bowl game against a national power, and I'm just not sold that the revamped secondary will be able to handle the likes of Texas, Florida or USC.
Keith Conlin
This Week’s Game:
Penn State 28, Michigan State 25
Par for the course with this rivalry, it’ll be a tough contest that Penn State comes back to win. I have been involved in some crazy games out in East Lansing, and I’m sure this will be no different. I expect the Spartans to jump out to an early lead and the Lions to storm back to win late.
Player To Watch:
Andrew Quarless. He’ll come up big in his final regular-season game. Look for plenty of catches, including a score to clinch the victory.
Last Week:
Penn State 37, Indiana 17. PTW: Derek Moye
Regular Season Prediction:
12-1
Penn State drops one game, either to Ohio State or at Michigan State. There is a three-way tie for the conference title among those teams, with the Spartans going to the Rose Bowl and the Lions landing in the Orange. Daryll Clark is named Big Ten POY, while Odrick, Lee, Bowman and Wiz all become All-Americans. Odrick ends up as a top 10 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Nirav Dalal, PlaybookNirav
This Week’s Game:
Michigan State 30, Penn State 24
What has really baffled me is how the offensive play calling has changed since the Michigan game. I don’t believe that they will get into the rhythm necessary to beat the Spartans. The Spartans are too strong in the passing game and their Special Teams are the best in the conference. That all spells disaster for Penn State. PSU should start making plans for the Outback Bowl.
Player To Watch:
Derek Moye. Come out, come out wherever you are.
Last Week:
Penn State 31, Indiana 20 (money!) PTW: Dennis Landolt and Ako Poti.
Regular Season Prediction:
10-3
The Lions get a very favorable schedule this year but there are still some tough road games on the schedule with Illinois and MSU. Iowa and Ohio State are going to be tough home games as well. I like the Lions still getting into the BCS but via an at-large bid rather than a conference championship.
Mark Harrington, PlaybookMark
This Week’s Game:
Penn State 27, Michigan State: 23
I think the Nits finally get their act together in the season finale. The road can allow teams to focus on the task at hand and that's exactly what will happen. Clark goes out with huge numbers as MSU takes away the run.
Player To Watch:
Curtis Drake. He showed his explosiveness last week and he'll get more time this week with Powell out.
Last Week:
Penn State 27, Indiana 16. PTW: Navorro Bowman
Regular Season Prediction:
11-2
Impeccable leadership and solid veteran experience should lead to another impressive campaign for PSU. With some scattered question marks in the secondary, receivers and offensive line the Lions could get nipped a few times by teams that look to take some risks to exploit their issues.
Tom Hoffman, underscoreTom
This Week’s Game:
Michigan State 24, Penn State 10
This team (coaches and players) seems to have run out of gas, both physically and mentally.
Player To Watch:
Daryll Clark. He wins, he most likely goes to another BCS bowl (the first PSU QB with multiple BCS bids). He loses, his football career is over. Plus who wants go to out with three straight poor performances?
Last Week:
Penn State 34, Indiana 13. PTW: Sean Lee
Regular Season Prediction:
12-1
There's enough talent on this team to go 6-2 in a typical Big Ten, but with the schedule the way it is, 8-0 is not out of the question. But, the questions Penn State does have need answers before 13-0 can be discussed.
Cory James, CoryJames
This Week’s Game:
Penn State 38, Michigan State 13
Penn State can't come out flat in every game this year, right? In a series that has had some whacky outcomes, I think this one will be a blowout for the Nittany Lions. Clark has had some success against this team last year, which should help his confidence. My hunch is the Spartans will make things too easy for Penn State.
Player To Watch:
In a whacky game, who better to take than Nick Sukay as the Player to Watch? I've got a feeling Michigan State may float a few passesover the middle, resulting in a couple interceptions that help widen the gap.
Last Week:
Penn State 38, Indiana 13 PTW: Derek Moye
Regular Season Prediction:
12-1
I have to admit I can't find more than one loss on Penn State's schedule at most. However, Penn State can notoriously get bitten on one game they sleep walk through. I see one regular season loss, not to Ohio State, followed by a BCS bowl win.
Tom McLaughlin, WeRPSUPlaybook
This Week’s Game:
Penn State 35, Michigan State 32
Penn State came out flat as expected last week, following the previous week's loss to Ohio State. Against any team other than Indiana, four first half turnovers would have likely spelled doom, but the Lions regrouped to emerge with a convincing win. Michigan State is probably the biggest Jeckyll and Hyde team in major college football. You never know what you are going to get. Regardless, games in East Lansing have had a reputation for turning into shootouts over the years, with Penn State usually getting the better of the Spartans when time has run out. I see this game unfolding much the same way.
Player To Watch:
In his final regular season game, Daryll Clark needs to step up and deliver. With shootouts normal in this game, the Lions will depend on their quarterback to answer every challenge from the Spartan offense.
Last Week:
Penn State 27, Indiana 10 PTW: Navarro Bowman and Evan Royster
Regular Season Prediction:
12-1
The Nittany Lions have returned to a perch among the nation's elite college teams, but a challenging conference schedule that includes always dangerous Ohio State, and road trips to improving Illinois and Michigan State makes at least one setback likely.
Scott Neal, PSUMtnBike
This Week’s Game:
Penn State 20, Michigan State 16 (guest picker Mike Ratchford)
I want to end the season on a good note, so I'm retiring after nailing last weeks score. This weeks pick is by a psuplaybook legend (in his own mind) Mike Ratchford.
The Lions secure the January 1st Capitol One Bowl,but fail to get the Big Ten's second BCS bowl bid, after a hard fought struggle in East Lansing.
Player To Watch:
Derek Moye (Several big plays by Moye are keys to the win)
Last Week:
Penn State 31, Indiana 20 PTW: Jared Odrick
Regular Season Prediction:
11-2
Penn State will battle for the Big Ten championship, but inexperience at key spots and the worst out of conference schedule in the nation will hurt the Lions at some point in the season.
Rob Riva, rriva
This Week’s Game:
Michigan State 24, Penn State 13
The inconsistency of Penn State the last two games is particularly concerning, even though the Spartans are a historically inconsistent team. If the Nittany Lions come out flat as they have the past two weeks, Michigan State will come out victorious.
Player To Watch:
Sean Lee. The senior linebacker has been one of the few consistent players on either side of the ball, so expect him to finish off his final Big Ten game with a solid performance.
Last Week:
Penn State 24, Indiana 16. PTW: Navorro Bowman
Regular Season Prediction:
10-3
This is a relatively inexperienced but talented football team with excellent leadership on offense and defense. Penn State has an excellent chance of going undefeated at home but could just as easily drop three of four road games.
Jamie Trescavage, jsT10
This Week’s Game:
Penn State 24, Michigan State 17
This game will be decided early. If Penn State comes out early with confidence and fire, the Nittany Lions will win. Come out with the same attitude as the Indiana game and the Spartans will wax Penn State.
Player To Watch:
Daryll Clark. Clark is a better quarterback than he has shown lately. In his final regular season game, he proves the naysayers wrong with consistency and good decsion-making.
Last Week:
Penn State 40, Indiana 24. PTW: Sean Lee
Regular Season Prediction:
11-2
Despite talent at key positions, Penn State is inexperienced and raw enough that early play may be inconsistent. The soft non-conference schedule will help a lot of Nittany Lion youngsters to get their feet wet and play should become crisper, but Penn State will still drop a conference road game (at Illinois or Michigan State perhaps) on their way to a BCS at-large bid.
*Note: Point spread is from Monday to allow timely picks.
|
Act Now!
|
|
Click to learn more!
|
