No coach is saddled more with “can’t win the big one” than Penn State head coach James Franklin.
Franklin is 13-25 against AP Top 25 teams and 1-10 against Ohio State.
Penn State’s dominant victory over SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff wasn’t enough to get his detractors off his back. Neither will a win over Boise St. because Penn State fans will view the Broncos as nothing more than a Group of 5 team, plus the Nittany Lions are favored by 11.5 points. Despite this being a neutral site game, Penn State is a double-digit favorite, and Boise St. has a historically good running back in Ashton Jeanty.
Franklin’s critics will still be loud and proud if Penn State loses or barely wins.
Keys:
Jeanty vs. Penn State Run Defense: Boise St. took Oregon to the wire earlier in the season. That game gets forgotten. The stage won’t be too big for the Broncos.
It will be a long day if Boise State can’t run the ball. Penn State made SMU one-dimensional and reduced Kevin Jennings to a mistake-prone quarterback.
Maddux Madsen and the Broncos offense aren’t capable of winning the game through the air.
No Short Fields: Drew Allar has only thrown interceptions in three games this season, and the Big Ten Championship game was the only one in which he threw multiple interceptions.
The Nittany Lions want Boise St. to be burdened with having a long field. That starts with the offense taking care of the ball. Allar will need to be disciplined enough to let plays develop rather than trying to make a play, not there will allow him to keep a clean sheet.
The Broncos’ having a short field will ensure the game will come down to the fourth quarter, similar to their game with Oregon.
Take Away Warren: One way Boise St. can make Allar feel uncomfortable is by taking away tight end Tyler Warren.
Warren finished with 92 receptions and has nine games with five receptions or more.
If Warren is taken away, the Broncos can deal with Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen in the rushing game.
