What happens if Penn State loses this?
It’s been thrown around the College Football Playoff sewing circles that Notre Dame might be in trouble if it loses to USC, and Indiana certainly can’t lose to Purdue, and there’s a problem if any of the two-loss teams in the mix lose a third time, but what happens if the Nittany Lions biff this?
Penn State might be 10-1, but it hasn’t been all that impressive - it struggled to get by Minnesota and too many games required too much effort.
It doesn't matter. Win, and get into the College Football Playoff.
And then there’s Maryland. It shocked USC, beat Virginia, and wasn’t bad against Indiana, but it lost six of its last seven. Winning this would make the Terp season.
Nov 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) throws during a T.V. timeout during the second quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium.
© Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Penn State vs Maryland: How to Watch and Game Preview
Date: Saturday, November 30, 2024
Game Time: 3:30 pm ET
How To Watch: Big Ten Network
Venue: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
Teams: Penn State (10-1), Maryland (4-7)
CFN Bluesky | CFN X | CFN FB
- Week 14 Schedule, Predictions
Why Maryland Will Win
Start throwing, keep throwing, and press the Penn State secondary.
The Nittany Lion defense has been fantastic, but it hasn’t faced too many teams that can bomb away. There are plenty of midrange passing games on the slate, - USC, Illinois, Washington - and Ohio State was able to connect enough to keep moving.
Maryland will throw it at least 40 times, it has to keep pushing the deep shots, and hope the production is there. The Terps are 3-0 when throwing off more than 335 yards, and …
Why Penn State Will Win
Penn State has yet to allow more than 255 passing yards.
Maryland has no running game to worry about, and on the other side, there’s no pass rush whatsoever to deal with. Penn State should have plenty of time to be steady.
The offense might be accused of being too cautious, but there’s a method to how this all works.
Don’t make mistakes - just nine turnovers on the season and three game against USC - rely on the defense, and keep control of the tempo.
Penn State vs Maryland: Who Will Win?
Maryland will do everything possible to make this a shootout. The problem, though, is that for all of the yards, the points aren’t coming.
Maryland will throw, but Penn State will run. The Nittany Lion ground game will crank up 40 carries for well over 150 yards, and the D will take over with three takeaways and a few red zone stops.
And then it’s on to getting ready for one more home game in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Penn State vs Maryland Prediction, Betting Lines
Prediction: Penn State 38, Maryland 13
Line: Penn State -24.5, o/u: 50.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2.5
Must See Rating: 3
Latest News
