TaxSlayer Bowl 2016: Penn State vs. Georgia TV Schedule, Time and Odds
Programs in a state of transition meet Saturday in the TaxSlayer Bowl when the Penn State Nittany Lions collide with the Georgia Bulldogs.
Penn State hits the field in Jacksonville wondering if quarterback Christian Hackenberg will stick around another year and help the program continue to dig itself out of a hole after a 7-5 campaign.
The situation's more complicated around Georgia, a program that lost a head coach and both coordinators. Former receivers coach Bryan McClendon steps into the interim role for the bowl game while future coach Kirby Smart sticks to directing Alabama's defense during the College Football Playoff.
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It's a confusing time for both programs, but Saturday offers a chance for one to put the best foot forward with a win. Here's everything to know about the encounter.
Game Details
When: Saturday, January 2, at noon ET
Where: EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
Television: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Over/Under: 42.5
Spread: Georgia (-6.5)
Team Injury Reports
| Carl Nassib | DE | Prob Sat |
| Jordan Lucas | S | Out for season |
| Nyeem Wartman-White | LB | Out for season |
| Kenneth Towns | SE | Out Sat |
| Brendan Douglas | RB | Out Sat |
| Tim Kimbrough | LB | Out Sat |
| Ryne Rankin | LB | Ques Sat |
| Chauncey Rivers | DE | Ques Sat |
| Isaiah McKenzie | WR | Ques Sat |
| Natrez Patrick | LB | Ques Sat |
| Trenton Thompson | DT | Ques Sat |
| Nick Chubb | RB | Out for season |
| Reggie Carter | LB | Out for season |
| Justin Scott-Wesley | SE | Out indefinitely |
Injury reports courtesy of USA Today.
Leaving the Comfort Zone
In a perfect world, the Nittany Lions would lean on Hackenberg and get a win against a game SEC opponent, transition period or not.
Hackenberg's play and the opponent, though, almost assure such an approach won't be possible.
The junior hasn't been able to break free of his struggling offensive line over the past couple of years. This year, he's thrown for 2,386 yards with 16 touchdowns to just five interceptions but completed a miserable 53.3 percent of his passes.
It gets worse—Georgia ranks first in the nation with just 146.1 passing yards allowed per game.
This figures to place an emphasis on freshman running back Saquon Barkley, which might not be such a bad thing considering he's one of college football's breakout stars, albeit in quiet fashion.
Barkley rushed for 1,007 yards and seven scores this year while missing two games, though some of his more impressive performances, such as 25 carries for 120 yards and two scores against Northwestern, went to waste in losses.
Penn State has to hope the future of the program includes Barkley and Hackenberg, but on more immediate terms it has to hope it's enough to take down an elite defense.
Weathering the Storm
Outside of the coaching changes, Georgia might have an issue under center, too.
Greyson Lambert has been serviceable this season, but with high-profile recruits on the way to Athens, his 11 touchdowns to two interceptions marred with inconsistency might not be enough to keep the job next year.
For his part, Lambert's focused on the game and nothing more, according to ESPN.com:
"It's been a whirlwind and a roller coaster. Up and down and a lot of different types of ways. As a player you play the games and everything else just kind of happens around you and you don't really have any control over it. Our focus is on playing the games. I can't really speak to the other stuff that's happened.
"
Behind Lambert it's the Sony Michel show after the team lost Nick Chubb. The sophomore has 1,076 yards and seven scores this year, though since taking over the bulk of the workload in October he's scored just three touchdowns.
Even in the face of change, Georgia has to try to forget its past couple of outings, where it needed overtime to beat Georgia Southern and just slipped past Georgia Tech, 13-7.
If the team responds well to changes and adversity, an elite defense should be able to slow Penn State. If not, the Bulldogs might not have the firepower to pull this one off.
Prediction
Lost in the hype of Georgia's strong defense?
Go with Penn State's defense.
The Nittany Lions, led by Lombardi Award winner Carl Nassib, tallied 44 sacks this year and rank 11th against the pass. Only offenses with dual-threat quarterbacks such as Ohio State, Army and Maryland really moved the ball well against the unit this year. Georgia certainly doesn't have that.
There's simply not enough Bulldogs offense and too many distractions for this one to go to the SEC. Look for Barkley to make himself a household name as he rips the Bulldogs for massive numbers and a win.
Prediction: Penn State 27, Georgia 20
Statistics courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified. All betting information courtesy of Odds Shark.
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