Penn State vs. Alabama: TV Schedule, Live Streaming, Radio, Game Time and More

Last season the Alabama Crimson Tide and Penn State Nittany Lions met in the second week of the college football season. At the time, Alabama was ranked No. 1 in the country, while Penn State was No. 18. The Crimson Tide went on to win 24-3, but faltered a couple of weeks later against South Carolina.

Fast forward a year later, almost to the day, and Alabama and Penn State will be doing battle again. On this occasion, however, it will be at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa. The rankings are quite similar this time around as the Crimson Tide are ranked No. 3, while the Nittany Lions are No. 23.

Once again Alabama is favored—this time by 10 points. The Tide are quite different than they were a year ago, though. Gone are quarterback Greg McElroy, running back Mark Ingram and wide receiver Julio Jones from the offense. Their production will need to be replaced by the likes of A.J. McCarron, Trent Richardson and Marquis Maze.

Nick Saban's squad also took some hits on defense with the biggest—both literally and figuratively—being defensive lineman Marcell Dareus, who was drafted No. 3 overall by the Buffalo Bills in April's NFL draft. Despite that, Alabama was ranked No. 2 to begin the season and now sits comfortably at No. 3, with a 1-0 record.

Penn State's turnover isn't quite as pronounced as Bama's, but running back Evan Royster will be sorely missed. The offense ran primarily through Royster for the past four years, but sophomore Silas Redd will have to step up and fill his shoes.

Defense will be key to Penn State's success against Alabama and over the course of the season as a whole, as their offense seems to lack big-play ability. The quarterback position is unsettled with both Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin battling to see who will be less mediocre.

This game will be huge for both teams. Alabama doesn't have much to gain by beating Penn State, but they have everything to lose; a defeat would severely damage their title hopes. Adversely, a loss wouldn't crumble the Nittany Lions, but a win could propel them to prominence. Whatever the case, this game could certainly have title implications.

Where: Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa.

When: Saturday Sept. 10 at 3:30 p.m. EST

Watch: ABC at 3:30 p.m.

Listen: WFFN-FM (Alabama) and streaming on GoPSUSports.com (Penn State)

Betting Line: Alabama (-10) 

Who Might Not Play For Penn State: K/P Anthony Fera

Penn State's injury report is a short one this week, although kicker/punter Anthony Fera will miss the game. Fera is suspended indefinitely for a disorderly conduct charge during the offseason. While his absence shouldn't be particularly damaging, he did serve as Penn State's primary punter last season.

Fera averaged 41.4 yards per punt on 46 attempts last season. Sophomore Alex Butterworth is handling the punting duties in Fera's absence. 

Who Might Not Play For Alabama: WR Darius Hanks

Alabama receiver Darius Hanks is suspended for the season's first two games and is eligible to return Sept. 17 against North Texas. The suspension is self-imposed and will grant the redshirt senior an additional year of eligibility.

Hanks was a solid contributor last season. He caught 32 passes for 456 yards and three touchdowns. Due to Julio Jones's departure to the NFL, Hanks will be counted on to produce in the passing game upon his return. 

Key Storyline

The main storyline for both teams in this matchup will undoubtedly be quarterback play. Both Alabama and Penn State played two quarterbacks each in their Week 1 games against inferior opponents. It didn't have an adverse effect on them, but both teams will need to settle on a starter immediately.

Alabama started sophomore A.J. McCarron, who threw for 226 yards and one touchdown, with two interceptions. He was eventually relieved by redshirt freshman Phillip Sims, who totaled 73 yards and two interceptions. McCarron seems to have separated himself, but Nick Saban has yet to name a starter.

Penn State's quarterback situation may be even murkier. Neither Nittany Lion quarterback was particularly impressive. Sophomore Rob Bolden started, but passed for just 37 yards before being replaced by junior Matt McGloin. McGloin wasn't much better; he threw for 77 yards. McGloin seems to have the edge, mostly due to his experience, but it is tough to see Penn State beating Alabama with either guy under center. 

BCS/Top 25 Poll Implications

The Alabama Crimson Tide moves down from No. 2 to No. 3 in the polls despite a 48-7 Week 1 victory over the Kent State Golden Flashes. This isn't an indictment of their performance as much as it is a reward to LSU for beating Oregon handily.

The Penn State Nittany Lions were un-ranked entering the season, but have slipped into the No. 23 position in the AP Top 25. Penn State smashed the FCS Indiana State, 41-7, and were the beneficiaries of previous Top 25 teams like Notre Dame and TCU faltering in Week 1.

It likely wouldn't have much effect on their own ranking should Alabama win, especially with the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners idle and the No. 2 LSU Tigers playing Northwestern State. It would, in all likelihood, knock the Nittany outside the Top 25 once again, however.

If Penn State were to pull off the upset, a cosmic shift in the rankings would occur. Alabama would probably fall outside the Top 10, while Penn State would likely move past them. This would then cause Boise State to move into the Top Three. Alabama would all but be eliminated from National Championship contention, while Penn State would enter the conversation. 

What They’re Saying

According to the Montgomery Advertiser, Saturday's game at Penn State will mark the first time Alabama has crossed the Mason-Dixon line for a game in 22 years, which coincidentally was also against Penn State.

The rarity isn't lost on the Alabama players, as many of them are excited to be able to play in a venue like Beaver Stadium, especially offensive lineman Barrett Jones.

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"It's definitely something that's special to me," Tide offensive lineman Barrett Jones said. "Happy Valley is a place that there's a lot of football history, a lot of rich tradition. I think it's going to be a great opportunity to go up there and play and especially experience a 'whiteout' and all that kind of thing. It's a really big opportunity."

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 The Tide will need to make the most of their opportunity against Penn State; even one loss can be crippling in the always-tough SEC.

Penn State Player To Watch: RB Silas Redd

The graduation of all-time Penn State leading rusher Evan Royster left a huge hole in the Nittany Lions' backfield, but sophomore Silas Redd made many Penn State fans ask "Evan who?" Provided his 104-yard, two-touchdown performance came against an FCS team, Redd was still impressive in Penn State's opener.

Redd put up those numbers on just 12 carries, giving him a sparkling 8.7 yards-per-carry average. Redd did well in limited action last season—he rushed for 437 yards and two touchdowns—but he'll be leaned on much more heavily in 2011. With Penn State's quarterbacks in flux, Redd will need to come up big if the Nittany Lions are going to pull off an upset. 

Alabama Player To Watch: RB Trent Richardson

While Silas Redd may be important to Penn State's success, running back Trent Richardson is what makes the Alabama offense go. Richardson, who entered the season as a prime Heisman candidate, spent a couple of seasons biding his time behind Mark Ingram. With Ingram in the NFL, Richardson will have a chance to flash his game-breaking ability with great regularity.

Interestingly, Richardson was very much held in check against Kent State; he was held to just 37 yards on 13 rushes. Despite his relative ineffectiveness, he still managed to make an impact on the game by scoring from short range three times. If Richardson doesn't improve in Week 2, however, Alabama may be ripe for the picking. 

Key Matchup: Penn State Offensive Line vs. Alabama Defensive Line

The departure of Marcell Dareus may have weakened the defensive line of Alabama a bit, but make no mistake, the Crimson Tide still possess one of the most fearsome fronts in the nation. Damion Square, Jesse Williams and Josh Chapman comprise Nick Saban's massive three-man line and are particularly adept at stopping the run.

Penn State's key to victory will be possessing the ball with a solid effort in the running game. If the Nittany Lions' line is incapable of proving Alabama's front three, it could be a miserable day for Joe Paterno and Co. The line will also have to be good in pass protection as quarterbacks Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin likely won't be able to handle much pressure. 

Prediction

Thanks to Trent Richardson running the ball and the defense stopping the run, Alabama will leave Happy Valley winners, 24-10.