Alabama vs. Penn State Preview: 6 Things to Watch for

As two teams with different backgrounds, the football teams at Alabama and Penn State surprisingly have a lot in common.

Each team has a well-respected head coach, a historic stadium and a quarterback controversy.

Both the Crimson Tide and the Nittany Lions are coming off of big wins in Week 1 against inferior competition.

Each team faces a tougher test on Saturday: they play each other.

Alabama visits University Park on Saturday in the only matchup of ranked teams taking place this weekend.

This should be a great early test for No. 2 ranked Alabama. This should be one of their toughest road games this season along with playing at Florida.

In the SEC, there are no easy games.

For No. 23 Penn State, this is by far their toughest game until a brutal finish to the season. Their last three regular season games are against Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin. It will be important to win their home games to account for the tougher games later.

In the biggest game of the weekend, here are six things to watch for.

Who Is Playing Quarterback?

Neither Alabama nor Penn State has decided on a quarterback for the duration of the season.

Alabama has two young players trying to replace Greg McElroy. Sophomore AJ McCarron seemed to outplay freshman Philip Sims last week, but each player threw two interceptions.

The Crimson Tide hope that one player straightens himself out to take control of the competition.

The Nittany Lions have a similar situation behind center. Matthew McGloin took over the starting job from Rob Bolden last season at the end of October and performed adequately. However, he threw five picks against Florida in the Outback Bowl, and does not have total confidence from the fan base.

Each of these four players will see the field at quarterback on Saturday. It is possible one or two of the candidates will separate themselves from the pack on national television.

Can Penn State Move the Ball Against Alabama's Defense?

Last week, Kent State managed only 99 yards passing against Alabama. This seems bad until you compare it to the -9 yards on the ground.

The Crimson Tide have not missed a beat from last season when they had one of the best defenses in the country.

Penn State has a good run game, but it will be a struggle to get anything done against Nick Saban’s team. They will need to keep a balanced approached to keep the defense guessing.

It also would help if they were able to steal some points off of special teams.

Can Each Team Handle Offensive Line Issues?

Despite handling their first weekend opponents, each team had some issues on the offensive line that could hurt them in this game.

Alabama shuffled their line around before the first game, but Nick Saban said this week that this should not be an excuse.

The problem was not in the schemes, but rather that the players were missing or not finishing their blocks.

Penn State had similar problems last week, and the two quarterbacks were under pressure all game long.

Against Indiana State, they can get away with some mistakes.

Against the tough Alabama front line, the Nittany Lions might need to keep some extra blockers in on passing plays.

Can Trent Richardson Create Heisman Buzz with a Big Game?

If you were playing a college football fantasy game, Trent Richardson would have been a great start with his three touchdowns last week. In reality, his game was not as good is seems.

The junior from Florida only ran for 37 yards last week, good enough for 2.8 yards per carry. Last season, Richardson was able to rush for 6.3 yards per carry while splitting time with Mark Ingram.

Many think with full playing time, Trent Richardson will take the leap to being an elite player this season. He will need to step up his yardage as well as his touchdowns if he wants to be taken seriously.

He has the talent to be one of the best running backs in the nation and will eventually play in the NFL. Once he puts up the statistics he is capable of, he will be in the Heisman discussion.

Can Penn State Utilize Their Home Field Advantage?

Last season, Penn State had to travel to Alabama for an eventual 24-3 defeat. Few teams have been able to stop the Tide over the past few years, but winning in Tuscaloosa is a near impossible task.

This weekend, Alabama has to come to Beaver Stadium in University Park. This should help level the playing field a little as Penn State has done well there over their history.

The students love whiting-out the stadium, and it creates an extra little bit of intimidation for the opposing team. 110,000 fans yelling in your face is very hard to ignore.

With the national coverage, the fans should be amped up to help their team beat the No. 2 team in the country. 

How Prepared Are the Teams for the Big Game?

Each team had an easy opening week. They faced lesser opponents and cruised to victories. The question remains whether it was enough to prepare the teams for their first true test of the season.

College football fans were able to see two top-5 teams compete last week without any preparation. While there were some setbacks and a lot of turnovers, overall it was a very good game to watch.

With one week under their belts, Alabama and Penn State should have seen enough to know what to tweak for this upcoming battle.

Alabama is currently 10-point favorites over Penn State, but this game should be much closer than many are anticipating.

Either way, it will be a stepping stone to a successful season for one of these teams.