Penn State vs. Northwestern: Spread Info, Line, BCS Impact and Predictions

The Penn State Nittany Lions are hitting the road for a Big Ten matchup against the Northwestern Wildcats.

Joe Paterno’s group is 6-1 and looking to earn a better spot in the BCS rankings while the Wildcats are just looking to turn their season around and become bowl-eligible. This is going to be a tough matchup, and it features two underrated teams who are conference rivals.

Read on to find out all you need to know about this game.

Where: Ryan Field; Evanston, Ill.

When: Saturday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. EDT

Watch: Big Ten Network

Spread: Penn State -4 (via ScoresAndOdds)

I like the Nittany Lions laying points on the road here.

Joe Paterno’s team has the sixth best defense in the nation, giving up just 11.6 points per game. On the other hand, opposing offenses are decimating Pat Fitzgerald’s defensive unit. They are 88th in the nation, giving up 30 points per game.

Penn State was a 6.5-point favorite at home last year and won by 14. I like them to repeat that performance on the road this year.

Over/Under: 48

These two teams have played relatively high-scoring games the past two seasons with the totals being 56 last year and 47 the year before.

I like the under this year because of the power of Penn State’s defense.

I don’t think Northwestern is going to score enough points to keep it competitive nor do I think the Lions run up the total.

It’ll be very close to the 48-point line but a shade under.

Key Injuries (via CollegeInjuryReport.com)

Penn State

WR Derek Moye – OUT (foot) – The Nittany Lions receiver is expected to miss this game and still has his foot in a protective boot. He was leading the team in all major receiving categories. Shawney Kersey will replace him.

CB D’Anton Lynn – PROBABLE (head/neck) – After being carted off and taken to a hospital in Week 4, Lynn returned to action against Purdue. He should be on the field this Saturday.

Northwestern

RB Mike Trumpy – OUT (knee) – The Wildcats' leading rusher last year and for five games this season is done for the year with a torn ACL.

WR Tony Jones – DOUBTFUL (leg) – The sophomore backup WR has yet to play a snap this year and most likely won’t see any time against Penn State. He should be available in the next few weeks.

BCS/Top 25 Poll Implications

Penn State is currently ranked 21st in the BCS polls but unrated in the Harris Poll and 22nd in the USA today.

They are getting a lot of respect from the computers, which they need to play up toward and get a solid road win by a large margin.

PSU is 6-1 on the season and arguably a top team, with their only loss coming to one of the consensus best teams in the nation, Alabama.

They can’t afford to lose one or play a close one to Northwestern, which is currently in the midst of a four-game slide.

Keys to a Penn State Win: Play With Passion

If Penn State turns on the gas and doesn’t let up once during four quarters of play, it isn’t going to lose.

The Nittany Lions have a great defensive unit and their offense is starting to gel a bit better. They just need to stick to the game plan and play with some heart to get this win.

Keys to Northwestern Win: Dan Persa

Persa is the only man on this Northwestern team that can make this upset victory happen.

The QB is completing 74.5 percent of his passes and has 700 yards total with five touchdowns and two interceptions on the year.

He is a really underrated guy and someone who can absolutely shine when he is on his game. He needs to really bring it if the Wildcats want a chance.

Prediction

Penn State 21, Northwestern 10