Penn State vs. Nebraska: 3 Nittany Lions Who Must Step Up Despite Turmoil

The No. 12 Penn State Nittany Lions (8-1) will host the No. 19 Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-2) in a critical Big Ten matchup Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium.

To this point, the game has been overshadowed by serious discoveries on the campus of Penn State.

The week-long media coverage of the child sex abuse scandal in State College has been worn out and talked about from the wrong perspective far too much in my mind. That's not to minimize the damage done to those victims involved, but to give so much attention to those who have done wrong by failing to do anything at all is unacceptable. Shame on you ESPN and others.

Now that Saturday has finally arrived, let us look at the actual game. In order for Penn State to keep their seven-game win streak alive, they'll need some key players to step up.

Here are three that must play to their potential and beyond on Saturday against Nebraska.

Matt McGloin

The junior quarterback has been less than stellar under center in 2011. Two weeks ago against Illinois, he completed just 37.5 percent of his passes, going 9-24 and failing to surpass 100 yards in Penn State's ugly 10-7 win over the Illini.

McGloin has 1,193 yards through the air, with seven touchdowns and three interceptions on the season as the Nittany Lions' top passing threat—just ahead of Rob Bolden, who went 0-4 in minimal action against Illinois two weeks ago.

McGloin doesn't have to be Andrew Luck on Saturday against the Cornhuskers, but he needs to keep the defense honest. That will require a completion percentage above 50 percent and perhaps a touchdown or two, supplying the nation's 88th-ranked pass attack with a much-needed lift.

Silas Redd

Silas Redd has been phenomenal in the back field for Penn State all season long. The sophomore rushed for 137 yards on 30 carries against Illinois, including the go-ahead touchdown run with just over a minute left, which would give the Nittany Lions their seventh win in seven games.

Redd is averaging an impressive 5.2 yards per carry in 2011, and he has already rushed for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns in nine games this season. He's rushed for more than 100 yards per game in at least six games this year and has rushed for more than 129 yards in his last five outings for Penn State.

Another 100-yard game would not only help jump start the 56th-ranked Penn State rush offense, but assist the defense in keeping Nebraska's 13th-ranked rushing attack on the sideline.

Anthony Fera

The sophomore kicker has been solid all season for the Nittany Lions, making all 13 of his extra point attempts and missing just two field goals in 14 attempts.

Big Ten games are often low-scoring contests, and Penn State games are almost always low-scoring. Fera's accurate leg will be key in this game Saturday. He's a perfect 11-11 inside 40 yards, and that will bode well for the Nittany Lions when they get into the red zone against Nebraska.

Fera's 30-yard field goal against Illinois was the difference for Penn State two weeks ago, and his leg could very well decide whether Penn State gets the inside track to the first ever Big Ten Championship Game with a win at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.