NCAAF Odds – Joe Paterno Goes For 400th Career Win

Opportunity beckons for one team, and history awaits for another this weekend, when the Northwestern Wildcats visit the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Nittany Lions are a 6.5-point favorite on the NCAAF odds.

Northwestern Wildcats @ Penn State Nittany Lions 
Saturday, November 6th – 3:35 PM ET 
Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA 
Broadcast: ABC/ESPN2

NCAAF Odds: Northwestern +6, Penn State -6

Total: 48.5

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetOnline? If so JOIN NOW.]

This Either the Big Ten’s feel-good football school will clinch a winning season, or the conference’s legendary coach (who toiled for many years before his school joined the league) will etch his name in the great book of time.

Yes, it’s true that Northwestern can gain win number seven on the first weekend of November. The Wildcats usually find themselves outclassed when they travel to Penn State to play a football game. However, with PSU struggling this year due to a thin offensive line and a young pair of quarterbacks, the Wildcats really and truly could pull out a victory in the Keystone State. A seventh win before the closing stretch would enhance the profile of the Northwestern program and improve the team’s ultimate bowl destination. There’s a lot that the Wildcats are playing for in this game.

Then again, Penn State Nittany Lions playing for something even more special. Just consider what’s on the line for a man named Joseph Vincent Paterno. The college football icon began his tenure as Penn State’s head coach in 1966. This Saturday, Paterno’s longevity could be rewarded with an accomplishment that will reverberate throughout the pages of memory. Paterno, sitting at 399 career wins, could become the first FBS coach to win 400 games. A victory would mean so much more than a Big Ten win in this matchup between a pair of 2-2 Big Ten teams.

NCAAF Odds: What Northwestern Has To Do To Win

Northwestern broke a two-game losing streak last week with a 20-17 win at Indiana.  The win was the Wildcats’ sixth consecutive road victory. Quarterback Dan Persa suffered a concussion last week, but will start against the Nittany Lions after passing all of the precautionary tests.  Persa completed 18 of 28 passes for 212 and two touchdowns before absorbing the concussion that knocked him out of the game. He ranks second in the nation in completion percentage (74.4).  Running back Mike Trumpy carried 21 times for 110 yards, and caught three passes for 54 yards.  Backup quarterback Evan Watkins entered the game with 8:53 left and NU leading 17-10, and led the Wildcats to a field goal that proved to be the game-winner.

With Persa coming off a concussion, a few things become important for the Northwestern Wildcats: First, Persa can’t sacrifice his body on scrambles, something he generally likes to do. NU’s running game, with Trumpy, needs to be stronger, and the Cats’ defense also has to protect the offense. Penn State’s offense had been dormant throughout the year until the Nittany Lions played Michigan’s horrible defense on Oct. 30. Northwestern needs to bring Penn State’s offense back down to earth in order to win on the road.

NCAAF Odds: What Penn State Has To Do To Win

Penn State isn’t sure who its quarterback will be on Saturday.  Matt McGloin made his first career start last week, and led the Lions to a 41-31 win over Michigan.  Freshman Robert Bolden, who started Penn State’s first seven games, suffered a concussion two weeks ago at Minnesota and was held out of action against Michigan.  The two quarterbacks are competing for the starting job, and both may play on Saturday.

McGloin completed 17 of 28 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown against the Wolverines.  Running back Evan Royster carried 29 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns.  Penn State controlled the clock, possessing the ball for over 37 minutes. The Nittany Lions would love to do that again on Saturday, and they know that Northwestern’s defense is a lot better than Michigan’s. We’ll see how good Penn State’s offense can be as the Nittany Lions try to make a little history for the coach they love so deeply. If PSU can become a more potent offensive team, the Lions will be more of a factor in the Big Ten in November.

NCAAF Odds: Outlook & Pick 

Persa’s concussion matters a lot more than Robert Bolden’s concussion. This should be a close game, however, because Penn State’s offense got healthy against Michigan last week. No one should be expecting to ring up 41 points again. This game should be played in the low-20s or the high teens, and so while Penn State might win the game, Northwestern should cover the number. 

NCAAF Odds Pick: Northwestern +6