Penn State-Michigan State: 3 keys to victory

Hello, all. Last week sucked. In case you've been living under a rock, the Nittany Lions blew 15-point fourth quarter lead to the hated Buckeyes in Columbus. It was my worst night as a Penn State fan in almost a decade, and hopefully, this week goes a little better. The final hurdle of Penn State's three-week gauntlet is the Michigan State Spartans. Here are three things the Nittany Lions can do to bounce back against Sparty this afternoon.

Key #1: Next man up

Photo creds to Philly.com

Not only did Penn State suffer its most crushing loss in years in Columbus last Saturday, the Nittany Lions also lost some key players on both the offensive and defensive lines. Left tackle Ryan Bates suffered a leg injury last week, and defensive end Ryan Buchholz was on crutches after going down in the first half. If neither Bates or Buchholz is ready to go, guys like Chaz Wright and Will Fries will have to step up on the offensive line, while Kevin Givens will see an increased role on defense. If Penn State is to further prove itself as a dominant program, it will need to prove that it can win without some of its best players. The Lions will have an opportunity to do that today.

Key #2: More consistency from #26

Photo creds to NCAA.com

I know its hard to criticize Saquon Barkley, but after taking the opening kickoff back for a touchdown the Ohio State defense, for the most part, held the Heisman front-runner in check for the rest of the game. Barkley is the best player in college football, but he tends to go quiet after one or two big runs. It would be helpful to Penn State, and to Barkley's future bank account if he can spread out his production more throughout the game. Barkley will have a tough assignment in linebacker Joe Bachie, so it will be intriguing as always to see what Saquon does, and how long he does it for.

Key #3: Play angry

Photo creds to Cleveland.com

Last week was brutal, and all Penn State can do is move forward. Both teams will be playing with a chip on their shoulder, as Michigan State suffered a tough triple-overtime loss to Northwestern. If Penn State plays with a bigger chip and shows that it is the better team, it could be a long and painful afternoon for Sparty.

Final Prediction
Penn State is the better team. This Nittany Lions team has shown that they can come back from adversity, and they are too talented and too angry to suffer another setback in East Lansing tomorrow.