For better or worse, Big 10 opener will tell a lot about Penn State

For Penn State, tonight’s game at Maryland is massive for a multitude of reasons.

Every game is important in college football more so than in other sports, and a loss will kill any hope Penn State has at appearing in the college football playoff. It’s also the Big 10 opener, the start of a brutal conference slate that features matchups with four ranked teams, three of which will be played on the road. 

The most important thing about tonight for Penn State, however, is that it marks the first opportunity for the Nittany Lions to show what they are made of. The first three games haven’t proved much. Idaho and Buffalo were supposed to be blowout wins, and they were. The Pitt game was much closer than people anticipated, but as we saw last Saturday against Central Florida, the Panthers might be better than advertised. 

Tonight, Penn State leaves the confines of Beaver Stadium and plays its first road game against a pretty solid opponent. 

Maryland hasn’t had a winning season since 2014, and is coming off a disappointing loss at Temple. But these Terps are good, and its largely because of an explosive offense led by running back Anthony McFarland. Penn State’s defense is supposed to be the heartbeat of this football team and thus far, it has been, but it will certainly be facing its stiffest test.

Maryland has talent on the other side of the ball as well, led by former Clemson Tiger Shaq Smith at linebacker. The Penn State offense has struggled in six of its last eight quarters of football, and quarterback Sean Clifford needs to be better tonight than he was against Pitt for the Nittany Lions to win. And he’ll have to start a football game on the road for the first time since high school.

Although Byrd Stadium doesn’t compare with Beaver, Ohio or Michigan Stadium, any conference road game is a challenge.

Clifford is one of a number of Penn State’s starters, particularly on offense, that haven’t started a game on the road, let alone under the lights. Maryland’s fanbase will be ready to go. They understand what a win the 12th ranked team in the country would mean for the program, so much so that the school cancelled its classes Friday to celebrate the occasion of Friday Night football. James Franklin’s history with Maryland also makes for an intriguing storyline, as it does every year. 

If this game were at Beaver Stadium, I’d have no problem picking the Nittany Lions to win. Because it is on the road, however, Penn State could go down, and it will be in a world of hurt if that happens. 

A loss at Maryland wouldn’t exactly instill confidence for a team with a schedule that features Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Iowa, and could open the floodgates for a year where not even bowl eligibility is a formality. 

The Nittany Lions are supposed to win tonight. They are the team that's ranked. They have the more established program. They have more talented athletes on the field. But they’ve also proven zilch through three games. A win over Maryland on the road in primetime would prove something. It wouldn’t make Penn State the Big 10 favorites, but it would set a positive tone for the rest of the 2019 season.

On the contrary, a loss could kill the campaign before it really starts.