Penn State hits the road one final time in 2024 with the opportunity to host a first-round College Football Playoff game coming into reach. But this week’s road trip to Minnesota is not to be taken lightly as Penn State has come up empty on each of its last two trips to Minnesota. The Nittany Lions are a big favorite on the road this weekend but Minnesota is coming off a bye week and P.J. Fleck will have his guys riled up to pull off a major upset at the end of the regular season that could shake up the playoff bracket projections.
Can Penn State avoid the upset and return home knowing it is one win away from locking up a spot in the College Football Playoff, and likely staying home for the first round?
Here are our staff predictions for this weekend’s matchup between Penn State and Minnesota.
Charlie: Minnesota must be respected and I am sure James Franklin made sure of that with his team this week. The Golden Gophers don’t generate explosive plays and that will make it challenging to knock off an elite defense. The successfulness of Minnesota’s running game will tell if the Gophers have any chance at pulling off the upset. Minnesota is 5-0 when it rushes for more than 80 yards and 1-4 when it doesn’t hit that number. The Nittany Lions must limit Darius Taylor’s impact on the ground.
It will be tough to score for both teams and turnovers will likely make the difference with Minnesota’s defense thriving in taking the ball away. Penn State playing a clean game likely means leaving Minneapolis with a win and a near-guaranteed College Football Playoff spot.
Penn State 27, Minnesota 14
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Shayne: Penn State is trying to put a bow on what should be an 11-1 season and a berth in the College Football Playoffs. Minnesota offers a strong challenge this week, however, sitting at 6-4 and 4-1 record in their last five games.
Minnesota’s calling card is their strong defense, allowing just 17.7 points per game. Penn State’s offense may have a difficult time moving the ball consistently, but their defense should create the same problem for Minnesota’s lackluster offense. I expect this to be a close game throughout, but the better offense wins out in the end.
Penn State 28, Minnesota 17
Kevin: The way Penn State has been playing since losing to Ohi State has been nothing but encouraging. Back-to-back blowout victories tell me this team is locked in and ready to wrap up a first-round home playoff game this postseason. Taking that agenda on the road for the final time will be no easy task as Minnesota has some players that can make some things dicey at times. But this Penn State defense is not about to let the Gophers be much of a sustained threat Saturday afternoon.
Other than Ohio State, this will be the best defense Penn State has faced this season. A rocky start by the offense would not be surprising and Minnesota could seize the momentum early on, so the defense will be tasked with keeping things from getting out of hand. Eventually, the offense will figure out how to move the ball and put some points on the board. Penn State, in the second half, has been solid, so that will pay off one more time this weekend.
Penn State 31, Minnesota 16
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