Lip-reading bettors think Penn State QB Sean Clifford said ‘we have to cover’ against Michigan State, and they loved it

Was Clifford trying to cover the spread?

The thing about trying to decipher what a person is saying without audio is you can make yourself believe they’re saying just about anything.

So, if you were watching Penn State play against Michigan State on Saturday, and you had money on the Nittany Lions to cover the spread at around 19 points, and the lead was only 12 after a late touchdown, that might’ve been where your mind was when cameras shifted to Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford on the sideline.

And it might have looked like Clifford was telling a teammate “we have to cover” after throwing a touchdown to put Penn State ahead 28-16.

OK, so maybe it does look like that. But “cover” has dual meanings in sports. So it’s completely possible he was saying the team has to “cover” — play some defense — to secure the win after allowing touchdowns on consecutive drives to the Spartans.

It’s also possible he didn’t say that at all. Maybe he was saying “we have to convert.”

But neither of those scenarios are as fun as thinking Clifford might’ve had the spread in mind. Especially not after he went out and threw another touchdown on the next drive to put Penn State ahead by exactly 19.

In that moment, he became a man of the people.