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Which team still has something to play for? College GameDay crew breaks down Penn State-Nebraska matchup
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Saturday’s game between Penn State and Nebraska will be a battle of the winless.
So far, Scott Frost’s Huskers are 0-2 while James Franklin’s Nittany Lions are 0-3. Both teams have had their share of frustrations.
For Nebraska, lackluster quarterback play by Adrian Martinez has ignited a quarterback battle. For Penn State, the medical retirement of Journey Brown has overshadowed some really disappointing play and the blowout loss to Maryland.
During Saturday’s College GameDay, the entire crew discussed the showdown of winless teams. For Kirk Herbstreit, he’s been confused by the play of the Nittany Lions and lack of balance offensively:
“I can just not figure Penn State out,” said Herbstreit. “Their turnover margin is destroying them. They can’t run the ball, and it’s putting Sean Clifford and the offense in a difficult spot to have any kind of balance. Their defense — they’re giving up big plays through the air, they’re not getting home. It’s just, there’s a lot of things not going well.”
For Desmond Howard, he sees a low-scoring game that gives Nebraska a chance due to the rushing attack of the Huskers:
“I think Nebraska has a shot,” said Howard. “I think they run the ball pretty well. Don’t know who’s going to start at quarterback. It’s going to be an old-school, low-scoring game.”
David Pollack did not have many positives to say about the Huskers, but he did say they look better than 2019:
“That’s the best thing you can say about [Nebraska], they’re better than they were last year,” explained Pollack.
Herbstreit wrapped it up by explaining that it really comes down to which team is more motivated on Saturday:
“Which coach can still get his team to care? Which coach can get his team to believe there’s still something to play for,” Herbstreit asked.
We will find out soon. Saturday’s kickoff is set for 12 pm EST on FS1.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.