Penn State at Pittsburgh 2018: Prediction Roundtable

Corey Hunter, Contributor

Whether you consider in-state foe, Pittsburgh, to be a “rival” or not, there is no denying that players on both sides have a little extra juice for the contest.

This weekend the Nittany Lions travels to the land of Heinz to square off against the Panthers in the third installment of this series. Both teams have captured a game on their home turf, and each team is looking to showcase their skills in front of a national television audience.

Pitt defeated Albany last weekend 33-7. Showing very little of their hand, the Panthers managed to provide enough offense to put away the visitors from upstate New York.

Penn State, meanwhile, struggled to find consistency on offense against Appalachian State last weekend. Yes they scored 45 points, but is was in bursts rather than a continual effort.

This week, Penn State appears to have the upper hand on the offensive line (been awhile since we could say that!) and, in my opinion, they have the better offensive weapons at quarterback, running back, and receiver. Pitt, however, probably has the better defense from defensive line to the secondary. So who wins?

I think this game comes down to which defense can generate pressure on the opposing quarterback and force them into turnovers or long down-and-distance situations. With the likely return of DT Kevin Givens, the Nittany Lions can hopefully slow the run game and get more pressure – two factors that alluded them last weekend.

All along I felt this game would be close for a lot longer than the “experts” believed even when the Lions were 14-point favorites. I’m going with Penn State to ultimately get the win, but the national audience, coupled with a home night game for Pittsburgh, leaves this game in doubt until the later stages.

Penn State – 33
Pittsburgh – 27