3. It’s personal
It has to be a little personal for Chop Robinson on Saturday.
This is the team he committed to and signed with. The team he spent his first ever college season with, and now he plays for their hated rival.
The Maryland players are going to be amped up to play him, especially the offensive linemen. This is Robinson’s chance to make a statement.
It’s unfair to say there’s pressure on the sophomore defensive end, but there is going to be some. His team needs him to perform well in order to win, and there is the aspect of proving your old team wrong.
Any player wants to make the program they transferred away from regret what happened. The player wants to show that they made the right decision and it’s the team’s loss. Some will admit it, some won’t, but most do feel this way. It’s human nature to want to prove people wrong.
The telecast is going to mention, there are articles, like this one, already written about it. It’s a big story for both sides considering how big of a recruit Robinson was and now the player he’s turning into.
All eyes are going to be on No. 44 in blue on Saturday, whether it’s fair or not, most of the storylines are going to be about Chop Robinson. It’s an interesting story and one Penn State wants to be on the winning end of.