Penn State vs Maryland Prediction and Preview: Win and In for the Nittany Lions

What will happen if Penn State loses?

People in the College Football Playoff know that Notre Dame could be in trouble if it loses to USC and that Indiana can not lose to Purdue. It is also a problem if any of the two-loss teams in the mix loses a third time. But what if the Nittany Lions mess this up?

Penn State is 10-1, but it has not been very good—it had a hard time beating Minnesota, and too many games required too much work.

It does not matter. Get into the College Football Playoff if you win.

The state of Maryland comes next. But it lost six of its last seven games. It shocked USC, beat Virginia, and was not bad against Indiana. If the Terps win this, it will be their season.

Penn State vs Maryland: How to Watch and Game Preview

Date: Saturday, November 30, 2024
Game Time: 3:30 pm ET
How To Watch: Big Ten Network
Venue: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
Teams: Penn State (10-1), Maryland (4-7)

Why Maryland Will Win

The Penn State secondary needs to be pressed as you throw.

Even though Penn State’s defense has been great, it has not had to deal with many teams that can bomb away. A lot of teams are going to throw the ball down the field, like USC, Illinois, and Washington. Ohio State was able to connect enough to keep moving.

Maryland is going to throw it at least 40 times. They need to keep trying long shots and hope they connect. When the Terps throw for more than 335 yards, they are 3-0, and…

Why Penn State Will Win

Penn State has yet to allow more than 255 passing yards.

Maryland has no running game to worry about, and on the other side, there’s no pass rush whatsoever to deal with. Penn State should have plenty of time to be steady.

The offense might be accused of being too cautious, but there’s a method to how this all works.

Don’t make mistakes – just nine turnovers on the season and three game against USC – rely on the defense, and keep control of the tempo.

Penn State vs Maryland: Who Will Win?

Maryland will do everything they can to end this game with a shootout. This is the problem: even with all the yards, the points are not coming.

Penn State will run, but Maryland will throw. Penn State’s running game will get 40 carries for more than 150 yards, and the defense will take over with three interceptions and a few stops in the red zone.

That is it for now. One more home game in the first round of the College Football Playoff is coming up.