Penn State head coach James Franklin has achieved many milestones over the course of his tenure, and he has the opportunity to achieve another milestone this weekend. Since taking over the program in 2014, the Nittany Lions have never gone undefeated on the road. A win against Minnesota this Saturday would change that.

Of course, not having to play Michigan or Ohio State on the road this year compared to previous years plays a role in that, but it would still represent something you don’t see all that often in modern college football.

But before we get too far ahead, it should be noted that the Golden Gophers are not a team that Penn State can take lightly. A loss to Rutgers two weeks ago doesn’t look great, but PSU fans know that Minnesota has given the Nittany Lions their fair share of close games over the years. In fact, it was just a few years ago, in 2019, that the Gophers defeated a Penn State squad that happened to be ranked fourth in the country at the time, 31-26. Add to that the 29-26 overtime win for PSU in 2016 – and I dare say 1999 – and this is a game that everyone should be fully focused on.

How will Saturday’s match go? Our employees provide their predictions below.

Nate Bauer (season record – 9-1)

Minnesota has been pretty good defensively this season, but hasn’t faced an offense as capable as Penn State’s when operating at its best. The Lions have been quite good offensively this season, but have been down against the better defenses they have faced on the schedule.

Minnesota’s offense isn’t great. Penn State’s defense is.

Buoyed by the momentum of a strong first half against Washington offensively, which turned into four very good quarters at Purdue last week, the Nittany Lions will have a chance to continue moving in an enviable direction against a Minnesota program that has outpaced its opponents achieved their victories. this year. In what I expect will be a step back from the 35- and 49-point games of the past two weeks, Penn State’s ability to largely control the tenor of the game, especially on the defensive side of the ball, may not endanger.

Either way, as we need to pile up wins in convincing fashion en route to what the program hopes will be its first College Football Playoff berth, this is an opportunity I think the Nittany Lions are ready to seize.

Penn State: 26
Minnesota: 13

Sean Fitz (season record – 10-0)

This is certainly the most difficult situation/scenario for Penn State over the final month of the season. The Nittany Lions head to Minneapolis where PJ Vlek and the Gophers are hoping to play some sort of spoiler. That definitely doesn’t mean Minnesota is a world beater, but home field advantage and a solid defense are a good place to start.

That said, it’s hard to see Minnesota’s offense causing too much panic for the Nittany Lions defense. The Gophers last time out was a 26-19 road loss at Rutgers. While a bye week can clear up some of that, I keep going back to the fact that a beat-up Scarlet Knights team handled both lines of scrimmage in the win. Rutgers has to Max Brosmer four times and had eight tackles for loss. That seems like good news Abdul Carter and company.

Will the Nittany Lions keep up the efficient first halves of the past two weeks? If so, this could be a comfortable ride. This is Penn State’s third CBS afternoon game of the season. In the first two together, Tyler Warren has 25 catches for 351 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Add in four carries for 67 yards and a score on the ground and it’s no surprise he earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors both times. Perhaps a third standout performance could land him his own NCIS spinoff.

Penn State: 31
Minnesota: 13

Thomas Frank Carr (season record – 9-1)

Minnesota’s defense poses a major challenge to Penn State’s offense, with back-to-back wins over Washington and Purdue. Unlike the Huskies, Minnesota’s defense can back up its statistical excellence with quality film. The defensive line is sturdy, aggressive and smart, while the secondary plays with awareness and advanced techniques. If Penn State can handle this group the same way it did the last two games, it will show significant growth and development.

Minnesota’s offense doesn’t bring the same danger to this play. Max Brosmer is a good college quarterback, but the team lacks the speed and weapons around him to make it a real play. Penn State’s defensive line and front seven have proven that even when they don’t always play a clean game, they can get hot and dominate against the run.

It may be a classic Penn State effort, but the Lions should get the job done.

Penn State: 27
Minnesota: 10

Matt Herb (season record – 9-1)

It’s been 25 years since Minnesota scuttled Penn State’s bid for the 1999 national championship in one of the most crushing defeats of the Paterno era, and it’s been five years since the Gophers dealt a devastating blow to the play off-bid from PSU in 2019 in one of the more deflating performances of the Franklin era.

With the Nittany Lions returning to Minneapolis for the first time since the 2019 game in which their late comeback attempt fell short, is there more disappointment in store this week? It’s possible. The Gophers had won four in a row and were one of the Big Ten’s hottest teams before throwing away their game at Rutgers on November 9. They’ve beaten USC and Illinois, and might have beaten Michigan if not for a questionable offside. at the end. They also have a bye week, which should be particularly helpful at this late stage of the season when every team is dealing with injuries.

Still, the Gophers are averaging 25 points per game against Big Ten opponents. Throw away a 48-23 drubbing of Maryland, and that average drops to 21.2 points. Will they be able to muster enough offense against Penn State, which allows just 13.8 points per game against conference foes and excels at putting opponents in unfavorable down-and-distance situations? That’s an open question.

With an opportunistic defense that ranks fourth in the FBS with 16 interceptions, Minnesota certainly seems to have the potential to play spoiler again. The most likely scenario, however, is that Penn State scores enough to keep its playoff bid on track.

Penn State: 27
Minnesota: 17

Greg Pickel (season record – 10-0)

Minnesota has only lost one game by more than one touchdown this season. It’s 7-2-1 against the spread. Penn State, on the other hand, is just 5-5 against the numbers this year, but has seven double-digit wins. These numbers don’t mean much for this weekend’s matchup between the Golden Gophers and Nittany Lions, but it’s worth pointing out that the home team’s defense or the away team’s offense will decide which seasonal trend will continue.

Penn State will be tested by one of the better defenses it has seen so far this season. However, we heard similar concerns against Washington, and that turned out not to be an issue, even though the game was at home and in front of a White Out crowd. Either way, the Lions know what’s at stake and won’t allow 2019 to repeat itself. First off, that was a much better Minnesota team. And second, in our opinion, this Lions team is better equipped to win on the road, as they have already shown this season.

The Lions cover the spread by double digits and leave Minneapolis victorious.

Penn State: 24
Minnesota: 10

Ryan Snyder (season record – 10-0)

Not only can Penn State not afford to lose either of its final two games, but I still believe they need to look sharp in the final two weeks to guarantee a home playoff game. I get it; Current projections have them playing safely at home as a sixth division, but I still think there’s a real chance they finish lower than No. 6 once we get through the conference championship games. At the national level, many people doubt PSU’s victories. Even wins against Minnesota or Maryland will only fuel that fire.

The main matchup I’m focused on this week is Penn State’s pass rush against Minnesota’s offensive line. Aireontae ersery in return for Abdul Carter is a matchup between two likely first-round picks, but aside from Ersery, I think Penn State’s remaining defensive linemen all have the advantage in their matchups. Quarterback Max Brosmer was decent this year, throwing only four interceptions. However, three of those came against the two best defenses he faced this year: Michigan and Iowa. Penn State comes in statistically better than both teams. Analytically, there is also a huge difference in how he performs when under pressure.

Minnesota’s secondary has 16 interceptions this season Drew Allar has to play, but that is certainly one of his strengths and always has been. However, an 11.5 point spread feels a bit too high. I predict Penn State will take a double-digit lead sometime in the third quarter before allowing a possible backdoor coverage late.

Penn State: 24
Minnesota: 17