The matchup between the West Virginia Mountaineers and Penn State Nittany Lions has the biggest Week One implications of any game on Saturday’s slate.
Many experts believe it could mean playoff elimination for the Nittany Lions should James Franklin’s team wind up on the losing end of the game.
During the halftime break in Friday’s matchup between Wisconsin and Western Michigan, former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer made a serious statement about the importance of the game relative to Penn State’s College Football Playoff hopes.
“They’d better win tomorrow or no chance,” Meyer said. “If they win tomorrow, they have a chance, and here’s why. Coach Franklin made a big decision. He decided to scrap the old offense and go new. You know why? Because they really struggled in the big games against Ohio State and the Wolverines. They hired Andy Kotelnicki from Kansas. He’s very aggressive and does a lot of different things. When you watch his offense, Brady, there are three things he does all the time. No. 1, he throws the ball downfield. They were No. 1 in the country in percentage of passes over 15 yards. Ironically, Penn State was 130th. The question is, though, does Penn State have the skill outside to throw the ball downfield?”
Penn State’s offensive woes have been a major talking point leading up to their Week One matchup vs. West Virginia, which prompted the move to bring in a former Big 12 OC as offensive coordinator.
The Mountaineers, however, have quickly become one of the most talked about College Football Playoff sleepers, thanks to an impressive cast of athletes, including Garrett Greene, CJ Donaldson, Jaheim White, and many more. It also doesn’t hurt to have the support of one of ESPN’s biggest personalities, Pat McAfee, as a vocal alumni.
West Virginia and Penn State will play in FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff game at 11 a.m. CT in Morgantown.
