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focus on the task at hand. I'm never going to say that one game is more important than the other, except for the game that we are playing right now. That's the message that I was trying to say last year. That's the message I think for the people who cover us consistently. I come in here every single week and say that. So for the people who cover us consistently, I think that message has been pretty consistent." The distinction that Franklin makes – that every game is a Super Bowl, not just one or two – is in keeping with the staff's desire to get to the highest level of a sport in which any regular-season loss could tor- pedo a playoff bid. It's also in keeping with a cold reality: If Penn State is going to contend for the Big Ten or national championship this year, it doesn't have much margin for error. Last week's overtime victory over Appalachian State exposed some concerns on the offen- sive and defensive fronts, in the secondary and even in the kicking game. The Nittany Lions were outgained by App State, 451 yards to 434, and needed heroic efforts from Trace McSorley, K.J. Hamler and Amani Oruwariye among others to avoid a huge upset. And now they're headed into a stadium where they gave up 28 first-half points two years ago in a 42-39 loss. They'll be facing a Pitt team that, for all its difficulties breaking out of the Atlantic Coast Confer- ence's second tier, has kept Penn State and Miami out of the College Football Playoff in recent years and was the only team to defeat Clemson during its 2016 national championship season. The Panthers opened their current sea- son with a 33-7 victory over Albany. It was a workmanlike win, as sophomore Kenny Pickett hit all 13 of his first-half passing at- tempts and finished with 16 completions in 22 attempts for 154 yards and two touch- downs. On the ground, Qadree Ollison gained 73 yards on only seven carries, and Pitt's veteran defensive front held the Great Danes to just 60 yards rushing. The 26- point margin of victory might have seemed underwhelming given that Albany was a Football Championship Subdivision oppo- nent, but as Franklin noted, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi "plays very vanilla in game one and has some things that he's going to show in game two, and especially in a game like this, that he hasn't shown." A more telling indication of Pitt's poten- tial might have been last year's final game, in which Pickett, making the first start of his career, threw for 193 yards and rushed for 60 in a 24-14 upset of Miami at Heinz Field that knocked the Hurricanes out of playoff contention. "Obviously, he's been able to step up and play big in big games," Franklin said. The Panthers will get another boost if cornerback Dane Jackson, safety Phil Campbell III and offensive tackle Alex Bookser are ready to play. All three sat out the Albany game, but Jackson and Bookser are listed as starters on this week's depth chart, and Campbell is second team at strong safety. In contrast to the egalitarian approach that Franklin has taken, insisting that every game is a Super Bowl, Narduzzi has ac- cepted that his players are probably going to be more amped up this week than they were for Albany. "It's an in-state rivalry game. It's impor- tant in the state of Pennsylvania," he said. "We've said this all the time in these rivalry games: You either walk the streets or you're going to walk the alleys after the game. You're going to sneak out of Heinz Field, walk where you don't have to see anybody, or walk out with your chest up and chin up, walk right down the middle of everybody and say, 'Here we are, let's go.' "To me, it means a lot." S E P T E M B E R   5 ,   2 0 1 8 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 3 NATE BAUER 1-0 | So much has changed for Penn State in the two years since it last played at Heinz Field. What hasn't changed, of course, is the young man directing the of- fense: quarterback Trace McSorley. The Lions' 42-39 loss that day was a formative expe- rience in his development as a player and leader, and given the opportunity to reverse the narrative of that game, McSorley will want to do exactly that. It will be a bit closer than some would expect, but Penn State's offense can overcome the growing pains this team will continue to experience defensively. | PENN STATE 42, PITT 36 PHIL GROSZ 1-0 | There is no question in my mind that this Saturday's game against Pitt could end up being the defining moment of Penn State's 2018 season. For the Nittany Lions to win this game, the offense must put together a consistent performance in all four quarters. That's against a Pitt defense that returns nine starters and that limited PSU to 312 yards last season. Pitt's offense should be capable of scoring some points against a Penn State defense that lacks game experience at the linebacker position. This game will determine if the Lions will be ready for its difficult Big Ten conference schedule. Trace McSorley will end up being the reason Penn State wins. | PENN STATE 27, PITT 17 MATT HERB 1-0 | Penn State barely survived last week's opener against Appalachian State, and that game took place in the friendly confines of Beaver Stadium, where the Lions haven't lost since 2015. Now they must go to Pittsburgh, where they haven't won in two decades. There are a couple of caveats that bear mentioning, of course. They have only played two games in Pittsburgh since defeating the Panthers, 20-13, at Pitt Stadium in September 1998. Moreover, given the large number of Penn State alums who reside in the 412 area code, this Saturday's game will be more like a neutral-site clash than a straight-up Pitt home game. Penn State's youthful defense suffered its share of lapses last Saturday, so it's hard to feel entirely confident. But if Kevin Givens is back from his sus- pension, that could shore up some problems up front, and you would like to think that the experience of winning a tight game will help with the development of the team's many young contributors. | PENN STATE 34, PITT 31 TIM OWEN 1-0 | Another high-scoring affair at Heinz Field, one that again will be too close for comfort for the Nittany Lions. But this time, Trace McSorley will find a way to pre- vail. | PENN STATE 44, PITT 35 RYAN SNYDER 1-0 | Penn State is better a team than it showed against Appalachian State. However, I expect Pitt to put up some points, so we could see a game similar to the one between these two teams in 2016. Look for a bigger dose of Miles Sanders and less ro- tation on defense. It will be closer than most Penn State fans would like, but in the end, the Lions will leave Heinz Field 2-0. | PENN STATE 42, PITT 37 S T A F F P R E D I C T I O N S

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