P O S T S E A S O N P R E V I E W >> P E N N S T A T E
=uence the outcome when Penn State
and Washington meet. Said Franklin,
"All that's going to matter is the two
teams that are lining up this year.
"At the end of the day, it's going to
come down to the team that's most pre-
pared to play in that game and the teams
that make plays when the opportunities
are there," the Lions' fourth-year coach
continued. "This game is about execu-
tion. So the history is great and we're
excited to be back there and I'm excited
to be going for the enses will square o> against defensive
counterparts of equal measure when the
Nittany Lions and Huskies meet in the
Fiesta Bowl. Although Penn State play-
ers, coaches and especially fans would
have undoubtedly preferred a spot in the
College Football Playo>, this matchup is
still a worthy litmus test for a Nittany
Lion program seeking validation against
a top-15 opponent this season.
Matchups between Penn State's o>en-
sive line and Washington's outstanding
defensive front will be key, as will the
Lions' ability to limit quarterback Jake
Browning and his o>ensive playmakers.
Each side has had critical injuries to
overcome, but Penn State appears likely
to be in a healthier spot come game
time. This one looks like a coin =ip to
me, but given their relative good health,
I'll give the Lions the slightest edge.
PREDICTION
PENN STATE................................................ 35
WASHINGTON.............................................34
PHIL
GROSZ
BWI
PUBLISHER
This could turn out to be one of the
best bowl matchups of the 2017 post-
season. It features a potent Penn State
o>ense that averages 453.2 yards per
game, ranks ense is
also blessed with a running back whom
many regard as the best in the country
in Saquon Barkley?
Washington, meanwhile, is ranked
ensive line has struggled against
lesser opponents than the Huskies.
Another problem for Penn State is that
Washington has an excellent QB in Jake
Browning. The Lions have been lit up by
several of the Big Ten's better pass-catch
combos, and Browning-to-Dante Pettis is
every bit as good as Tanner Lee-to-Stan-
ley Morgan. To win this game, Penn State
is going to need a heroic e>ort from Trace
McSorley and great showings from the of-
fensive and defensive lines. I'm not con-
vinced it's going to go three for three.
PREDICTION
WASHINGTON.............................................34
PENN STATE................................................. 31
