Penn State stays at No. 7 in latest CFP rankings

If the Badgers don’t get help via a loss by either Washington or Clemson this weekend, they’ll need to beat Penn State in dominating fashion to have even a chance at making the field. Also, special teams is probably the area of most improvement this season for the Nittany Lions.

Though he didn’t play in the fourth quarter Saturday against Michigan State after leaving with an injury, Barkley is coming off his worst rushing performance of the season: 14 yards on 12 carries. Offensively, Penn State started slow, but it is moving the ball well now. They finished 7-6 last season, suffering a 24-17 loss to Georgia in the TaxSlayer Bowl.

“I can’t wait to see how the committee handles the Big Ten champion, Penn State or Wisconsin, verse a MI, who’s already ahead of them”, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said on Tuesday’s CFP selection show. Wisconsin finds a way to win and ends all the discussion of who should go to the final four. The passing yardage is the fourth-best single-season output in Penn State history.

¯ Wisconsin won at Purdue, 49-20.

If Wisconsin (10-2, No. 6 CFP) wins, the committee could logically pick Ohio State based on its overtime win over the Badgers in Madison on October 15. Penn State clobbered the Spartans at home, 45-12. The victor will likely need both No. 3 Clemson and No. 4 Washington to lose its conference title games as No. 5 MI is positioned to be the first benefactor should the Tigers or Huskies stumble. PSU earned the championship game berth by beating Ohio State during the regular season, 24-21.

But, as Chryst pointed out, there is one very important factor when it comes to common opponents.

“Theyve been playing insane, ” cornerback John Reid said. Take, for example, the loss to MI. Penn State defensive back Marcus Allen was 5 yards off the line of scrimmage.

Wisconsin played MI the very next week and had a strong defensive game, yet its offense fizzled in the 14-7 loss.

“It’s not like we have enough bodies on the scout team with different skill sets to say “you’re going to do this or do that”, Franklin said. Penn State fans were hopeful of an upset but not optimistic.

Earlier this week, quarterback Trace McSorley recounted the first time he truly recognized Barkley’s stunning potential. Together, the two signal-callers have combined for over 2,150 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 picks.

“If we come out the same way we did against Minnesota, the same thing is going to happen”, Edwards said. “He competes, has a great energy about him and obviously is talented, makes plays with his arms and makes plays with his feet”.

He’s slight at 6-foot and 205 pounds, but McSorley’s ability to run and extend plays with this feet make him extremely hard to defend.

“Filling out the four-team bracket will become the most controversial decision the committee has had to make in the short Playoff era”, said panelist and USA TODAY Sports college football reporter George Schroeder. Once he got the job he just wanted to put this team on a positive path and he hasn’t looked back ever since. While they have now won three of their last four games SU, this defense has allowed an average of 27.3 points during this same span of games.

“I know he got on the bike (Sunday) and did some things, said he felt good after that, but we’ll probably just take it day-by-day here”, Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said of Hornibrook.