Penn State vs West Virginia Game Preview | College Football Game Predictions

welcome back to another episode of rock boys football officially week one in one of the more underrated matchups that we're going to see week one Penn State heading on the road to play West Virginia all the college football fans all the national media analysts want to talk about Georgia Clemson and Miami Florida look we're excited about those football games as well but you look at Penn State heading on the road to a West Virginia team that went nine and three last year this is a fascinating game you're already starting to see some of the players go back and forth on Twitter this is going to be a CH game this is going to be an electric environment in Morgantown West Virginia as well fire me up for this one want to get into a few key matchups obviously give the game predictions these two teams match up in a I think a very unique way where you look at West Virginia they want to run the football a lot they're going to be running the football against the defense that was number one in the country in rushing defense last year but they also want to throw the football down the field Penn State has to replace a couple of names in the secondary want to get into some of those matchups now before we do an as always won would love to hear from you guys in the comments section the best part about doing these game predictions is talking ball with you guys whether you agree with the takes whether you just disagree with the takes whether you're mixing it up with opposing fan bases that is the best part about this so would love to hear from yall if you guys do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel and then without further Ado I I personally want to start with this Penn State offense going up against this West Virginia Defense because I want to dig into you know what do you think coach cotel Micki brings to this Penn State offense I mean I think at the end of the day he's gonna bring some more creativity I yes Penn State get into their ruts and obviously they always move the ball against the teams they should have beaten and the teams they out talented because they could always run it they have a lot of skill I think people don't kind of realize that but it felt like when they got into those big games they just have like clammy offensive coordinators who got really really scared and just went to really really basic things when you look at coldon Nikki there's always a lot going on there's a lot of movement there's a lot of pre-nap movement and they do try to get really creative so that's kind of what I'm going to be looking for from Penn State in this game and obviously I think there's probably some level where Penn State might just be simply good enough to move the ball in on West Virginia just like they were last year but I really want to see them try to get to something a little bit different than we I'm just fired up to see what coach cold Nikki wants to do with this Penn State offense where it's a little bit of a different personnel than what we saw with Kansas over the last couple years but the amount of Talent on this offense is probably better than what he had at Kansas and so I look at and the Penn State fans know like I don't think there's a bigger fan of Coach K than I am I used to just when I was feeling down back in the day you know I would just watch the little Kansas offense and it would immediately pick me up D not only creativity but it's like intentional creativity like we are going to attack linebackers we're going to attack safeties with their eyes we're going to give a lot of eye candy how much pre-amp did we see for Penn State last year almost absolutely nothing you saw no sort of wrinkles or creativity and at the end of the day that's how you move the ball in college football yes you want to have stuff that you can go to but you look at all the best offenses they have certain Concepts that Tred to attack the opposing defense I felt like Penn State just you know kind of lacked that last year now I think the big misconception about Coach cold Nikki that I hear in the National media is that he's going to come and kind of reinvigorate this passing attack which he will to an extent you go back to Kansas last year they ran the football 60% of the time that was 12th most in the country so P state is going to run the football they have two of the most talented running backs in the country but the wrinkle that Coach K is going to throw in is when we decide to throw the football we're going to be intentional about hitting explosive plays you look back at Kansas again ran the football most of the time 10.2 yards per pass attempt that was number two in the country what was Penn State looking for the most in their new offensive coordinator was hitting explosive plays in the passing attack that is exactly what coach C Nicki is going to bring it's not going to be some sort of air raid where they're throwing the ball 50 times a game but they're going to be intentional when they do throw to hit those explosive plays and I would think I'd argue that they have some weapons on the outside to manufacture some of those explosive plays a guy like Julian Fleming who I think is flying massively under the radar during this offseason and I I I think the key to it is getting guys in good positions and on the match you want them when you go to that Texas game let's say where Kansas was I mean they were obviously out gone by that team but they had a couple moments where they got a good match up against the safety or got a good matchup against a linebacker and they'd take advantage of it I felt like again when you go to think about what Penn State was always doing it was kind of just like okay go ask Keandre Lambert Smith to go beat the number one corner for Ohio State or Michigan or one of those teams where yes he can do that against the second tier teams let's say third tier teams when he's going up against will Johnson or or Burks those guys are just good I mean you're not just gonna beat them one on one without doing anything creative not consistently enough at least yeah and I I'm also really excited to see what the rushing attack looks like because he got creative running the football as well like it wasn't very Bland and I wouldn't be surprised if you see a lot of two running backs sets one of the things coach cold Nikki is a genius at is looking at his personnel and saying all right who are the best football players on the field how can we get him on the field at the same time and how can we get the football into their hands like two of your best football players are in the backfield what are the creative ways that you can use them in the backfield to get them in space and let them be a little bit more explosive in that rushing attack I I think it's one of the most underrated storylines in all of college football like people would kind of mention it in passing oh new offensive coordinated coach C Nicki coming in I don't think people realize the ramifications that it could have now I do want to switch over to I think a really fascinating matchup where I the I will say it I was a massive fan of what West Virginia did on offense last year where they were going to run the football a lot 62% of the time that was number six in the country West Virginia ran the football just about more than any other program besides the militarys and they had a lot of success doing it 5.2 yards per carry that was top 15 in the country but when they decided to throw the football they were asking gar green to push it and I think there's a really you know kind of shallow analysis with Garett green where people would just look at us complet percentage say but guy completed what 53% of his footballs can't be a good quarterback his average up the target was 13 and a half yards that was double what B Knick's was last year and so that completion percentage statistic needs to be kind of contextualized this West Virginia team asked Garrett green to push the ball down the field often and that could be something West Virginia had some success with where you look at Penn State and say one new defensive coordinator and Tom Allen who I think's a really good eyer but I think the question is how well does this secondary kind of come together under Tom Allen because you are replacing some names that went to the NFL draft can West Virginia find those explosive plays to give them a chance in this football game that's kind of what I'm looking for here and that's G be huge part of it but I think one thing people kind of Overlook as well about Garrick green is by the end of the year they were starting to ask him to play more quarterback if you will that pen State West Virginia game early in the year it was pretty much either you're running the ball or you're throw throwing it down field and there was nothing in between I I think when you're trying to set things up be able to create bigger plays it can't be just a two Dimension like you can't just have two plans of attack if you will and that's kind of all you can go to I think with this West Virginia team when they were at their best like in that Baylor game let's say you saw Garrick green doing everything and when he was playing really well just like straight up quarterback we all know he can run he's very effective he knows how to do it he knows how to handle the ball when he's playing good quarterback he being accurate in the short intermediate range I think that opens up so much for this offense and frankly if they can't do that at all against Penn State Penn State just too good Garrick green needs to be able to do like those a little bit more I I do agree with that and I think there was times last year where West Virginia didn't really have a ton of confidence in Gary green to be a true quarterback that's making all the throws from what I'm hearing coming out of like fall camp and spring practice like there's a lot of confidence within Gary green running this off offense going into this 2024 season so I'm kind of interested to see if they ask a little bit more of him at that quarterback spot couple other things that I would note is one this offensive Line's really good and it's really experienced and I think on paper you lose guys like Frasier and say all they're they're GNA take a step back on the offensive line look Zack Fraser was an awesome offensive lineman one of the best in West maybe the best in West Virginia history that being said they still have you look at the offensive line it's three retro seniors and two guys for going into their fourth year like this is an experienced offensive line multiple guys on the offensive line have over a thousand or 2,000 career snaps I think this offensive line has a chance at you know kind of dealing with Penn State's pass rush to an extent now we didn't see a single team really be able to deal with what Penn State could do rushing the pass or Penn State is going to get theirs that's going to be a really intriguing battle because I like West Virginia's offensive line but you look at Abdul Carter Danny tenis Sutton it those guys are are kind of different animals I think one of the things you're looking for is can West Virginia kind of stay on schedule avoid some of those negative plays that you know Penn State made a living on in the 2023 season and that's why I think Eric Green's ability to run the ball I think is crucial I think we kind of just saw in that George attack Florida State game that ability for the quarterbacks to run can really do a lot in slowing down defensive ends especially when you have to deal with read options and you you got to put some responsibility on those guys to play a little bit less free because if you let yeah Danny Dennis Sutton and Abdullah Carter just kind of Go free like not really any chance you're blocking those guys but again when you have a good athletic running quarterback who is really proficient in running that read option kind of attack you can do a little bit to slow them down and then I I think you're right like West Virginia is not one of those teams that I think will just get blown off the ball and I don't think they are favored in that matchup if you will dep pen State defensive line certainly better than the West Virginia I don't know if I'm taking a single offensive line over Pen's defensive line heading but I also don't think West Virginia is so far below that you'll like turn the TV on and be like oh there's nothing they can do they're not yeah and I think one other thing I have in my notes is West Virginia had over 20 drops last year and it was a problem like you listen to a lot of West Virginia like the the people who are watching West Virginia every single snap and we watched a decent amount of West Virginia like the the drops in big moments were a problem if you want to win this football game you can't have those plays that you give up you know I mean you have to be making those kind of plays to win you this football game d let's get into the pick here the line's been moving down right it opened up we previewed this game about a month ago was around 10 and a half and I kind of said I don't know if I love Penn State outside of 10 points it's down to eight and a half what your pick here yeah it's Penn State under 10 I kind of was like oh outside of 10 it gets a little bit closer but agreed giving not giving them 10 points against West Virginia I again I think penate going to be able to score they could score on teams like West Virginia last year they could score couple teams if there if that gets a little bit like turbocharge let's say by finding some more explosiveness and ability to scheme some things open where it didn't all have to be like hard if you will me Penn State scores a lot of points there's I don't see West Virginia playing with that tip I'm I'm gonna take Penn State too um I like West like I am very high probably one of the higher people around the country on this West Virginia team I think this is such a bad matchup for them like you look at what West Virginia wants to do running the football 62% of the time I just really have a hard time seeing them eat up Penn St on the lines of scrimmage and have success running the football and then that might hurt what they want to do in terms of play action and pushing the ball down the field I think this is a game that's a lot better than a lot of people think it's going to be and if West Virginia can hit some of those explosive plays and you get Garr green you get that High version of Gary green that's Difference Maker that's a dynamic quarterback I think this game can be fun especially at home that being said I'm going to rock with Penn State as well especially inside of 10 points really fun game might a live reaction after this football game because this is going to be a very fun one appreciate you guys rocking with the boys again whether you agree with us whether you disagree would love to hear from yall in the comment section appreciate you guys and we'll talk to y'all later peace