Penn State's Chances in Tense Match-up Against Notre Dame

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00:00As far as Penn State, you're exactly right.

00:02I mean, you look at this team, and over the last three seasons,

00:05they've lost exactly one game as an underdog, one.

00:09Or one game as a favorite, I'm sorry.

00:11One to Ole Miss in a peach bowl.

00:13And they've won one game as an underdog.

00:15And they're 1 and 5, or they've covered one game

00:18as an underdog, 0 and 6 against the spread.

00:20So it's really tough to pick Penn State in this situation.

00:25But this game still feels like a coin flip to me.

00:29Because Penn State's right there with them.

00:32They do some things that Notre Dame does well, and vice versa.

00:35Both teams like to run the football.

00:37Drew Aller has to be lights out in this game,

00:39can't turn the football over.

00:41And if those things happen, then the Nittany Lions

00:44are going to have a chance to win here

00:45and get a chance for James Franklin

00:48to play in a national championship game.

00:50So I heard someone today say that this kid, Riley Leonard,

00:54has to be able to throw the ball.

00:56Well, I haven't seen that yet.

01:00I haven't seen him throw the ball.

01:02To who?

01:03He didn't throw anything.

01:04He ran for more yards than he threw

01:07for in the game against Georgia.

01:10I thought he played a great game, smart game.

01:12And I thought he ran the ball well and effectively.

01:14And he came up big running.

01:16But I've never seen that guy throw the ball effectively.

01:20And I got to be honest, I've seen Aller throw picks.

01:24I've seen him throw plenty of picks.

01:27Well, and Scott, Riley Leonard doesn't

01:30throw the ball down the field.

01:31They didn't throw a pass of 20 yards or more against Georgia.

01:33So they're going to keep the short passing game.

01:35I don't think they're going to change that.

01:36Whether or not Abdul Carter plays or not,

01:38they'll get the ball to Jordan Faison.

01:40They're going to try to run the ball.

01:42They use Riley Leonard like an old school fullback

01:46with the 10 to 12 carries, five yards a carry.

01:48He's basically a fullback in a quarterback's body

01:50that throws it a little bit.

01:51And for Notre Dame, it's just not turning the ball over.

01:55If they don't turn the ball over and they pick up

01:57one or two turnovers against Penn State,

01:59they're going to be in business in this game.

02:01I think their defense is somehow underrated

02:04with how they force turnovers, play on that side of the ball,

02:08and continue to do the things that they're

02:10doing with Marcus Freeman and Al Golden,

02:11the defensive coordinator.

02:14You know, I remember when Al Golden was the Miami head

02:18coach, all right?

02:20And now look at him.

02:22Let me ask you this question.

02:24You saw Brian Kelly leave South Bend

02:27thinking that he had greener pastures down

02:29in the SEC in the bayou at Baton Rouge with LSU.

02:34And the bottom line is, it's been a nightmare for him,

02:38as far as I'm concerned, down there at LSU.

02:40Because believe me, if he loses two games next year,

02:42they're going to call for his head.

02:44I mean, they're going to call for his head.

02:46The fans aren't going to have it.

02:47So here comes Marcus Freeman.

02:50He gets this job.

02:52And he walks into this job in South Bend.

02:54And look what he's done with it.

02:55Not only has he won, he's playing

02:57in the national semifinal.

02:59And they just gave him a fat new extension.

03:02Who's laughing now at who made the worst decision?

03:06I think Brian Kelly leaving South Bend was the biggest

03:08mistake of his life.

03:10Well, that and look at how NIL has changed the landscape

03:13over the last two years.

03:15And I know you appreciate this like I do.

03:17I'm an Ohio kid.

03:19Michigan wins the last national championship.

03:21And this year you have three of the traditional Midwest

03:24slash Rust Belt programs.

03:26I don't know if you consider Penn State Midwest,

03:29but they're in the big 10.

03:30So they count.

03:31Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State,

03:33doing what they've been able to do.

03:35And because they have good NIL,

03:37because they have good talent development,

03:39they have good coaches.

03:40And I think part of it is they have good offensive

03:42and defensive lines as well.

03:44I was talking to Adam Brenneman about that yesterday.

03:46That was the point he made,

03:48that they have these good interior lines.

03:50Michigan was like that last year.

03:51And defense as well.

03:53Defense wins championships.

03:54Now the four teams in this playoff

03:57ranked in the top five in scoring defense.

03:59The only other one was Ole Miss and the Rebels.

04:03Maybe they had a case about getting in the playoff

04:05when you consider that statistic.

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