No. 19 Nebraska Cornhuskers at No. 12 Penn State Nittany Lions
Saturday, 11/12/11, 12:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Nebraska -2
Current Betting Line: Nebraska -3.5
Opening Total: 43
Current Total: 43
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Nebraska travels to face Penn State this week and nobody knows what the atmosphere will be like in University Park, PA, with the firing of Nittany Lions head coach Joe Paterno. Even the school’s chancellor is concerned about participating in the game, while head coach Bo Pelini is worried about his own team’s problems heading into the contest. “You have to be living there and I’ve got enough problems of my own,” Pelini stated on Monday. “It seems to be an unfortunate situation and they’re working through it the best they can.” Nebraska is 3-6 ATS this season and the ‘under’ is 21-14 in the past two-plus campaigns.
The Cornhuskers are coming off a disappointing 28-25 loss to the Northwestern Wildcats, snapping a three-game winning streak. Nebraska finished the game with a season-low 122 rushing yards, while sophomore quarterback Taylor Martinez completed 28-of-37 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns. The program will be facing its third ranked opponent of the year, posting a 1-1 record in those games thus far, including a 24-3 win over the Michigan State Spartans on Oct. 29.
Penn State will likely have a hard time focusing on football, with news breaking that former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was charged with serious allegations involving eight young boys. Paterno had announced that he’d retire at the end of the season, but the school’s hierarchy ended his reign at the school Wednesday night. “I am disappointed with the Board of Trustees’ decision, but I have to accept it,” he stated. He finishes with a 409-136-3 record during his 46 seasons at the school, which is the most wins for any FBS coach. Penn State is 13-19 ATS over the last two-plus seasons.
The Nittany Lions will be celebrating the play of twenty seniors who will be playing their final game in Beaver Stadium. Penn State’s current class has tallied a 37-11 record since the start of the 2008 season, which is actually one of the best marks nationally. The program has earned a 5-0 conference record for the fourth time since joining the Big Ten, while posting a perfect 6-0 mark in games decided by 10 points or less this year. Running back Silas Redd is the team’s leader offensively, gaining 1,006 rushing yards, making him the 12th player in school history to run over the 1,000-yard mark.
Bettors will likely back the Cornhuskers due to their 5-1 ATS mark as a road favorite of 3.5 to 10 points, while the Nittany Lions are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games.
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