There was a time when Nebraska vs Penn State might have been the “Matt Rhule bowl” with the winner staking its claim on the Huskers’ head coach. While that’s no longer an issue, what is a bit surprising about Saturday night’s tilt is that NU enters Happy Valley as a major underdog, despite the Nittany Lions sitting at 4-6 on the season while the Cornhuskers are 7-3.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Penn State opens the week as 10.5-point favorites. That’s the most they’ve been favored by since the firing of James Franklin. They were only 7-point favorites over Michigan State, a team that is now 3-7 and winless in the Big Ten.
Obviously, some of the reasons Nebraska is such a heavy underdog are that this game is in State College, rather than East Lansing. It’s also the Nittany Lions’ Senior Night, and emotions will be high. But still, that big a spread, when the Huskers have had two weeks to prepare, is surprising to say the least…