Anybody who watched Penn State play football this season observed the same results week in and week out. Those results equaled six wins and six losses with an offense that struggled to score points and a defense that kept them in most of the ball games.

So, it's been quite a while since the Nittany Lions have taken the field and all the same questions are still out there.All of those questions will be answered later today (4 p.m. ET, ESPN) when Penn State takes on Boston College at Yankee Stadium in the Pinstripe Bowl.Possibly the biggest question is can the offensive line finally get it together?The Penn State offensive line has been the root of a lot of the offense's issues and is also the reason why quarterback Christian Hackenberg couldn't get comfortable in the pocket.It's also the reason why the Nittany Lions' running game has been practically non-existent in 2014. There's two things you undoubtedly need to win football games in the Big Ten. That's a strong offensive line and a good running game. Penn State obviously hasn't had either of those things and their 2-6 Big Ten record doesn't lie.Can Christian Hackenberg put together a game-winning performance?Many Penn State fans are wondering when the Hackenberg from 2013 is going to show up, or even the Hackenberg from the UCF opener?The simple fact of the matter is when your offensive line isn't playing well and the running game is not backing you up then your chances for success are not going to be high. "Hack" has eight touchdowns and 15 interceptions and a lot of them were forced, so not all the blame can be put on the offensive line and stable of backs.I believe Hackenberg is a lot better than what he showcased this season and the Boston College game in the Pinstripe Bowl is the perfect place to prove that. The key for Hackenberg is to get off to a good start, gain some confidence early, and get the Nittany Lions on the board in the first quarter. If the sophomore can get his arm warmed up early we could see a much more explosive offense.It certainly won't be easy as the Boston College defense ranks 12th overall in the nation in total defense. They rank eighth in the country in rushing defense, so the odds are definitely stacked against PSU if history is any indication of how they will perform later today.On defense, Penn State will need to focus on the Boston College running game. Quarterback Tyler Murphy and running back Jon Hilliman have combined for almost 1,800 yards with Murphy rushing for just over 1,000. The Eagles love to run the football and love to control time of possession. With how poorly the Penn State offense is playing the PSU "D" could be looking at a long day on the field. Upfront, Anthony Zettel and Austin Johnson must plug up the middle of the BC offense if Penn State is to have a chance later today."The quarterback and the running back are the guys that really make them go. They have a veteran, big, physical offensive line. I think they're 15th in the nation in rushing at 251 yards per game," said Penn State coach James Franklin. "As you can imagine if they're running the ball so well with the big, physical, offensive line, they do a great job with time of possession. So those things are going to be important for us."For Penn State to come away with a "W" a lot of things will need to change quickly. What I want to see is improvement across the board. The offensive line, passing game, and running game should all look better with the extra month they've had on the practice field.Las Vegas has Boston College as a 2.5 point favorite. My pick is Boston College 24, Penn State 17.