Six games ago, the Penn State football team was on the verge of a fan and media explosion - and not in a positive way.

The Nittany Lions limped home from Ann Arbor after a 49-10 loss with a substantial amount of injuries to boot.Penn State's linebacker unit was decimated with injuries, with all three of its starting linebackers out heading into a tough match-up with a then-undefeated Minnesota team.The fan base seemed to have little confidence in head coach James Franklin. In fact, early in the game against the Gophers, Franklin chose to take a field goal on the goal line on a fourth down instead of going for six. A chant of "fire Franklin" reigned out from a part of the student section. What a difference winning makes.Now, the fan base and media are solely worried about if the Nittany Lions can get to the Big Ten Championship and possibly into the College Football Playoff. A six-game win streak and a home victory over No. 2 Ohio State have put Penn State in a really good position moving forward. A Michigan loss, a Penn State win at Rutgers, and another victory at home against Michigan State will put the Nittany Lions into the Big Ten Championship against the presumably West champion Wisconsin.In today's column I would like to focus on Penn State's resiliency. A lot has gone wrong for this football team this season and the fact that they're 8-2 on the year with a 6-1 record in the Big Ten is really impressive.At one point in the season, the Nittany Lions had seven linebackers out and now look to have at least three or four offensive lineman out this week against Rutgers. Penn State also won their third double-digit comeback of the season, which has shown that even if it's down a score or two, the offense has the firepower to get back in the ball game.The Penn State offense is averaging almost 36 points per game and 414 total yards per game. Possibly, the offense's most impressive statistic is its ability to come up with the big play. The Nittany Lions rank eighth in the country in explosive plays of 20 yards or more and had 12 last week in their comeback win against the Hoosiers.The Nittany Lions six-game win streak has honestly been a total team effort. The defense has played the bend, but don't break mentality, while the offense has taken care of the football and created big plays. Lastly, special teams has also played a definitive role, as well, as everybody knows without a blocked field goal attempt and return for a score to defeat the Buckeyes, Penn State probably isn't in its current position.This week the Nittany Lions will enter their first hostile environment since their 49-10 loss to Ann Arbor as they travel to Rutgers (8 p.m. ET, BTN). The Scarlet Knights won't have as many fans in its stadium as the Wolverines 110,000, but make no bones about it, the Rutgers fans and students will be amped up for this one.The Scarlet Knights have struggled this season with a 2-8 record and are coming off a 49-0 loss to another struggling team, Michigan State. Rutgers has had a tough time on the offensive side of the ball, averaging just 17.5 points per game and just under 300 yards per game. They average just over 150 yards on the ground and 140 yards through the air per game.Franklin, like any coach in big-time college football, isn't taking the Scarlet Knights lightly."I think they're a talented team. That's with a new coaching staff and all the changes that come with that, which I can relate to," said Franklin. "There is an adjustment period that goes on. And there's going to come a point where it clicks for them."They've got a really good staff, they've got really good people, and they've got talent. So at some point it's going to click for them offensively."On the offensive side of the ball, the Nittany Lions need to get back to having success in the run game. An underrated Indiana front seven did a great job against the Penn State rushing attack last week as it was held to 1.7 yards per carry. Saquon Barkley had two touchdowns, but was kept in check, carrying the ball 33 times for 58 yards. The Scarlet Knights give up 250 rushing yards per game, so look for Barkley and the rushing game to get back on track. The Penn State offensive line is missing Paris Palmer and possibly Connor McGovern this week, so one glitch in Penn State's running attack could be the offensive line's inexperience.Trace McSorley continued his solid 2016 campaign with 332 yards and two touchdowns last week against the Hoosiers. The sophomore has had ample opportunities to hit the deep pass this season with every team stacking the box to stop the dynamic Barkley. McSorley is averaging almost 16 yards per reception, which is very impressive, and has made plays with his feet and his arm to help the Nittany Lions get to 8-2. Rutgers has given up close to 200 yards per game this season in the passing game.I would expect Rutgers to put eight and nine guys in the box to subdue Barkley, so look for McSorley to once again have a big week. All in all, despite the injuries up front, I expect the speed of the Nittany Lions to be a factor and get them their third 500-yard offensive day.Las Vegas has the Nittany Lions pegged as a 28-point favorite.My pick is Penn State 43, Rutgers 14.