Penn State head coach James Franklin said after the Nittany Lion’s dominating 59-0 road victory over Maryland last week that it was the most complete game he has seen one of his PSU teams play in his six-year career in Happy Valley.

Franklin’s postgame comments are proof that this season’s Nittany Lions squad (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) might be turning the corner sooner than many have anticipated.

“I guess when you make that type of statement, it’s not one thing. It’s so many things. I thought the guys were ready to play. I think we’ve created good depth to keep guys fresh,” Franklin said. “The most important stat you have is scoring offense and scoring defense and we obviously did well in those areas. Our special teams have been pretty clutch all year long and we’re going to need them to continue to be.

“We’re seeing a lot of guys play and a lot of guys play at a high level. You know, I thought we handled the noise well. Our guys looked fresh and fast, so I think we handled the bye week well.”

When I put together my schedule breakdown and season prediction column a few months ago I said this team had the talent to compete for a Big Ten championship, it just all depended on how quickly the younger players would mature. Well, I would say going on the road in what was supposed to be a hostile environment and hanging 59 points on the opposition is a step in the right direction in the maturation process.

This week, the Nittany Lions will look to continue the momentum they have created from last week against a banged-up Purdue team (Noon ET, ESPN). The Boilermakers are coming into Beaver Stadium with a laundry list of injuries to key personnel, and also after a tough home loss to fellow Big Ten West opponent Minnesota, 38-31.

Penn State’s defensive speed was on full display last week against a Maryland offense that had been putting up big numbers (53 points per game), holding the Terrapins to just 128 yards of total offense. The Nittany Lions had four sacks on the day and eight tackles for a loss and are well on their way to tallying their fifth consecutive 40-sack season. Penn State also ranks third in all of FBS with 9.8 tackles for loss per game.

The Purdue offense has been explosive this season, however, a lot of the moving parts that have made it explosive won’t be in the lineup today. Rondale Moore, who is one of the most explosive players in the country, is out with a leg injury. Moore has already amassed 387 receiving yards and two scores, leading the Boilermakers receiving group.

Purdue starting quarterback Elijah Sindelar looks to be out for the season after he suffered a broken collarbone last week. Sindelar was leading the Boilermakers passing attack, which ranks first in the Big Ten at 351 yards per game. Purdue will now turn to redshirt freshman Jack Plummer, who did do a good job replacing Sindelar last week, throwing for 245 yards and two scores, with two interceptions.

Purdue’s passing attack has been good, but its run game has been poor. The Boilermakers rank dead last in the Big Ten in rushing, averaging just 68.3 yards per game. Meanwhile, Penn State has been excellent at stifling opponents in the run game, giving up just 68 yards rushing per game, which is third in the Big Ten and seventh in the country.

With the Boilermakers inability to run the football, plus Penn State’s ability to stuff the run, look for Purdue to throw the ball a lot, which will give the Nittany Lions the opportunity to pin their ears back and come after Plummer. If Penn State can generate the same type of pressure it did last week against Maryland, look for turnovers to play a key role in the Nittany Lion’s success on the afternoon.

The bye week before the Maryland game was exactly what the Penn State offense needed to look back on the past three games, take a look at what was working and what wasn’t working, and make adjustments. Offensive Coordinator Ricky Rahne and the offense made the best of that opportunity as they decimated the Maryland defense.

This week, the Nittany Lions will once again have a chance to put up big numbers against a very suspect Purdue defense. The Boilermakers are giving up 451 yards of total offense per game and are allowing 32.5 points per game. Against the pass, Purdue has not been good, allowing almost 300 yards passing per game. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford is coming off one of the best single-game passing performances in Penn State history, throwing for 398 yards and three touchdowns, with just five incompletions against the Terrapins. Clifford and wide receiver KJ Hamler could once again have a big day.

Penn State will also look to get the run game going early in this one. The Nittany Lions are averaging close to 200 yards rushing per game and are still using four running backs and Clifford to keep defenses off balance. Speedster Journey Brown leads the way with 196 yards on 26 carries, but you will continue to see Ricky Slade, Noah Cain and Devyn Ford all in the mix. Clifford has done a nice job in Penn State’s read-option running scheme, rushing for 167 yards on the season.

Las Vegas has Penn State as a 28.5-point favorite.

The Nittany Lions have a distinct advantage in all three phases in this one and, with the momentum they built last week against Maryland, I can’t see any type of letdown or hangover type of scenario. I think the defense is playing fast right now and making plays, which doesn’t bode well for a Purdue offense missing so many vital parts. I also think the offense is starting to develop that big play ability that made the 2016 Penn State offense so dangerous.

My pick is Penn State 51, Purdue 6.