It might sound like “coach speak” every time Penn State head coach James Franklin comes to the podium during his post-game press conferences and talks about how taking care of the football is paramount to winning football games.

The amount of eye rolls by Nittany Lions’ faithful is more than just a few I’m sure after hearing that stated week in and week out, but on Saturday Penn State did not turn the football over and they were able to get out of Ann Arbor with a win over Michigan – its first win of the season.

The simple fact is that you can point to numerous reasons why the 2020 Nittany Lions are struggling, but I’ve been on the same page as Coach Franklin on this specific stance from the get go. Take care of the football and you always give yourself a chance. If you look back at Indiana (three turnovers), Maryland (three turnovers) and Nebraska (two turnovers) – those are all games where if Penn State takes care of the football they probably win. I feel like turnovers have been a little too far down on the list at what fans are looking at as the reason for the Nittany Lions’ 1-5 record.

I liked Penn State’s game plan last week - albeit against a struggling Michigan team.

I thought the Penn State offensive line would have the edge in the game and it showed as the offense rushed for 254 yards at 5.1 yards per carry and three scores. True freshman Keyvone Lee has showed some flashes throughout the season, but in his first start (Devyn Ford unavailable due to a death in the family) he looked good, rushing for 134 yards and a score. The Nittany Lions’ offensive line got a consistent push and Lee showed he has good vision and feet for a running back his size at 6-0, 230 pounds.

I’ve been tough on Sean Clifford this season because Clifford has been a big contributor to Penn State’s turnover woes, but against Michigan he looked more decisive and got the ball out quickly. There wasn’t much pressure in his face throughout the day, which helped, but there were a few times where he did step up in the pocket or start to avoid the rush where he kept his eyes down the field and zipped the ball to a wide receiver. Clifford always had that ability, but for whatever reason this season he has tended to be locked in on one read and when things have broken down around him, he has forced throws, thus his eight interceptions. Saturday’s performance against Michigan could be the game Clifford needed to gain back some confidence.

Today at noon (FS1), Penn State will look to lock in another “W” as it travels to Rutgers. Just as I thought against the Wolverines, I believe the Nittany Lions offense is the key in this one.

The Scarlet Knights have struggled on the defensive side of the ball. Rutgers ranks last in the Big Ten in scoring defense, giving up 35.7 points per game and ranks 85th in the country in total defense, giving up over 430 yards per game. The stage is set for the Penn State offense to have a big day if the offensive line can once again get a consistent push up front and if Clifford can take care of the football.

I would love to see the Nittany Lions’ offense take some shots down the field if they can get their run game going against Rutgers. Jahan Dotson has been great all season long and true freshman Parker Washington is developing into a legitimate weapon. Washington is one of just two FBS freshmen this season with at least 30 receptions, 340 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in their first six games. Washington is the only Penn State freshman with those totals through six games since 2000. Against Michigan, Washington made a career-high nine catches, the most by a PSU true freshman in program history.

Don’t get me wrong, however, before Clifford takes any shots down the field, Penn State must establish its run game and first get the ball to Dotson and Washington underneath in space. The key is to get the coverage coming down hill on a regular basis and then take your shot.

Simply put, the Penn State defense must get pressure this week. The Nittany Lions didn’t register a sack against Michigan and getting pressure has been an issue throughout the season. It looks like Rutgers quarterback Noah Vedral will start this week after missing last week’s game, but back-up Art Sitkowski played well and Johnny Langan, who is the Scarlet Knights’ running quarterback also did some nice things in their win over Purdue. Vedral is the most polished of the three as he threw for a career-high 381 yards and three touchdowns in a triple overtime loss to Michigan a few weeks ago. If Rutgers is going to do any damage in the game on offense, it’s going to be through the air, so its pivotal for the Nittany Lions’ rush to put some pressure on whoever is back there.

Like I said earlier, I liked the physical game plan Penn State had against Michigan. Establish the run and then make quick and decisive throws underneath to guys in space who can create yards after the catch. The next step would to then be more explosive, attacking down the field when the opportunity presents itself. I think the Nittany Lions will be able to do just that this week.

My pick is Penn State 38, Rutgers 21.