Sometimes there's just a team you really want to defeat.

It's almost like if you do beat this team, it could set the precedent for the rest of the season.Enter the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Pitt Panthers. It doesn't take a brain surgeon, rocket scientist, or nuclear physicist to understand that these two teams are not on the best of terms. As much as coaches and players have been trying to downplay the rivalry aspect of this contest for the past few weeks, you still get that awkward feeling that the two teams want to dance with the same girl at the senior prom.The Nittany Lions (1-0) took care of a scrappy Kent State team a week ago, 33-13. The Golden Flashes did return eight starters from a defense that was ranked 27th in the country last season, so it's no shock to me that they were in the game at the half.A three-point Penn State advantage at the half was quickly turned into a 10-point lead after a huge interception by defensive back red-shirt sophomore Amani Oruwariye was returned 30 yards for a touchdown. After that, the defense hunkered down like they usually do and the Nittany Lions came away with a solid 20-point win.Pitt (1-0) played really well on the defensive end against Villanova last week as they handed the Wildcats a 28-7 defeat. The Panthers allowed 53 yards rushing and gave up only 1.6 yards per carry. Something to keep an eye on today (Noon ET, ESPN) will be the match-up between Pitt's defensive front and the always interesting Penn State offensive line.The Nittany Lions offensive line looked more comfortable in new offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead's quick-tempo offense, but there were many times throughout the game where you could see the same old flaws.An area of concern right now looks like the left side where there were some issues. The left side is also where the sack/fumble occurred and gave Kent State a big defensive touchdown. Brendan Mahon is currently at the left tackle spot, which he won in camp and was the surprise choice by many to start there. What it comes down to is Penn State doesn't look to have a sure thing at left tackle and that's never a good thing.The Kent State defensive line was also in the backfield a ton and that was evident by Penn State's 3.8 yards per rush in the game. Saquon Barkley did break the century mark with 105 yards, but a lot of that came on plays when it looked like he was going to be stopped behind the line of scrimmage. Pitt's defensive front should have Penn State fans worried later today.Of course, if Trace McSorley plays well that could take some of the pressure off the running backs. Last week the red-shirt sophomore had both good and not-so-good moments. What I liked was his hard running and his command of the offense. His running ability does keep the defense honest, which is something that I think he will only get better at as the season goes on.What I didn't like was the fumble on a crucial fourth-down play and also his inability to hit the big pass play. He missed quite a few receivers against the Golden Flashes last week, which are all plays that he must certainly make this week. With the receiving group that Penn State has, hitting the big pass play is an attribute of its offense that should be taken advantage of every single week. I think McSorley actually does have the ability to make those types of throws, he just has to prove it. And there's no better week than on the road at Pitt to start doing so.It seems that Penn State head coach James Franklin agrees that the Nittany Lions could have reached the end zone more against the Golden Flashes."We just left some big points on the field, left some plays on the field, some yardage that we'll get cleaned up. I think that's going to be a challenge for us every single week because everybody's philosophy is going to be let's load the box up," said Franklin. "Let's take the run away and force them to beat us with the horizontal passing game, crossing routes, rubs or vertical passing game. So that will be a challenge week in and week out, and that aligns with our opponent this week as well."The Penn State defensive line will have its hands full with former All-American running back James Conner. Conner is returning from a knee injury and a bout with cancer. It's truly a great story and I think it would be hard for anyone not to want to see him succeed this season. Conner rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown last week against Villanova and it was easy to see he's just starting to get his legs back. I think one thing is for sure, though, and that is he will be ready to go for today's ball game.Just as the Pitt defensive line holds an advantage over Penn State's offensive line, I think the Nittany Lions will be able to have some success up front against the Panthers. Penn State's defensive front, known as the "wild dogs," came away with seven sacks last week, and I expect to see them get pressure again this week.Pitt's quarterback, Nathan Peterman is a solid signal caller, but he's not going to flat out throw the ball over the place to beat a team. He threw for 2,287 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions a year ago. The Panthers will also have to find a replacement for do-everything wide receiver Tyler Boyd, who is now a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. Two guys to keep an eye on are Jester Weah, who is a burner that can get open deep, and Dontez Ford, who caught 25 balls for 506 yards last season.Las Vegas has Penn State as a five-point underdog.I think the Nittany Lions will be able to come up with some big plays in the passing game and I like Barkley to break a few big runs. Once again it comes down to the offensive line. If they just get totally dominated on the left side it's going to be hard for Penn State to score points.Still, I just think Penn State is the more explosive team ...Penn State 34, Pitt 24.