It's Penn State-Nebraska week: Game time, spread, channel, storylines, and more

It’s Penn State-Nebraska week. The Nittany Lions return to Beaver Stadium for the final time this season as they continue their quest to reach the postseason. Lions letterman Matt Rhule, who recently got a contract extension in part becuase James Franklin was fired, will lead his Cornhukers into State College off a bye week. Interim head coach Terry Smith, meanwhile, will celebrate Senior Day after beating Michigan State 28-10.

“Tonight, we celebrate,” Smith said Saturday night. “Tomorrow, we reset. I’ve said that to you guys every Saturday I came in here after the losses. Nothing changes. We’re going to reset tomorrow. We’re going to learn from our mistakes, and we’re going to continue to improve and get better. We have Nebraska coming in. These games are pivotal. We’re playing for our life to make a bowl game, and we took a huge step today.”

Our early preview gets you ready to start game week below.

Time and TV info

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. ET. NBC will televise the game.

What is the Penn State-Indiana point spread?

Penn State opened as a 10-point favorite at BetMGM. That spread has since dropped to 9.5 overnight. The betting total over/under is 44.5 points.

Game week schedule for the Lions

Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith will kick off game week with a news conference at Noon ET on Monday. You’ll be able to watch it on the Blue-White Illustrated YouTube channel by 12:45 if you click here.

Tuesday will feature player interviews with reporters via Zoom. Wednesday will likely feature some, as well, before a practice viewing availability for the media, followed by Smith and some players speaking in the evening. Thursday features an assistant coach media call and the weekly coaches radio show. Then, the talking is done until after the game.

As for Nebraska, Rhule will speak on Monday.

What’s up with the Cornhuskers?

Nebraska comes to town with a 7-3 record. TJ Lateef is the new quarterback after Dylan Raiola was lost for the season with a fibula injury. His first start went fairly well, and he is able to hurt opponents with his feet as much as his legs. Emmett Johnson is the Lions’ best running back. He’s carried 203 times for 1,131 yards and 11 touchdowns. No other active Cornhusker has more than 17 carries this year. The Nebraska passing offense spreads the ball around quite a bit. Five receivers have 26 catches or more and three have four touchdowns or more. Defensively, linebacker Javin Wright is the leader with 72 tackles.

Here’s where Nebraska ranks in various statistical categories:

Scoring offense: No. 41 (32.5 points per game)

Rushing/passing offense: Nos. 90 and 47

Scoring defense: No. 25 (19.9 points per game)

Rushing/passing defense: Nos. 94 and 3

Weather report

Per Weather.com, there might be some rain for the early tailgaters, but it’ll clear out by kickoff. The high is 48 degrees with a low of 34.

Early Penn State-Nebraska storylines

–How many Penn State players will walk on Senior Day? The initial number looks to be a minimum of 23. We’ll see an official list later this week.

–Can the Lions keep rolling on the ground? They’re unlikely to have a ton of success through the air, based on the numbers above, but the rushing attack will have a chance to get going.

–Will Chaz Coleman be back in action for the Lions? The defensive end was out against Indiana and Michigan State.

–What’s your top storyline to start the week? Tell us inside The Lions Den forum!