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00:00We focus on the opening game of three on this Saturday in State College, Pennsylvania.
00:08The six-seed Penn State hosting the 11-seed SMU, an eight-and-a-half point spread in favor
00:14of the Nittany Lions, a total that has worked its way down ever so slightly on this Saturday
00:19morning to 52.
00:21And Kev, right before the break, we were comparing the quarterbacks, Kevin Jennings for SMU,
00:26who has been great since taking over following that BYU loss earlier in the year full-time.
00:32Drew Aller has been the guy in State College for two years, make it three, as he will return
00:38in 2025.
00:39He has been fine in spots.
00:43He was okay against Oregon.
00:45How good will he have to be today against the Staines defense that does allow some yardage
00:50through the air?
00:51Forgive me for laughing, but in all seriousness, just to my Oregon point earlier.
00:56That game had people on the timeline be like, this kid's got all the chops, top five pick.
01:02Just so everyone understands the level of the Oregon defense this year.
01:06With that being said, I really liked the over in this game at 52-and-a-half.
01:09I think both of these teams' best path to success is throwing the football in this game.
01:15The more passed attempts we get, more explosive plays, less of the clock, running, running,
01:20running.
01:21Don't worry a little about the SMU run defense holding up.
01:25Just because Penn State could be a different caliber, you think back to last night.
01:30The three best rush defenses on a yards-per-carry statistics, Ole Miss, Indiana, SMU, obviously
01:39give up a 98-yarder, so maybe IU was benefited again from the schedule.
01:43SMU could be the same, but I think it means Aller has to throw, and I know Jennings has
01:48to throw.
01:49And again, I mentioned the USC and the Minnesota games.
01:52USC's offense moved it no problem, Minnesota's offense moved it no problem, I mean the Ducks
01:57are still scoring in that Big Ten title game, quite frankly.
02:01And again, look at SMU, SMU, you know, 30-plus every single game, they're going out there
02:07and playing, and what I do really like, and what I saw in the Clemson game, is I'm not
02:11going to get quit.
02:12Right?
02:13Right.
02:14Is they're not going to do what Signetti did yesterday, which was fold up and ask to be
02:16anywhere else in the world than on the sideline coaching against Notre Dame.
02:20Yeah.
02:21SMU's not going to do that.
02:22They're not gutless like that Indiana team is, so I really, and I'm going to keep saying
02:26that too, because he deserves every word of it.
02:27He really does.
02:28What an embarrassment.
02:29And I like guys who talk their stuff, but just don't show up and do that.
02:32Go for every fourth down.
02:34Like Dan, if Dan Campbell would have then stepped in and called the plays for Signetti,
02:37you can tell I'm still hot about it.
02:39Indiana would have been in a much better place.
02:40I really love the over in this game, Leecey, Penn State, SMU.
02:43You might get it.
02:44We talk about styles, so SMU pushes tempo, and that's something that Ohio, Penn State
02:50struggle with against Oregon.
02:52That tempo type of offense.
02:53Now, I will say, if we're looking quarterbacks and you talk about the success of Drew Aller,
02:58yes, he throws for .226 in the Big Ten Championship, but Penn State also rushed for .292 on the
03:03ground, right?
03:04So things were wide open when you're running the football with Singleton and Katron Allen.
03:08If they have that type of success today, they're going to steamroll SMU, cover this number
03:13fairly easy.
03:14You know, that's easier said than done.
03:16But for Aller, we haven't really seen him break out, like I said, outside those two
03:21performances against Kent State and USC.
03:23In the USC game, they trailed in the first half of that matchup like 20-7 or 20-3.
03:29They weren't come from behind mode each and every step of the way.
03:32So again, you might get the over.
03:34I just believe that the more balanced offense is SMU, and we saw Cade Klubnick attack that
03:40secondary over the top.
03:41I think that is the recipe to potentially beat SMU, but I'm not sold on Drew Aller and
03:47Penn State's consistency offensively to do that.
03:51The Nittany Lions are a top-20 defense across the board.
03:54Kevin Jennings for SMU, at least 225 passing yards in all nine ACC contests this year.
04:01You saw his prop.
04:02It is right at that number.
04:04He is averaging basically .286 throughout conference action this season.
04:09Penn State has only allowed two quarterbacks over .225 and a hook.
04:13Conor Bazelak of Bowling Green and Dylan Gabriel in the Big Ten Championship game.