After a loss to Alabama and only a narrow 14-10 win over Temple, the Penn State Nittany Lions (2-1) look to get back on their feet against Eastern Michigan before their Big Ten schedule begins against Indiana next week.
They shouldn't have a hard time doing so, honestly. Eastern Michigan (2-1) was blown out 31-3 by Michigan last week, and its two wins this season have come against Howard and Alabama State. The Eagles' offense is oriented almost entirely around its ground game (they attempted only six passes against Michigan), and the Nittany Lions should be able to handle that.
The problem, for Penn State, is its offense. Three games into the season, Joe Paterno still hasn't settled on Rob Bolden or Matt McGloin at quarterback, and neither have performed particularly well so far. And that's not the Nittany Lions' only issue - with Paterno sitting above the field rather than on the sideline, the Nittany Lions' play-calling has at times seemed discombobulated. Also, their special teams struggled against Temple. They shouldn't have much trouble beating Eastern Michigan, so the game offers what should be a valuable chance to resolve some of these issues before they face better competition.
Game date, time: 12:00 pm ET, Saturday, September 24
Location: Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
TV channel: ESPN2, ESPN3
Spread: Penn State favored by 29 points
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