Penn State (8-4) vs. Texas A&M (7-5)
December 29, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Dennis Franchoine is out and you have to hope that the Aggies will become tougher, because it's clear that a little toughness is what the Aggies missed this year.
But that doesn't come overnight.
A&M's offense lives and dies by the run, which is something Penn State is more than OK with. The Nittany Lions yield just 87 yards a game on the ground, that's sixth best in the country. Look no further than Maurice Evans, who is good for a sack per game. He constantly finds himself in the backfield, pitching fits for every offense he faces. But the true key to stopping the run is linebackers Dan Connor and Sean Lee. Each average over 10 tackles per game and are as active a tandem as any in the country. Connor may very well be the best linebacker in the coming NFL draft.
However, it's not all rainbows and roses for Penn State. Their senior quarterback repeatedly let the team down, hence the 8-4 record. The Penn State faithful were as patient as possible with Morelli, but completing less than 50% of your passes against Michgian one week and throwing three interceptions the following against Illinois doesn't help your case.
The only thing Morelli has going for his is that Texas A&M really hates to play defense (one of the worst units in the country). So, he should be able to go out on a winning note.
The line: Penn State -5.5
The pick: Penn State