The Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Penn State Nittany Lions will play a football game this weekend at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. Few people will care.
Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Penn State Nittany Lions – Saturday, November 12
Sports betting line: Nebraska -3 1/2
Why Nebraska Will Win
The college football betting experts who are looking at this game are wondering how the scandal enveloping Penn State University will affect the outcome. It’s simply impossible to talk about this game in a pure X-and-O context, all because the psychology of this game has been so drastically affected by the bombshell indictments levied against former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. He was charged with 40 counts of sexual abuse of minors last Saturday, and more victims are coming to the forefront this week.
Two leading Penn State administrators – Athletic Director Tim Curley and Senior Vice President of Finance and Business Gary Schultz – were indicted on one count of perjury and one count of failure to report the abuse of a minor, only adding to the scandal that has rocked a university community and stunned the nation. Last but certainly not least, iconic Penn State coach Joe Paterno – while possibly fulfilling a minimal legal role by reporting Sandusky’s conduct to Curley, the athletic director, in March of 2002 – did not report Sandusky to the police. Paterno’s failure to go to law enforcement, combined with his failure to follow up on the investigation of Sandusky, makes him a person who allowed a dangerous situation to persist. Paterno did not do everything he could – not even close – to make sure that Sandusky was vigorously and fully investigated.
Precisely because of Paterno’s reputation as one of the most honorable and properly-oriented people in all of college sports, his inability to do anything more than the absolute minimum is a glaring indictment of him… not in the eyes of the law, but in terms of his infidelity to the high standards he had set in 46 years as Penn State’s head coach. With this scandal swirling around the Penn State program, it is extremely hard – almost impossible, in fact – to imagine how Penn State’s players will be mentally ready to play this game. One can’t even know for certain that Paterno will coach this game. It strains the imagination to think that Penn State’s players will be focused on football. Their minds have to be dwelling on the deep sadness that has engulfed the program, and the fact that Paterno’s tenure is certain to not last into the 2012 regular season. He will be gone by then.
Why Penn State Will Win
When you do your homework and assess your best sportsbook on this game, you are obviously aware of Penn State’s distractions, but you’re also aware that Nebraska is little more than an average team. Nebraska got dominated at the line of scrimmage last week… by a Northwestern team that got pounded by Penn State. Nebraska is just not consistent or imposing on either side of the ball; a home loss to a Northwestern squad that had won only one Big Ten game through the first two months of the season shows that the Huskers are incredibly flawed. Penn State has its problems, but Nebraska’s deficiencies could still allow the Nittany Lions to win this game.
Who Will Win
It’s simply unrealistic to expect Penn State to play well under these circumstances. Human nature being what it is, the sadness and shock permeating the Penn State campus will prevent the Nittany Lions from being at their best. It’s unfortunate that off-field developments figure so heavily in a game’s outcome, but really – can you envision Penn State playing a focused, determined, resolute game in the face of such sad and wrenching news? Nebraska will win this game decisively.
College Football Betting Pick: Nebraska