Fourth-ranked Penn State enters the playoffs on the road for a test against Minnesota.

What’s at stake?

Penn State is in an excellent position to compete in the new 12-team College Football Playoff and is still preparing to compete in the Big Ten Championship Game, followed by a road test against a well-rounded state with a home game against Maryland. enemy. A loss to Minnesota in the bye week would be a big blow to Penn State’s playoff berth and all but eliminate its chance of winning the conference title. Minnesota could boost its bowl bid significantly with a win and give momentum to the rivalry heading into the final week in Wisconsin.

Key match

Penn State Tyler Warren vs. Minnesota defense. Warren, a midseason first-team AP All-American selection, rushed for 190 yards and two touchdowns from scrimmage in a convincing win over Purdue last week. He ranks second among all FBS tight ends in receiving yards (808) and has also made 13 of his 16 rushing attempts for both first downs and touchdowns. The Gophers rank second in the FBS in passes defensed per game, tied for fourth in interceptions per game and 17th in yards allowed per pass attempt.

Players to watch

Penn State: DE Abdul Carter has had multiple turnovers in three straight games. The junior, who played linebacker the previous two seasons, is second in the FBS with 17.5 tackles for loss and seventh with eight sacks this year.

Minnesota: LB Cody Lindenberg. The fifth-year junior leads the Gophers with 76 tackles, having made a career-high 14 tackles against Rutgers in their last game on Nov. 9.

Facts and figures

This will be Penn State’s fourth visit to Minnesota since Huntington Bank Stadium opened on campus in 2009. The Nittany Lions won in 2010 and lost in 2013 and 2019. … Penn State won its first four road games of the season for the first time. time since 2011. … Penn State QB Drew Allar ranks third in the FBS in yards per pass attempt (9.8) and fifth in completions. percentage (71.9) … The Nittany Lions have scored 49 second-half points this season, the second-best per-game average in the FBS. … Minnesota is 2-1 against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time of the game. The Gophers have never recorded three wins over ranked opponents in the same season.