SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- After nearly a month of preparation and buildup, the Nittany Lions will cap off the 2017 season on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the University of Phoenix Stadium.
The bowl game always serves as a chance to end the season on a positive note, something Penn State knows all too well after dropping the Rose Bowl last season and then relying on that as a driving force this offseason. Back-to-back New Year's Six bowl games gives the No. 9 Nittany Lions the shot to supplant No. 11 Washington, but this Huskies team could also magnify some of Penn State's glaring issues from this season, both with the Lions' run game and the defense's up and down pass rush.
Don't forget the bragging rights that are at stake, at least for the Franklin family where James' wife, Fumi, went to Washington State.
"She's a Coug," James Franklin said this week. "So when we found out we were playing Washington in this game, she made it very clear to me, win this game or me and the kids are gone."
Expect both teams to feel each other out in the first quarter in a matchup that should keep fans on the edge of their seats until late in the game. A single turnover or punt return touchdown could swing this one and send one team into the offseason on a positive note while the other is left pondering where it went wrong.
The pick: Washington 27, Penn State 24
OFFENSE
Ricky Rahne will make his official debut as the Nittany Lions' full-time offensive coordinator, this time calling the game from up in the box like he's previously done as the team's tight ends coach. Of course the offense won't be any different this time and won't be much different next season either -- part of the reason why Franklin opted to promote Rahne.
"When I talked to Ricky about this, I want Ricky to be Ricky," Franklin said. "Don't try to come in and be someone else. Be authentic, be you and the offense will evolve, no different than it did between year one and year two, it will evolve again this year."
Penn State's ground game has one final test and this matchup could greatly sway the game and make Penn State one dimensional should it not be able to run the ball at all against Washington's top-ranked run defense. Led by projected NFL first-round draft pick Vita Vea, the Huskies were gouged by Stanford running back Bryce Love for 166 yards and three touchdowns this season, someone Saquon Barkley spoke to in the lead up to the Fiesta Bowl to try and pick his brain.
In what will presumably be Barkley's final collegiate game, the matchup in the trenches could either magnify an issue Penn State had all season as it struggled to run the ball inside, or prove to be a springboard headed into next season. The offensive line will likely continue to work with Will Fries at left tackle at Ryan Bates at right tackle, with Bates continuing to recover from a lower body injury sustained in the Ohio State game. If Washington eliminates the Lions' ground game it will force Trace McSorley to take his shots, but could give Chris Petersen's team a chance to tee off on the Lions.
"They're huge and they're athletic," Barkley said of the front seven. "They can move well, move pretty well. They're not just big guys, like, they just take up space. They take up space, but they're powerful, they're fast, they're explosive. And that front seven, I think they do a really good job especially in the run defense. ... It's going to be a challenge for our team. But I do think they haven't seen a team like us either. And I do think we're going to present some challenges for them. And I do think we have a great game plan to attack them."
Still, the chance for the Lions' O-line to rid themselves of the criticism they faced this season has been a focal point during bowl preparations. Senior lineman Brendan Mahon said they want to show they they can hang with Washington. Perhaps this game could also allow them to show whether or not they've maintained that mean streak up front that Franklin spoke of more often than not this season.
"I think my O line gets bashed a lot, which I don't understand how," Barkley said this week. "Not to be cocky, I was finalist for a lot of awards, a lot of major awards. And I can't get that without my O line. A lot of people try to give me a lot of praise but try to bash the O line which doesn't make sense because as a running back it goes hand in hand."
DEFENSE
Can the Nittany Lions cage quarterback Jake Browning or will he spin out, juke and jive them resulting in a long day at the office for coordinator Brent Pry?
"They're a bread-and-butter run team that sets up the play action," Pry said. "And then on third down and second and long, they can spread you out with the best of them. They have the athletes to do it. And they have a quarterback that is a super game manager, can make all the throws and makes great decisions."
Penn State's defense was gashed by Sam Darnold in the Rose Bowl and in losses to Ohio State and Michigan State this season the Lions struggled to slow down quarterbacks who could extend plays for all four quarters. Those details certainly haven't been lost on Pry during bowl prep as the Lions worked on drills to cage the quarterback, understanding that getting home is one thing, but not getting gashed for chunk plays as Browning could spin out and extend them is equally important.
This is a Penn State defense that has struggled to consistently generate a pass rush all season, and while Ryan Buchholz should be back to full health or seemingly close to it with a month of rest and preparation, will that be enough to change the tide up front?
Add elusive running back Myles Gaskin to the mix and Pry's defense will be in for a tough task, one that if they can't create a few takeaways might result in a long day
"I woke up thinking about him this morning," Pry said of Gaskins. "He's just a very dynamic back. We've seen backs similar, that model. But I don't know that we've seen one as good at it, just the cuts and the explosiveness, the balance, sees the hole, can catch the ball out of the backfield. Super impressed with him."
Penn State will use senior Brandon Smith at the Will linebacker spot yet again after starter Manny Bowen was dismissed from the team this week. Smith has been starting there for the three previous games while Bowen was suspended so that shouldn't change the plan much.
"I think having a ton of disguise and hides is going to be crucial to our success," linebacker Jason Cabinda said. "I think this is probably one of the best backs we faced this year. He's a very good back. I think he runs hard. I think he has really good vision. He's able to get to the outside and kind of challenge the edge of the defense. And then obviously No. 8, obviously he's big as a returner but also as a receiver as well, (Dante) Pettis. So they definitely got some weapons."
SPECIAL TEAMS
Special teams coordinator Phil Galiano was appointed to his new role earlier this month and he's stepping into quite the job with Washington's Dante Pettis on the other side. Pettis could be the player who changes the game and with four punt returns for touchdowns this season and nine in his career, the Lions will be tested here.
"One of our biggest concerns going into this game is their punt return guy," Franklin said. “You're talking about a guy that owns the NCAA record for returns for touchdowns. Nine is a lot. So that's scary."
The Lions lost gunner Irv Charles this week when he was dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules, which could give Lamont Wade or Tariq Castro-Fields a chance to take on that role. That potentially could be one area where the Lions could be exploited, but the coverage units have been much improved this season.
With DeAndre Thompkins as the punt returner and Barkley presumably still back there returning kicks the Lions have their own explosiveness in the return game.
KEEP AN EYE ON...
Chris Petersen's willingness to dial up any trick plays. That's something the Penn State defense has worked on for the past month and with what's become seemingly a staple of Petersen's coaching career the Lions can't afford to get burned on a gadget play in what should be a close game.
"Let's put it this way -- we've rolled back about 10 years and covered a bunch of different tricks and gimmicks and gadgets," Pry said. "And I'm sure we won't see one of those. We'll see something. We've tried to incorporate it every day into our practice where the guys aren't surprised when it occurs."
DON'T BE SURPRISED IF...
All eyes focus on Barkley after the game. The Lions' running back will have a decision to make about his NFL future and as a projected first-round pick that pending announcement could come right after the game or in the days that follow. Several of Barkley's teammates will head their separate ways all just within hours of the game as some of the seniors head home or go straight to training facilities to prep for the NFL Combine. While the game is their last time with all the seniors, it's always surprising just how quickly some have to turn the page to get ready for the next stage of their football careers.