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Penn State's Playoff Push Travels to Purdue

James Franklin | HC Penn State — © Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten Conference) moved up two spots in the College Football Playoff rankings as they hunt for their first spot in the CFP. That journey will take them to the Midwest on Nov. 16 as they face the Purdue Boilermakers (1-8, 0-6 Big Ten Conference) in West Lafayette, Ind., at Ross-Ade Stadium. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.

Will Penn State Have Nick Singleton?

Penn State will hope to have junior running back Nick Singleton healthy this weekend. The former Big Ten Freshman of the Year award recipient has had an underwhelming season. Many would have expected the former 5-Star back to have a big impact on the team this year. While he’s had some great performances against West Virginia and Illinois, Singleton has not put up consistent numbers. A lot of this is due to the usage that Penn State gives him. Singleton’s season-high carries came against the Fighting Illini when he totaled 16.

Nick Singleton | RB Penn State — © Dan Rainville/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Injuries have played a role in Singleton not being on the field. Against UCLA, he was absent and left the Nov. 9 game with an “undisclosed injury”. Head coach James Franklin is “confident” Singleton will be good to go, but will his workload be limited? The absence of Singleton has led fellow junior running back Kaytron Allen to bear most of the workload this season.

Allen has 634 yards total yards rushing on 133 carries. Allen is a capable back who can carry the workload. If he is needed to do it against Purdue, then Penn State fans trust that he will be able to perform. This season, Purdue has given up an average of 200 rushing yards per game. Having both running backs healthy not only helps Penn State’s running game but the passing game thrives off of it as well.

Drew Allar | QB Penn State — © Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Nittany Lions Through the Air

Penn State’s passing game has been inconsistent throughout the season, but they’ve been good enough when called upon. Junior quarterback Drew Allar has been a bit better and has shown leadership skills that he appeared to be lacking in past seasons. Through nine games, he has 2,006 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Purdue’s defense has struggled against the pass just as much as the run, giving up an average of 247 yards through the air.

James Franlin | HC Penn State — © Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State is riding high off an upset win against the Washington Huskies in the annual “whiteout game” on Nov. 9. While the euphoria of the crowd and the win was big, the fact of the matter is Penn State will still be judged on their ability to not win big games under head coach James Franklin. It is an issue that will continue to follow Penn State throughout this season and perhaps even into the CFP if they get in. A win on Nov. 16 will be another step on that playoff path.