Nittany Lions, Syracuse Orange Renew Rivalry

While Saturday marks the renewal of the longtime Penn State (2-0 SU, 1-0 ATS, 1-0 O/U), Syracuse (0-2 SU, 0-2 ATS, 1-1 O/U) rivalry with their matchup in the Carrier Dome, the teams are so far apart in on-field productivity that the contest is nothing more than a mere formality for the Nittany Lions.

While the Syracuse and Penn State series dates back to 1922, the teams have not squared off on the gridiron since 1990.

Penn State unleashed its big play offense for the second consecutive week, rolling to a 35-7 halftime lead en route to a 45-14 victory over Oregon State on Saturday after crushing Coastal Carolina 66-10 in their season opener.

Jo Pa’s team is averaging a whopping 524 yards of total offense and has balanced the load quite well, putting up 237.5 passing yards and 286.5 rushing yards per contest.

Sophomore tailback Evan Royster ran for a career-high 141 yards on 17 carries (8.3) and junior quarterback Daryll Clark set career highs for rushing and passing.

Syracuse may have produced legendary gridiron stars like Jim Brown, Larry Csonka and Donovan McNabb, to name a few, the but Orange program is in shambles anymore.

In four years under head coach Greg Robinson, Syracuse has gone an atrocious 7-30 and is coming off a dismal 42-28 home loss to Akron that comes on the heels of its pitiful 30-10 road loss to Northwestern in its season opener. The Orange have averaged just 19.0 points per game while allowing 479.0 total yards and 36.0 points per contest defensively.

Senior tailback Curtis Brinkley ran for a career-best 143 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown and senior quarterback Cameron Dantley made just his second-career start for the Orange, throwing for three touchdowns in his 2008 debut.

Dantley completed 13-of-20 passes for 135 yards and three touchdowns, but Syracuse’s non-existent defense allowed Akron to close the game with two touchdowns in the final 13 minutes.

Here is a look at some key trends for each team, followed by my analysis and NCAAF Free Picks:

The Nittany Lions are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 non-conference games.

The Nittany Lions are 4-1 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.

The Orange are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.

The Orange are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games following a double-digit loss at home

The Under is 6-1 in Nittany Lions last 7 vs. Big East.

The Over is 6-0 in Orange last 6 games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.

NCAAF Odds:

Penn State -27½ -110

Syracuse +27½ -110

Analysis: All I’m going to say is that, in order for Syracuse to stay close to the Nittany Lions in this contest, they would need Brown, Csonka and McNabb starting in the same backfield as they are closer to resembling a D-II team now than one that takes on national powerhouses on a regular basis.

Take the Nittany Lions to roll up the score on their overmatched opponents in this contest while winning going away. Still, I don’t like the high line and something tells me it’s just a tad too high. I say the Orange cover the spread by the narrowest of margins in a thorough loss to the Nittany Lions.

NCAAF Free Picks: Penn State 42 Syracuse 17