Penn State expecting Spartans’ best

Michigan State's Tyler O'Connor has thrown for 1,852 yards and 16 touchdowns this season.
Michigan State’s Tyler O’Connor has thrown for 1,852 yards and 16 touchdowns this season.

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Updated 24 minutes ago

UNIVERSITY PARK –– The last seven games for No. 7 Penn State have put the team in position to make a Big Ten championship run. Perhaps even a shot at the College Football Playoff.

If the Nittany Lions (9-2, 7-1) win their eighth consecutive game, against Michigan State (3-8, 1-7) on Saturday at Beaver Stadium, they will play a week later in the conference championship in Indianapolis, if No. 2 Ohio State beats No. 3 Michigan.

The Lions need help from the Buckeyes, but as coach James Franklin said, none of that matters if they don’t win their own game. Their fate against the Spartans is the only one they can control.

“We just got to go out and play well on Saturday and focus on Michigan State,” Franklin said. “After the game is over, then we’ll find out kind of what your next step in our journey is.”