Penn State vs. Kent State Prediction Roundtable

With the 2016 season set to begin Saturday, it’s time for VBR’s famous game predictions!

After the long wait, Penn State football is finally back. The Nittany Lions host MAC foe Kent State in a 3:30 kickoff at Beaver Stadium. It’s often tough to predict exactly what will happen in Week 1, but Kent State looks like a lesser opponent on paper.

With a new-look offense and some changes in the coaching staff, fans are excited for this season.

Read below to see how the VBR writers think things will go in the Nittany Lions’ first game of the season.

Site Expert Barry Leonard Jr.

Saturday’s matchup with Kent State could be an interesting one. On paper, this game looks like a blowout, However, anything can happen during the first game of the season and I’m expecting a few hiccups with the new offense. Not that it will be bad, but I don’t think everything will be running as smoothly as it should.

Plus, if the Nittany Lions get up, it would be best to dial back the offense a bit to not show too much of the new scheme heading into Pittsburgh next week.

Despite replacing some important players, I’m not worried about the defense in this one. Kent State returns what was one of the worst offenses in all of college football last season.

Overall, I do not expect the game to be really close, but I also don’t think it will show on the scoreboard. Kent State actually had a very good defense last year and could give the new Penn State offense some problems.

In the end, McSorley will play a solid game, as will the likes of Saquon Barkley and Chris Godwin. There will be some mistakes, but Penn State wins this one.

Penn State 24

Kent State 7

Contributor Marty Leap

Finally, it is Penn State Football season once again! On Saturday the Nittany Lions will host the Kent State Golden Flash in their 2016 season opener. And this should be an easy win for Penn State.

Kent State returns a lot of players from 2016. However, this may not be a good thing. Especially on offense due to the fact KSU ranked 127th in the FBS in total offense last year. Due to this, I expect Brent Pry to have a successful debut as Penn State defensive coordinator.

I am extremely excited to see Joe Moorhead’s new offense, and am expected exciting things on Saturday afternoon. Kent State’s defense is experienced, but not overly talented. Combine this with PSU’s talent at running back and wide receiver, and I think the Nittany Lions can score a lot of points on Saturday.

I look for quarterback Trace McSorley to have an awesome starting debut on Saturday afternoon. I also look for Mike Gesicki, Saquon Barkley, and Chris Godwin to have big days. In the end, the Nittany Lions win easily.

Penn State 42
Kent State 14

Contributor Corey Hunter

So much energy, excitement, and question marks surround Penn State’s first football contest on Saturday. How will the new offense look? How will Trace McSorley perform now that he’s the starting QB? How will the defensive line mesh with so many new starters? Can Penn State finally stake its claim as one of the best teams in the Big Ten East?

The Nittany Lions will begin trying to answer some of those questions when they play host to Kent State on Saturday. The Golden Flashes are coming off a season where they finished 3-9. While much of Kent State’s defense is returning from a squad that ranked 27th nationally in total defense, the offense, which ranked 127th nationally, has not improved much.

Golden Flashes head coach Paul Haynes has even admitted his team is out-manned and is not as fast as the Nittany Lions. Look for Penn State to exploit the weaknesses that the Kent State defense does have. Also, expect the Kent State defense to wear down as the game goes along.

As for the game itself, it should be like the weather on Saturday – beautiful. The Lions keep some of their wrinkles for Pitt next week but win this one comfortably.

Penn State 33
Kent State 10