Penn State football traveled to Madison, Wisconsin, on Saturday and collected a “gutsy” 28-13 win over Wisconsin.

Drew Allar left the game in the second half with an apparent injury, but Beau Pribula and the defense delivered in the second half as Penn State rolled over the Badgers.

There were some tense moments during the victory, leading to an abundance of hot takes online.

Beau Pribula Can Handle The Starting Spot If He Needs To

CJ Doebler: Saturday wasn’t the first time Pribula had to enter in relief of an injured Drew Allar as he did it last year against Rutgers, too. During last year’s victory over the Scarlet Knights, Pribula threw the ball once, finding Tyler Warren for a nine-yard completion. Pribula showed that he was a threat on the ground, but he never really showcased an ability to throw the ball and make a difference in the passing game at all last year.

Coming into Saturday, Pribula was just 7-for-10 for 102 yards while appearing in every game in some capacity. In his second-half entrance this year, the Nittany Lions asked Pribula to throw, and he delivered. The York, Pennsylvania, native went 11-13 for 98 yards and a touchdown while putting the ball into some tight windows for a receiving group that made plays in both halves of the game.

Ohio State is not Wisconsin, though, and if Allar isn’t good to go on Saturday, Pribula will be under a lot more pressure against a stout Buckeye defense. Knowing that he can throw if he needs to gives Pribula a different aspect of his game to lean on if he takes the field as the starter this Saturday.

Mitch Corcoran: It was a big prove-it game for Pribula. When he came in after halftime, Penn State was trailing 10-7 and he showed he can come in, make plays, and win a game.

It wasn’t like Wisconsin’s defense was bad either. The Badgers had a top 10 passing defense coming into the game and Pribula went 11-for-13 with 98 yards and a touchdown.

Priubla has shown before he can come in and play well for an injured Alar too. The redshirt sophomore came in for an injured Allar last season against Rutgers too, and led the team in rushing.

Nolan Wick: Pribula proved he can throw successfully and make plays when needed. It’ll be tougher for Penn State to win if he needs to play against Ohio State, but it’s still very possible with him. He appears to be poised enough to handle the job and has experience against Rutgers and Wisconsin. If push comes to shove, he’s ready to take the reins.

The Roster’s Depth Is Its Biggest Strength

CJ: Along with Pribula, offensive lineman Nolan Rucci and defensive tackles Smith Vilbert and Coziah Izzard saw extended action in Saturday’s win. Rucci entered for an injured Donkoh while Vilbert and Izzard replaced Dani Dennis-Sutton, who briefly returned at the start of the second half. All three players earned praise from Franklin post-game.

This year’s roster is littered with talent, and the Nittany Lions showed it on Saturday. Being able to combat the injury bug during what could be one of the longest seasons in college football history is going to be a big advantage for the Nittany Lions as the season rolls on.

Mitch: Three starters went down for Penn State on Saturday. Those starters were Allar, Donkoh, and Dennis-Sutton — two former five-stars and a four-star. That’s a lot of talent to lose, and the Nittany Lions didn’t miss a beat.

Pribula, Rucci, and Vilbert replaced the injured starters and all played well. I already mentioned Pribula’s numbers, Rucci came in and helped the line not allow a sack in the second half, and Vilbert had a tackle for loss.

Nolan: Tight end is Penn State’s biggest strength, but its overall depth is impressive. Pribula showed he could start, while Nolan Rucci, Smith Vilbert, and Coziah Izzard all played well against Wisconsin. Penn State’s recruiting has been good enough that it’s possible the team is three deep at every position, which James Franklin wants.

Wisconsin Was A Potential Trap Game

CJ: I associate the term “trap game,” as a game when the opponent is overlooked. I don’t think the Badgers, who were on an upward trend before their loss to the Nittany Lions on Saturday, were ever overlooked.

From the beginning, this had the looks of a tough game, and the Badgers halftime lead only reiterated how the Badgers were capable of playing. Wisconsin boasts one of the better gameday atmospheres in the Big Ten, and the team is miles above the likes of Kent State or UCLA.

Mitch: Everybody and their mother was saying this was a trap game last week. Just look at our staff predictions before the game.

I never saw it as such, but it made sense why others did. Penn State just squeaked out a win against USC, it was a potential look-ahead game, and Wisconsin was coming off a dominant 3-0 stretch.

I thought Wisconsin had obvious flaws and there was no way Braedyn Locke was going to beat a top-three team in the nation either. It was always Penn State.

Nolan: Yes, for sure. The Badgers had been playing exceptionally well in October and, with a nighttime game at Camp Randall Stadium, the recipe was there. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t very concerned heading into the game, but Penn State pulling this off is a good sign for Purdue and Minnesota, which can sometimes be tough places to play.

Jaylen Reed’s Touchdown Changed The Game

CJ: Things were looking bleak for Penn State while trailing at the start of the second half. A Riley Thompson punt pinned the Badgers back deep, and Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke tossed a pick-six to Jaylen Reed three plays later.

From there, the momentum took over, and Penn State’s offense woke up. After the game, Franklin said the momentum from the interception was real and allowed the Nittany Lions to really take control of the game.

Mitch: Yes. I literally wrote a story about this.

Nolan: It certainly did. Wisconsin had momentum on both sides of the ball until that happened. From there, the tides completely changed. Penn State gave up a field goal on the next drive, but it marched down the field to score a touchdown on its first possession after the pick-six. The Nittany Lions never looked back from that moment on.

This Is The Year James Franklin Gets His Ohio State Win

CJ: It could be, but it could’ve been for any of the past few seasons, too. Penn State is coming off two resilient victories and while it may be a little banged up, it feels like the Nittany Lions are in a better position than ever to take down Ohio State this year.

Last year, there were clearly problems on the offensive side of the ball going into the big game. This year, there aren’t nearly as many systemic issues as the offense has taken on a completely different identity. Quarterback drama might shift the odds a bit, but Penn State seems better positioned going into the biggest game of the season than in years past. Ohio State is still a giant, and this one could go either way.

Mitch: I don’t know about this one.

Everybody knows Franklin’s record against Michigan and Ohio State and everybody knows it’s bad. Ohio State might have the most talented roster in the country and there will be a lot of eyes on Franklin and this team all week.

However, the Buckeyes already have a loss and looked unimpressive against Nebraska on Saturday. With perhaps the best running back duo in the country in Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, the rushing statistics are unimpressive too.

This may be the year and sure, Penn State-Ohio State is always a good game, but I’m sure something will go wrong and the Nittany Lions will end up losing again.

Nolan: Penn State almost always gives Ohio State a good game. Although the Nittany Lions have a great team coming off an impressive road win, I’m not ready to predict a victory over the Buckeyes. My primary concern is Penn State’s secondary, which struggled against USC and gave up over 200 yards against Wisconsin’s mediocre passing game. Ohio State’s wide receivers will be even harder to contain, so unless things change, I wouldn’t be too optimistic.