MMQB – Turtling Up

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before during this season: Penn State races out to a big first half lead against an opponent that appears to be hapless, the coaches go into ultra conservative run-out-the-clock mode way too early in the game, and the previously hapless opponent comes roaring back.

In the case of the earlier game against Wisconsin, the Lions built a 17-0 first half lead before going conservative, which ultimately bit the team in the ass as the Badgers compiled enough big plays down the stretch to beat the Lions 24-20.

In the case of this weekend’s game against Washington, Penn State built a 28-6 halftime lead before going conservative, and the team did just enough to eke out a…