Week nine of the college football season delivered Penn State fans a very nice surprise. Nittany Lions' faithful I'm sure were expecting a win over Illinois last Saturday, but I don't think many, if any, were expecting a 39-0 shutout victory over the Illini.

I said last week that I thought Penn State would have its most complete game of the season in all facets and I was right. The Nittany Lions are getting better every week and you can see that not only in the way they're playing, but also in the overall demeanor of the coaches and players. Confidence is growing with this bunch and with some tough opponents on the horizon - confidence is exactly what they're going to need.Speaking of tough opponents, next up on the schedule for the Nittany Lions is No. 21 ranked Northwestern. The Wildcats (7-2, 2-2 BIG 10 West) are coming off a win over a struggling Nebraska (3-6) team, but playing the "big red machine" at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln is never an easy task. Any time you can escape Lincoln with a "W" you must consider that achievement.As noted Penn State is coming off its first shutout of the season, which comes after giving up an average of 34.5 points per game to No. 3 ranked Ohio State and Maryland. What was the difference in last week's Penn State's defense from the defense was the two weeks prior? The answer is pretty simple and it's the Illinois personnel.Illini quarterback Wes Lunt might as well have been puppy chow for the defensive line unit and self proclaimed "wild dogs." Penn State's strength is getting after the passer and with Lunt being a drop back style quarterback it fit right into the strength of what Penn State likes to do defensively.Ohio State (J.T. Barrett) and Maryland (Perry Hills) have quarterbacks that can both run and pass, which is the kind of offenses that has hurt the Nittany Lions this season. These type of offenses with dual-threat quarterbacks aren't easy for any team to defend, but its obvious Penn State needs to get better at containing the quarterback in the run game.Unfortunately, for the Nittany Lions Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson is just that kind-of QB. Thorson has passed for just over 1,000 yards on the season and also has rushed for nearly 300 yards, scoring five rushing touchdowns. In order for Penn State to pull off the road victory, containing Thorson is a must.Northwestern is averaging a modest 186 yards per game on the ground with running back Justin Jackson carrying most of the load in that department. Jackson has rushed for 731 yards on the season."We anticipate and are preparing all week long that they are going to run the zone read, so that's what we'll be working on all week long for these guys. We think that's what they're going to do against us based on what they've shown and on them studying our film," said Penn State head coach James Franklin. "Thorson is a big, strong guy. We're going to have to be ready."Stopping the Northwestern zone read attack is key this afternoon (Noon ET, ESPNU), but moving the ball against a tough Northwestern defense will be vital as well.The Wildcats "D" is definitely one of the best defenses Penn State will see up this point in the season and they've had some pretty impressive performances. The Northwestern defense is responsible for two shutouts on the year and also held No. 9 ranked Stanford to just six points and a talented Duke team to 10 points.The Wildcats are giving up 146 yards per game on the ground and 165 yards per game through the air.However, if Penn State is going to strike the time is now. Over the last three weeks the Wildcats have given up an average of 35 points per game. The PSU offense is coming off of two pretty good weeks in the passing game and has the opportunity here to continue that trend.The key as always is to protect Christian Hackenberg. Northwestern will look to bring the pressure on "Hack," but if the offensive line and running backs can pick up that blitz that once again will give Penn State one on one situations. Hackenberg has thrived when given that opportunity as of late and has taken care of the ball as well. The junior has thrown 12 touchdowns and zero interceptions over his last six games. Hackenberg is gaining more confidence as the weeks march on and that's good news for Penn State fans. If that big arm is feeling confident it opens up many positive possibilities for the Penn State offense.Las Vegas has Penn has Northwestern as a 1.5 point favorite later today.This one could honestly go either way. It all depends on the offensive line in my opinion. If Penn State isn't able to protect Hackenberg then it's going to be really tough for PSU to come away with the victory. Northwestern has too many playmakers on defense and they will make the Nittany Lions pay if they block poorly.Saquon Barkley is also due for a big game after being held in check for the most part over the last few weeks. The success of the offense will depend heavily on if he can break off some big runs to keep the Wildcats honest.With all that being said, I like the way the offensive line has been playing and I like Hackenberg's confidence level right now. I also like the defense to catch on this week and play better against a dual-threat quarterback.My prediction is Penn State 30, Northwestern 14.