At the risk of overstating the importance of this game, I think this is the most important game PSU has played since 2011.
If the Vikings win, they will establish to themselves and the rest of the Big Sky that PSU is a different team than the recent past. They will put UM and MSU on notice that they better bring their best game. UND is playing well right now, and PSU needs to prove to themselves that they can beat a good team that has won some games. PSU and UND are at about the same level as far as respectability in the Big Sky right now and a win would put PSU slightly ahead. The win over ISU is not seeming quite as big a win as it did a few weeks ago; though a case could be made that PSU pushed the boulder that got their program headed downhill. The players are believing in Barney Ball right now, and another win could go a long way in cementing that belief into an actual system at PSU. A win will make the probable loss in Texas just a test; one that no one expects them to ace, but one they could maybe get a B on. Then they would be able to re-group, have a few more snaps on offense before they have to face three tough teams in a row.
What if they lose? A loss would mean that the juggernaut of a schedule that they have to face after coming back from Texas might bring a little doubt into the program. Two losses in a row might mean a few more penalties of the type that has plagued the program under Burton. It might cause the team to panic just a little, press a little harder against three teams that know how to win. It may mean that they regress just enough to send them into a bit of a spin which could easily turn into five losses in a row before the ship got righted.
This is an important game.